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french lemons for yogurt cake

Even though we come from different worlds – my life (in some ways) depends on gluten, and her life (in some ways) depends on avoiding it. But Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl both share a common love of cooking and baking. and that’s good enough for me. (I’ve never asked her, but I hope she feels the same.)

flour for yogurt cake

We met several years ago when I was in Seattle. At the time, I didn’t know much – actually, anything – about gluten-free eating…but it was interesting to see how recipes and life could be adapted to eat in a different way without feeling deprived. Much had to do with cooking with real ingredients and when you have an intolerance, you pay more attention to your diet and how you are feeding yourself. And it’s pretty hard to argue with that, no matter what you need, or choose, to eat.

yogurt cake pan

Oddly, I’ve never chosen to make a French yogurt cake, which is a classic that I think everyone in France grew up eating. So I was prompted by spotting a recipe for one in Gluten-Free Girl Everyday which is filled with recipes that Shauna makes for her family, toujours. In France, it is obligatoire to make this cake using pots of yogurt, as the ingredients are scooped into the emptied yogurt cups, which are then used for measuring out the rest of the ingredients. So next time a non-American gets irked at me because American recipes are in cups, I’ll point out that the French have their own homespun version that works pretty darned well.

french yogurt

This particular version of this cake uses lemon and being gluten-free, Shauna makes hers with her gluten-free flour mix. (Her recipe is in the book, and it uses just three ingredients!) But it worked great with wheat flour in my Parisian kitchen. But because we’re American, we can’t resist taking things closer to over-the-top..especially when it comes to lemon, so there’s a tangy lemon glaze drizzled over the lemon-scented cake. A friend from Provence had brought me some beautiful lemons from her tree that were just waiting to get used, so it was kismet. Which I tried to translate into French the other day, and I kind of got a few blank stares.

apricots

I also couldn’t resist fussing with the recipe, thinking I would make it in a bundt pan to fancy it up. (Which is odd, because I usually tell people not to mess with recipes until they’ve made it the way it’s written.) Unfortunately I learned why French traditions are, well – traditions, and realized that I should have stuck to them and used a regular round cake pan. Even though I had greased the bundt pan well, the silky cake batter was no match for those ridges and crannies.

fresh apricots

So I recommend that you stick with the 9-inch (23 cm) round pan. And after snacking on lemony cake scraps for a few days (which, for some reason, always taste the best), I decided to make it again.

yogurt cake

I would have liked to have shown you the inside of this cake, but it got whisked away for a birthday party and was quickly gobbled down by all. Since Parisians aren’t so keen on being followed around by an American toting a camera, and I have the bruises to prove it, you’ll have to take my word for it. But it was gratifying to see people enjoying a classic cake, that had made the trek all the way from France to Seattle, then back again to France.

fresh cherries

One liberté I did take was to pair it with a warm apricot-cherry compote. I had gone to the market the other morning and because of the brisk, chilly weather, I neglected to realize that it was almost summer. So was surprised to see fresh cherries and apricots aplenty. I scooped up a bag of each, brought them home, and baked them into a juicy compote to serve alongside.

apricot-cherry compote

Lemon Yogurt Cake with Apricot-Cherry Compote

Adapted from Gluten-Free Girl Everyday by Shauna James Ahern I like apricots on the tart side, but if you like them sweeter, use the larger amount of sugar. I’ve not tried the cake with reduced-fat or other kinds of yogurt (soy, etc.) but if you do, please let me know your results in the comments.

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup (210g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminium-free
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
  • 1 cup (250g) whole milk plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) neutral-tasting vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or colza/canola
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • zest of 2 lemons, unsprayed or organic

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cup (210g) powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Apricot-Cherry Compote (Serves 4 to 6, can be scaled up)

  • 1 1/2 pounds (700g) fresh apricots, halved and pitted
  • 2 cups (280g) fresh cherries, pitted, sweet or sour
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup (65 – 100g) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) rosé, white wine (dry or sweet), or water
  • a few drops almond or vanilla extract
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC.) Butter or oil a 9-inch (23 cm) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Use a whisk to mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs, lemon juice, and zest until smooth.
  • Mix about one-third of the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture, then stir the rest in, in two batches, just until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • While the cake is cooking, toss the apricots, cherries, sugar, honey, wine, and extract in a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven until the fruit is soft and fully cooked through; depending on ripeness, it will take between 20 and 30 minutes.
  • Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around the outside of it to loosen it from the pan, and tip the cake out of the pan. Remove the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely, right side up, on a wire rack.
  • To glaze the cake, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Pour it in the center of the top of the cake. Use a spoon or spatula to spread it gently right to the end, then let the glaze drip down the side. Serve the cake with the apricot-cherry compote either warm or at room temperature, perhaps with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Storage: The cake can be made up to three days in advance and stored at room temperature, glazed or unglazed; do not refrigerate it. You can freeze the unglazed cake for up to two months, if well-wrapped.

apricot-cherry compote

Related Recipes and Posts

Gluten-Free Baking Tips and Substitutions

Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze

Ingredients for American Baking in Paris

How to Tell if Your Baking Powder is Still Good

Gluten-Free Brownies

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73 comments

    • joan hersh

    why not use lemon whole milk yogurt for added flavor?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      You could likely do that. I’m not a fan of pre-flavored yogurts, personally, and some are rather sweet. The original recipe had more lemon juice added to the batter but I preferred it with mostly zest – and wanted to highlight the fruit as well as the tangy lemon glaze.

