I love this cake. It's not too sweet and gets a delicious tang from the yogurt. The yogurt also makes the cake wonderfully moist, so you can make it in advance and it will still be great on game day. This is a traditional French dessert that I tweak with almond flour or semolina (both of which give it a slightly coarse texture that I like) and a touch of Amaretto.
Makes 1 9-inch cake
Unsalted butter for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour, semolina flour or additional all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Amaretto (optional)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup canola oil
Blueberry Sauce for serving (recipe below)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and generously butter a 9-inch cake pan lined with a buttered parchment circle.
Mix together the all-purpose flour, additional flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Put the sugar and zest in a large bowl and rub the zest into the sugar using the palms of your hands until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs, Amaretto and vanilla to the bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and liquid.
Stir in the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You'll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan, the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove cake from pan, peel off parchment and cool to room temperature right-side up.
Blueberry Sauce
12 ounces fresh or frozen (unsweetened) blueberries
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (separated) cognac, brandy or water
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (taste berries to decide on sugar; you can always add a bit more later)
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon arrowroot (available in the supermarket spice aisle)*
Pick over blueberries, discarding any mushy or green ones and removing any stems. Scoop berries into a small saucepan and add remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Make a slurry by stirring together the remaining cognac, brandy or water and the arrowroot. Stir into blueberry mixture until slightly thickened.
*Arrowroot is my favorite thickener and should be available in the supermarket spice section. Unlike flour it works almost instantly; unlike cornstarch, it doesn't have a gloppy texture. It does its job even after freezing, and it's completely tasteless.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDM3NjYwMjA5MDE1MjA1MzQ1NDk1N2ZmZQ004))
