I don’t know about you but I am losing my damn mind. I’m busy! I’m planning for remote learning, checking emails, having team meetings but I am not a hang around the house all day type of person. I like to have errands to run. I like to be around people other than my husband. I like to go to Target just because. ( Oh, Target I miss you most of all)

So I’ve been baking. A lot. I’ve been baking old favorites but also recipes that I’ve been wanting to try but just never got around to them. The other day I made an orange yogurt cake that had been hanging around my Pinterest boards and it was soooooo good. It was super easy and made the whole house smell like an orange grove.  I’m going to make this again but  I’m going to add a little rum to the warm citrus honey glaze.

I’ve learned that yogurt cake is as essential in French baking as an apple pie in America. Children actually learn to make it in school, using a yogurt container to measure out the ingredients. I may take this lesson from the French to do with my own students virtually during this time of remote learning. I see a cooking video in my future. 🙂

This cake  not overly sweet and is lovely as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or as a dessert with some whipped cream or powdered sugar. It’s also very versatile, you can swap out the orange for a lemon, add poppy seeds, top with fresh fruit. I do believe the possibilities are endless.

French Yogurt Cake with Orange – adapted from Pardon Your French

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
½ orange, zest and juice
½ cup Plain 2% yogurt (do not use Greek or Skyr, just regular ol’ yogurt)
3 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup  all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp  baking powder
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup honey

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F with a rack in the middle.

Grease a circular 8” cake pan (or loaf pan) with some butter and lightly flour, set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar with the orange zest. Rub the mixtures with your fingers so the zest releases moisture, the sugar will start to look like sand and a little lumpy.

Whisk in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder.

Whisk in the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil. The batter should look smooth and glossy.

Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for 50 minutes, until golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer the cake to a cooling rack.

Warm up the honey in a small saucepan and stir in the orange juice.

When the cake pan is cool enough to handle, remove the cake from the pan and transfer onto a plate. Brush the warm honey all over.

Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream or just on its own. Yum!