Lemon Yogurt Cake with Strawberry Coulis
This is the cake that got me started on my lemon obsession this spring. I saw the cake on Smitten Kitchen and made it (with a few adaptations) the following weekend. It was delicous, but a little different than I expected. I took it to a friend’s house to serve as dessert, but I think it was a little plain for that. This cake would be better served as an afternoon snack with tea, or something similar. Don’t get me wrong, it tastes great, and has a really unique flavor, but it’s more of an everyday cake, not a special occasion cake.
The cake itself is incredibly moist and has a lot of lemon flavor. It’s somehow tart and sweet at the same time. I served it with a strawberry coulis (sort of a fresh strawberry sauce?), which was a great compliment. Mike and I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning (the perfect use for leftover cake), and we both agreed that it tasted even better after sitting for a day. We also had plenty of leftover coulis, which was great stirred into some plain yogurt (or just eaten by the spoonful). This is a great spring cake that would be delicious for a variety of occasions.
Lemon Yogurt Cake with Strawberry Coulis
Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Strawberry Coulis
2 cups quartered hulled strawberries (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, sugar, lime zest and juice. Add the eggs one by one, whisking well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, over top of the yogurt batter. Stir until just combined and pour into the cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen. Flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back on the rack so that it's right side up. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
For the coulis: Combine strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Can be prepared one day ahead.
adapted from Smitten Kitchen