I forgot to bring in my Lemon Kiss Me Cake Recipe! So as a replacement recipe, I am printing Ina Garten's Yogurt Cake, which is also a delicious lemon cake. I have made a few changes to the recipe: I added chocolate chips, removed some of the sugar (it was too sweet), and removed the glaze which was unnecessary with this rich, moist cake. I love that this cake is made with oil and not butter (healthier and more moist). This cake is for lemon lovers only! It would be great for any occasion, especially a lady's luncheon or tea--I feel this cake is very girly--I love its lucious yellow color---I hope you enjoy it (you can omit the chocolate if you prefer, or add blueberries instead--chopped walnuts might be another nice addition)
Side Bar: Even though I removed some of the sugar from this recipe, my Japanese boss still thought the cake was too sweet! So people outside the U.S. might want to add even less sugar--apparently we Americans have become very accustomed to large amounts of sugar in our diets. I happen to believe this is a result of fast food restaurants and packaged food companies having loaded their products with so much sugar/sugar substitute in order to save money, etc. When I went off desserts last summer, I went through a 3-day withdrawal period where I was miserable, and then I never felt better! I craved sugar less and when I did eat dessert I didn't need to eat ultra-sweet cakes or cookies. My taste for sugar had normalized and I found the rich chocolate desserts I had previously eaten way too rich and sweet...so the moral of the story is, eat sugar in moderation.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 extra-large eggs, the grated lemon zest of 2 lemons, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, not quite 1/2 cup vegetable oil (use maybe 1-2 tablespoons less oil), 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 3/4 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil and 3 tablespoons lemon juice into the batter. Then fold in the chocolate chips until everything is combined but do not overfold! Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, prick the top of the cake with a fork in several places and then pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
Here we have Alex in the blue shirt and Ismaila. Ismaila's first language is French. He is attending Boston Life to improve his conversation and comprehension skills. He has only been with us for a few weeks but already he has made some very nice improvements with his English. As for Alex, even though she is young, she has become a very popular and often-requested teacher. We're lucky to have her!
Sua Roh, one of our absolutely lovely students from Korea (third person from the left) is an amazing up and coming artist. An exhibit of her beautiful paintings will be on display at Starbucks on Mass. Ave. (near Berklee College of Music) beginning May 5. The exhibit lasts 1 month so go see her pictures before it's too late!
. I love this group. It's fun and it's a great way for our students to improve their English skills while meeting new people. Today it is sunny and hot in Boston.
Here we have a picture of Cambridge City Hall (One block past the Boston Life office). Today is a lovely spring day in Cambridge--the sky is blue and the flowers are beginning to bloom.
These cows are a gift from Masako, a former student who is a professor in Japan. Masako, thank you for your kind gifts! We miss you! (Masako was in my Public Speaking class--she was incredibly fun and smart and interesting--come back to Boston Masako!)
This is Leah in the small kitchen at Boston Life. She is one of our most popular teachers. Students practically fight over who gets her. Why is she such a wonderful teacher? She's funny, smart, charismatic, and charming. Hey Leah, what are you eating?
