Lemon Lovers' Chocolate Chip Yogurt Cake

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.