French Lemon Yoghurt Cake
Oozing with lemon flavour, this French Lemon Yoghurt Cake has a meltingly soft, light, moist crumb which is then brushed with a simple, yet luscious, lemon syrup. This classic French recipe is perfectly balanced: neither too sweet, nor too tart, with a fabulous consistent texture throughout and just the right amount of lemon.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200g caster sugar
- zest from 2 lemons
- 125g natural yoghurt
- 3 eggs
- 110g neutral flavoured oil such as vegetable, sunflower or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 195g plain/all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
For the lemon syrup:
- 80g icing sugar
- juice from 2 lemons
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Preheat oven to fan oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4
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Make the cake: weigh the caster sugar into a mixing bowl. Grate the lemon zest directly on top of the sugar.
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Use your finger tips to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to release the oils from the zest and bring out the lemon flavour.
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Add the yoghurt, eggs, oil and vanilla and use a balloon whisk to thoroughly mix.
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Next add the flour, baking powder and salt and combine with a balloon whisk. Be careful not to over-mix at this stage, but make sure it is smooth and combined.
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Pour into a 900g/2lb lined cake tin and bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 50 – 55 minutes, or until cooked. It is cooked when:
- the cake has risen and the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.
- a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
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Make the lemon syrup: whilst the cake bakes, juice the lemons and mix the juice with the icing sugar.
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As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush the syrup over the hot cake. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before lifting out to continue cooling ion a wire rack. Leave it in the baking paper until completely cool.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- mixing bowl and balloon whisk
- grater
- reamer
- 900g/21b loaf tin lined with baking parchment or a loaf tin parchment case
- small mixing bowl
Traditional measurements:
Traditionally made using a yoghurt pot to measure out the ingredients, this adds to the cake's appeal and simplicity, particularly when making with children – 1 pot of yoghurt, 1 pot of oil, 2 pots of sugar, 3 pots of flour, 3 eggs, some baking powder, a touch of salt and voila! Add other flavours, such as lemon, as desired.