Dinner with Kirsten

This is one of those stand-by recipes that I’m always craving. I remember devouring this issue of Bon Appétit, way back in February 2005. I had just returned from a trip to Europe, where I ate my way through Paris and completely fell in love with the food. Would I ever taste food like that again, I wondered? This issue gave me hope with a collection of simple French dessert recipes – the traditional ones learned at grandmothers’ elbows in kitchens all over France. These recipes were just the tools I needed to re-capture a little bit of the French food magic in Omaha, Nebraska.

A couple things I love about this cake: subtle lemony flavor; an extremely moist crumb; Is it breakfast, dessert or a snack? All of the above; yogurt instead of butter = the lighter side, as far as cakes go.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Adapted from Bon Appétit, Feb. 2005

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup lemon, orange, or grapefruit marmalade (for glaze)
1 teaspoon water

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan (I used glass and it worked out okay). Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Combine yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in large bowl and whisk until well blended. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients. Using rubber spatula, fold in oil. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place pan on baking sheet.

Place cake on baking sheet in oven and bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack. Turn cake upright on rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)

Stir marmalade and 1 teaspoon water in small saucepan over medium heat until marmalade melts. Brush hot mixture over top of cake. Let glaze cool and set. Cut cake crosswise into slices.