Easy Berry Yogurt Cake

Today is cloudy, grey and miserable.

Although it is still lovely and warm (it’s spring!), the rain has been coming down on and off all day. As I type this, it is actually pouring down.

I was going to share an ice cream recipe with you today, but as the thunder started clapping this morning, it felt somewhat inappropriate.

Because who wants to eat ice cream on a gloomy, wet day?

No, no. Rainy, inside weather like this, screams perfect baking weather to me.

So I got to making a cake.

I’m not really one for cakes, but I’ve been wanting to re-make this yogurt cake for a while now (because it is ever moist and yummy, easily adaptable and, honestly, because the old photos are super cringeworthy. That blog post needed a makeover. For real.) and I had a fridge full of beautiful summer berries that were perfect to throw on top of the batter.

And really, what could be better on a rainy day than sitting around and catching up with a friend over coffee while a gorgeous yogurt cake bakes away in the oven?

Now, this cake is so easy to put together. A mixing bowl and a whisk are all you need.

It’s adaptable, too. It calls for yogurt, but I only had half the amount I needed, and it was raining, and I totally wasn’t going to walk the two minutes to the shop to buy more, so I subbed in cream. Yep. Double cream. And it worked !!

I also replaced half the sugar with superfine raw sugar to see what would happen. It made the cake turn a lovely golden colour which I like. I’ll note my adjustments in the recipe, but feel free to bake the original if you want a true yogurt cake.

And feel free to use whatever fruit you like in this cake! Just throw it on top there. Like last week’s friands, this cake can be any fruity flavour you like. X

• 1 cup plain yogurt (I used half yogurt and half double cream)
• 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar (I used half white and half raw, or golden, caster)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1⅔ cups plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• A handful each of strawberries and cherries (or whatever fruit you like)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease and line a 8.5 inch (approx) springform tin with baking paper.
2. Whisk the yogurt, sugar, salt and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Pour in the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk well after each addition.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into the yogurt mixture. Fold them through using the whisk.
5. Pour into the prepared baking tin. Pit your cherries and hull and halve your strawberries and arrange them over the top. Optionally, you can sprinkle the cake with a little raw sugar which will form a crunchy crust.
6. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until the cake springs back or a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool a little before removing from the tin.
8. This cake keeps well, moistens with age and serves 8 - 10.
9. Happy baking!

Adapted from Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris, via this post.