Lemon Yogurt Cake

This lemon yogurt cake was an impulse the other day that ended with scrumptious results.

Wyatt said we should make lemon cake. You should know that I am incredibly susceptible to dessert suggestions. So we pulled some cookbooks off the shelf, and one of us looked at cake recipes while the other one looked at nothing in particular. In the end, “we” settled on a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I replaced one of the eggs with applesauce, used greek in place of regular yogurt, and increased the amount of zest. But this is really her recipe… and I am happy to make it, and even happier to eat it!

It is awesomesauce!

Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe

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Ingredients

Cake

1 1/2 cup AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup applesauce
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (plus a little extra for finishing the cake)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Syrup

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Glaze

3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and dump the flour, baking powder, and salt into a fine strainer or sifter.
Step 2
Work everything through until you're left with a fluffy mound of dry mix.
Step 3
Now add the yogurt, 1c. of the sugar, eggs, zest, vanilla, and applesauce into the bowl of your mixer.
Step 4
I only had strawberry flavored applesauce in the fridge btw. I thought it might change the color of the cake slightly, but it didn't seem to affect it at all. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.
Step 5
Slowly add in your dry mix while whisking on low.
Step 6
Take a break once all of the dry mix has been added to give the sides of the bowl a good scrape.
Step 7
Once you're left with a creamy dreamy batter, pour in the vegetable oil.
Step 8
I'll go ahead and say it for you... "Eeewwww!" But if Ina says it's so, well then it's so people... trust in the Contessa! Ok, so once you've collected yourself from the shock of what a half a cup of oil dump on top of cake batter looks like... gently fold the oil in. You'll end up with a velvety batter that doesn't look oily in the least!
Step 9
So maybe I'm paranoid, or maybe I just do everything the Barefoot Contessa tells me... but I not only greased the loaf pan, but also laid parchment in the bottom. Either way it worked beautifully, so I'm wholeheartedly endorsing the practice.
Step 10
Evenly spread the cake batter into the pan, and bake 50-60 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the lemon juice over the extra 1/3 c. sugar in a small saucepan.
Step 11
Heat over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves and the whole thing bubbles. Then pull it off the heat and wait on your cake. I'm sorry I didn't get a shot of the finished syrup. I got distracted with my "helper" pulling out a bowl, sugar, chocolate syrup, and chocolate chips to make a "secret recipe".
Step 12
That is a milk frother in case you were wondering. Anyway, your cake will officially be done when a cake tester in the center comes out mostly clean.
Step 13
While the cake is still hot pour the lemon syrup all over the top.
Step 14
Now just walk away. Seriously... leave it alone, and just walk away while the syrup seeps into the spongy cake. Once you're sure the cake is completely cooled, transfer it onto the plate of your choice.
Step 15
The glaze is super simple. Powdered sugar and lemon juice join forces in a bowl...
Step 16
to become a sweet force to be reckoned with.
Step 17
Pour the glaze over the cake, then sprinkle over the reserved zest.
Step 18
This cake is dense, moist, and just all around yummy.
Step 19
I dare you not to love this.