    • Cathy

    Have spent quite a lot of time looking at yogurt cake recipes online. I particularly liked the recipe from the Chocolate and Zucchini blog. Some of the comments there suggested that you could decrease the amount of oil further. Still haven’t made one yet, but have made plenty of yogurt scone and yogurt muffin recipes recently. This one looks good, and the compote even better.

    • Shanna

    Hey David, looks great! Do you think i would also work with greek yoghurt?

    • Claire

    I love anything lemon! But, I must ask, why the warning to not refrigerate the cake? We are only two in my family and probably cannot, although we’d try, eat this entire cake in three days. And I don’t want to freeze it glazed.

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Shanna: I haven’t tried it but am sure it would work fine.

    Cathy: I don’t know why one would decrease the oil. The cake is very good just as is and I don’t think 1/2 cup of oil (which is about 2 teaspoons per serving, based on getting about 12 slices out of the cake) is all that much. I also like to serve fruit with cakes and ice cream sometimes, as you can serve smaller portions and go heavier on the fruit, if you’d like. I would give the recipe a try just as it is first – it’s delicious!

    Claire: Refrigerating cakes makes they dry. But it’ll keep for several days. If you want to freeze part of it, I would bake the cake in two loaf pans, and freeze one. Then make half of the glaze recipe – so you always have delicious cake : )

    • nic

    I often use a liqueur soak when making a cake to serve for pudding at dinner. Chambord works well and i will try this cake both with and without.

    • MR in NJ

    The link to the cookbook doesn’t work.

    Thanks for bringing it to my attention, there was a coding error that we’re working to fix. The link – as well as the one to Shauna’s site – is fixed now. -dl

    • Elizabeth Minchilli

    It’s not just a French thing. The yoghurt cup cake recipe is alive and well in Italy too. In fact, it’s the first cake that my girls learned how to make, on their own, since it’s so easy. I think I’ll go make this now, since I’ve got plenty of apricots.

    • Sue Sharp

    The traditional yogurt cake is a staple in this house (using the pot for measuring) and it’s incredibly versatile. I made one last week with glace cherries and chopped stem ginger, using some ginger syrup from the jar in the icing. In its original state, it bought a tear to the eye of a French farmer friend, who said it was just like the cake his grandmother had made.

    Claire, I often use Greek yogurt and it works very well.

    • Cathy

    Hi David,

    Some people are obsessed with fat content aren’t they! I’m not, unless it makes something taste too greasy or fatty. Just had another look at the Chocolate and Zucchini post and she only uses one third of a cup oil. Have you ever used olive oil in this recipe?

    • Nebraska girl in Paris

    Looks so yummy! One question: is the weight of the fruits before or after removing the pits? Sorry if this is a “beginner” type of question…

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      It’s before.

    • ItalianGirlCooks

    Love the apricot-cherry compote – and alongside cake made of lemon and yoghurt. I make (lemon-honey-yoghurt-blueberry) muffins, but this combo is unique, and no doubt delicious!

    • Francesca B

    If I make this with store-bought gluten-free flour, do I use the same amount of flour as in your adapted recipe?
    Thanks.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I have no experience with gluten-free flour but I linked to a post I did about using gluten-free ingredients that might yield you an answer. I would also check the bag or container of flour that you got, or the manufacturer’s website, as they probably have guidelines on how to use it or substitute it.

    • mlleparadis

    i’m lemon’ed out at the moment so won’t fib and say i’ll be making this tomorrow but – sometime soon…….

    meanwhile i’ll just say, roasting fruit like this at this time of year is one of my favorite things to do. is there anything more beautiful, simple and tasty? just did some last nite!

    sorry about the parisian summer so far!

    • Bebe

    I too wonder why some seem to be obsessed with fat content without determining how much fat will actually be in a serving. And very few are forbidden the occasional treat. This cake seems to be fairly healthy as desserts go.

    Ditto jumping into alterations to a cake recipe. Conventional wisdom says “make it first as written”. Baking involves chemistry so tinkering with the properties and balance of ingredients is too often a recipe for disaster.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I was once doing a demonstration of a cookie recipe of mine that uses 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons, 55g) of butter, for about 30 cookies. Someone exclaimed, “Look at all that butter he is using!” I was really surprised – fortunately I can do some of that kind of math in my head for recipes, and I’m all for eating healthy and cutting back on fat when it’s not needed. But some things just need it and like this cake, if you balance it with fresh fruit, I think it’s a reasonable indulgence.

