Just about every week, my friend Maxine and I get together to let our toddlers play. We usually make a small lunch and have some adult conversation (much needed when we are both surrounded by children all day). Our husbands are both active duty, so it is nice to have someone to relate to! We talk about all kinds of things. Our conversations go from God, to music, to food, to, “Don’t touch that!” and, “Quit putting your feet there!”
She recommended a book to me called Bringing up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman. I absolutely love it so far. It is quite funny, and it also has some interesting points when it comes to child rearing!
In this book, I learned that there’s a national snack time in France called goûter (gu-te), which means “to taste.” Sweets are typically served during this time, and gâteau au yaourt, aka yogurt cake, is a popular choice. What I have below is roughly translated from a recipe in the book, plus or minus a couple of ingredients. I cut down the sugar, added some citrus zest, and incorporated a glaze at the end. I hope you love it!
Yogurt Cake
You will need:
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
To begin, preheat your oven to 375*F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch cake pan of your choice. Round, square, loaf, etc.
For the cake: Combine the yogurt, oil, eggs, vanilla, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in one bowl. Stir until creamy and completely mixed together.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a third of the mixture at a time, ensuring everything is mixed together. Once you have added the last third, combine gently just until everything is mixed. Do not over mix this or it will come out very tough.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan, smooth it out, and bake for 30-35 minutes until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely (~30 minutes).
For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl until it forms a glaze. 2 Tbsp of liquid doesn’t seem like much, but just keep stirring until it combines. If you end up stirring for forever and it is still very dry, you can add in 1 or 2 tsp of lemon juice or milk to thin it out. Once the cake is cooled, pour the glaze over the middle and let it run over the sides. I won’t blame you if you lick your fingers! It is that good.
This cake is bright from the lemon, perfectly sweet without being too sweet, and has an excellent texture. Slice the gâteau au yaourt and enjoy your very own goûter with tea, coffee, friends, and fellowship.
I hope you love it!
Lots of love and many blessings,
Chelsea
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to his call.
Ephesians 1: 17-18
The Catholic Kitchen 