Unfortunately, I’ve been out of the kitchen all week due to study (and I’m still working on an analysis of bias in the media) so haven’t really got anything spectacular for your perusal. However, in lieu of that, here’s a Gâteau au Yaourt that I made using a recipe from Clotilde’s blog, Chocolate & Zucchini. Not the best picture, but a dead-easy, deliciously moreish cake that you’ll find yourself devouring slice after slice. I’ve made this a few times, and I have to admit that I prefer it when made with natural, unsweetened yoghurt as it gives a fresh ‘tang’ to the flavour that you don’t seem to get with that horrific artificially sweetened Nestle crap in tubs.
It’s a great recipe, but I’ve got a few problems with it – the fact that it uses 1 tablespoon of baking powder is a bit iffy as every time I’ve made this, I swear I can taste the slightly sharp, metallic touch of its presence (though that may just be my neurotic tastebuds), plus the cake is a bit too sweet for what I want it for – a plain cake that can be enjoyed with a cup of green tea. I’m working on a version that is going to be better suited to my family’s tastes, but it may take awhile as I’m flooded with work at the moment.
Gâteau au Yaourt
(Recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini)
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup of whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light rum
Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F), line the bottom of a round ten-inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil and rum. In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together — don’t overwork the dough. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.
Please bear in mind that if, like my father, you prefer your desserts not so sweet, you’re best cutting the sugar down to 1/2 or 2/3 cup, and adding a little extra vanilla (another 1/2 – 1 tsp) to up the flavour a bit. And, as with any plain cake recipe, it can be used as a base to create more elaborate versions should you desire it (in my kitchen, blueberry, citrus, matcha and chai versions are being contemplated)
Have a great week, folks! 
[tags]Chocolate & Zucchini, food blogs, recipes, yoghurt cake, baking, recipes, desserts[/tags]
