yoghurt loaf cake

I did a search for Dorie Greenspan recipes, and this was one of the recipes that came up and caught my attention. Yesterday I decided that since I had a lemon and a tub of unopened yoghurt waiting to be opened this would be the perfect opportunity to try it. For some reason the cake browned very early on and very quickly, and the crust came out rather tough (the oil perhaps?) but it was still very yummy, especially the next day. As with oil based cakes, the result is a rather spongey cake rather than a 'crummy' cake that you get with butter based cakes. I also opted to use vegetable oil, even though this recipe specifically calls for extra virgin olive oil, because I think olive oil makes cakes a bit heavier than vegetable oil, and I'd rather dunk a good piece of crusty bread in my precious extra virgin olive oil than use it in a cake.

Verdict: Rather yummy and moist, excellent super quick and easy cake
Score: 8.5/10

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* Pinch of salt
* 1 cup sugar
* Finely grated zest of 1 lime
* 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
* 3 large eggs
* 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup EVO (extra-virgin olive oil)

Method
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep near by.

Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and rub the ingredients together until the sugar is fragrant. Whisk in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla. When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the dry ingredients. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil. The batter will be thick and shiny. Scrape it into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and starts to come away from the sides of the pan; a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.