French Yogurt Cake
By Joanne Sasvari
I love a plain cake. It has so much potential. You can drizzle it with liqueur, top it with jam or fruit compote, serve it with whipping cream, or all of the above. You could grill slices of it over charcoal for a kiss of smoke, then serve it with ice cream or spoonfuls of dulce de leche. You could use it as the base for strawberry shortcake or a trifle. And of course, you can eat it plain — for dessert, afternoon tea, or even breakfast.
The best plain cake is a French yogurt cake, which has a lovely moist crumb and a subtle tanginess, and isn’t too sweet or fussy. Sprinkling a little sugar on top before baking gives it a crunchy, caramelly finish that is totally chef’s kiss. Yogurt cake is also ridiculously easy to make, which makes it a great project for kids or busy hosts. In fact, here’s one you could whip up right now.
Note: Pastry chefs like to use whole vanilla beans while home cooks tend to use vanilla extract. If you can find it, a great in-between option is vanilla bean paste. It’s pricey, so I’d only use it in recipes like this one, where the vanilla really matters. And check the label to make sure you’re using the right amount — the conversion from extract to paste varies with some brands.
Recipe: French Yogurt Cake
Adapted from Food52, which is an incredible resource for cooks and bakers.
Makes one 8- to 10-inch round cake.
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt (not Greek) or buttermilk
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus additional to sprinkle on top
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or (preferably) vanilla bean paste (see note above)
1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil such as canola
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 generous pinch salt
Heat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray the inside of a round 8-, 9- or 10-inch cake pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper. (I prefer to use a pan with a removable bottom; also, Gourmet Warehouse has pre-cut parchment rounds with handles that make it super easy to remove from the pan.)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, sugar, vanilla and oil.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Fold the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, mixing only until all traces of flour disappear. Do not overwork the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle sugar lightly over top, then place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Note that if you use a smaller-diameter pan, it may take a few minutes longer.
Remove from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove cake from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.