Citrus Yogurt Cake Food

CITRUS, ALMOND & YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Meanwhile, butter a 23cm springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Put the 200g caster sugar, flour and ground almonds in a large bowl and mix well. Whisk the eggs and 75g yogurt into the cooled melted butter, then pour this into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Zest the lemon and orange over the bowl. Stir with a spatula until there are no streaks of flour, then scrape into the tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 mins.
• Cut a few slices each from the zested lemon and orange, then squeeze the juice from what's left of each into a saucepan (you'll need about 6 tbsp total). Add the 2 tbsp caster sugar and the fruit slices to the pan. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-10 mins, or until the juice has reduced to a thin syrup and the fruit slices have softened. Leave to cool. Remove the fruit slices to a sheet of baking parchment and leave to dry.
• Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake - it should come out dry, with no wet cake mix clinging to it. If it's not ready, bake for 5-10 mins more and check again. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then spoon over the citrus syrup. Leave to cool for 10 mins more, then remove from the tin. To freeze, first leave to cool completely, then wrap the cake well. Will keep frozen for up to three months.
• Mix the 2 tbsp yogurt with the icing sugar to make a thick icing. Spoon this onto the centre of the cake and use the back of a spoon to ease it to the edge (it should drip over the side). Scatter over the flaked almonds and decorate with the fruit slices. Serve warm, or leave to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight tin for up to five days.

LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8- or 9-inch springform pan.
• Using an electric hand mixer or a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low until the mixture looks frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly start to increase the speed to medium-high. Continue to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl but using the same mixer, combine yolks and sugar (no need to wash beaters after the egg white). Beat yolks on medium-high until the mixture is very pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and gradually beat in flour, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and salt until fully incorporated.
• Gently fold half of the egg whites into the yolk-yogurt mixture until only a few streaks remain. Fold in the remaining whites, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until the batter is evenly mixed, light and smooth.
• Scrape the batter into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake until the top is speckled with golden brown and puffed, 40 to 55 minutes. (The 8-inch pan will take longer to bake through.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cake cool before cutting. Serve warm or cold.

CITRUS YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Butter and flour your bundt pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In another bowl, combine the sugar and the orange zest together. Blend well so that the oils in the zest release into the sugar and becomes fragrant. Beat the eggs into the sugar until well combined and stir in the yogurt, orange juice, vanilla and olive oil. Add in flour mixture and stir until everything is all mixed.
• Pour batter into the bundt pan, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
• While cake is cooling, mix together the sugar and the orange juice in a small saucepan until the sugar melts. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the orange syrup over the cake. Poke the cake a few times with a skewer if need be to help soak in the syrup, because the wetter this cake gets with the orange syrup the better it will be.

CITRUS YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour or line two 8 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter. Add sugar gradually and beat until light in color.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each adding each one. Add lemon and lime rind and lemon juice. Add yogurt and blend well.
• On low speed, add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pans. Spread batter evenly in pans.
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out with a fine crumb.
• Remove from the oven. Pour lime juice over the hot cakes. Cool cakes in pans for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove cakes from the pans and continue to cool on wire cooling racks. Cool completely. Remove and discard parchment.
• Dust with confectioners sugar or Confectioners Glaze.
• Confectioners Glaze: Using an electric mixer, blend sugar, lemon extract and water until blended. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Use a metal spatula to spread on the top of the cake. Place cake on a wire rack, set on clean parchment to allow for easy cleanup of excess icing. Use immediately or cover and store at room temperature for later use. Yield: enough to glaze the top of one 10-inch tube cake or 2 large loaves.