    • Morgan

    Kismet cake! One of the few times I’ve had all the ingredients on hand – well, nearly all the ingredients. I subbed 0% Fage Greek yogurt and the zest of 2 and juice of 1 oranges I received from a coworker’s plentiful tree and cut the sugar down by 50 grams – it’s plenty sweet, can’t imagine adding a glaze on top! Thanks for the mid-morning treat!

    • Flor de Maria

    Thanks so much for the recipe–I live in Seattle too and I have a child that is gluten intolerant. It is great to find a cake we can all enjoy, it will be made this weekend. Thanks again.

    • Paige

    I’ve made Ina Garten’s Lemon Yogurt Cake many times and always used a high quality 2% plain yogurt with very good results. Once I forgot the oil; it was still good! Now, I just use half the oil.

    • João Víctor

    The method of meauring ingredients with yoghurt cups reminds me of how we Brazilians make our version creme renversee: with condensed milk, and the can of condensed milk must be used to measure other ingredients. It seems there are cooking and baking universals out there.

    • Brandi

    Merci David! I can not wait to make this cake. It makes me miss France (especially the markets!).

    • Lindsey

    I saw this post while I was at work today and knew I had to make it. Pulled it out of the oven an hour ago and invited a couple of neighbors over… it’s already half gone! Delicious!

    • Anja

    There have been so many lemonade stands in Brooklyn over the past few weeks, and while I love that kids are keeping up the tradition, I keep wishing for baked goods instead! Lemon cake would be the perfect compromise! Maybe I should try handing out the recipe?! ;)

    • Preet

    C and z has become my favorite base cake sine I chanced upon it. This looks great too.

    • Axelle the french cook

    I bake this cake with a lot of things : lemon, oranges, candied fruits, nutella, chocolate …etc…
    I even use it for salted preparation : green olive and bacon cake, for example.
    A classic in our cooking, you’re right :)

    • Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon

    I stopped for the lemon and I got all caught up in this cake. My grandmother used to make it when we were little. I asked my sister, but she is a savory girl and didn’t remember. So I went on a quest and a little ancestry dot com. I knew my grands came from France originally and she brought her recipes with her. Its history is referred to a Grandmére baking, and is based on the yogurt cup that you referenced. It is taught to the grandchildren 1 yogurt, 2 sugar, 3 flour plus the leavings and flavoring. I used 1 grapeseed oil and I was very pleased with its texture. I am bothered when someone wants to start cutting the sugar or fat in a cake, like you said there is a reason it has stood the test of time. My 2¢.

    • Adrienne

    I’m not seeing apricots in the Chicago markets yet. Do you think fresh peaches would work equally well? Since the thought of pitting cherries doesn’t sound fun, could I sub with high quality frozen ones?

    Do you have a great tip for slicing stone fruit so the stone is easily removed? I never have success with this step.

    Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Fresh peaches would be great alongside, although I would probably leave them uncooked and just toss them in a bit of sugar. To de-stone fruit, I cut in in half – from top to bottom, twist the two sides a bit, which will expose the stone. And then I pluck it out.

    • Heddi

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made the cake this afternoon with flax meal instead of eggs and soy yogurt (son’s allergic to dairy and eggs). So delicious and easy to throw together. Also substituted some sugar in the cake and glaze with homemade elderflower syrup. Will be making this again!

    • suzq

    Those lemons look great….I have an abundance of meyers lemons, which are great, but that picture looks like a whole other fruit and and I want to try them out!

    • Michelle

    Hi David
    Just made this cake and am trying to leave some of it for my guests – I will just fill the gap with the compote! I wanted to say that following on from your query about recipe measurements for me this recipe is PERFECT – it lists the amount of lemon juice by measure not lemon yet the rind for which precision is not needed is listed by lemon and I liked the fact I could check the four weight as our cups in Australia are different to yours
    Thank you

    • Heather

    Looks delicious -one for the “to bake ” list. :)

    • Lina

    I made this last night and it was great! Thanks for the recipe. I’m loving the yogurt theme! We make yogurt about once a week and always have so much that I appreciate any recipe that uses more. :)

    • Trish

    I just made and it rose beautifully but fell while cooling. I was real careful not to slam anything. Anyone else have that happen. I live high altitude. Wonder if I should adjust something?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I made it a few times (three, in fact!) and didn’t have that problem. High-altitude baking does require some adjustments – however I’m not a specialist in high-altitude baking so don’t know how to to the conversions.

    • Vicky

    Growing up in Barcelona, Spain my sister (the baker in the family) used to always make a yogurt cake using the yogurt container for measuring. Now we live in the US and we thought it would be fun to post on our cooking blog a Vegan double chocolate “yogurt” cake using the vegan yogurt container for measuring. We got several email requests for the “exact” recipe. We still kept the yogurt measurements on the site though.

    • WS

    Thank you for the recipe! I just made it with two changes: butter instead of oil and oranges with lemons instead of lemon solo.

    Just a quick question: I found the cake to be terribly sweet that I’ve opted out of putting on the glaze. Is it because of my substitutions that resulted in a very sweet end-product?

    • Rozalia

    Yum this seems delicious! I’ve been making quite a few traditional French desserts lately so this one definitely goes onto my to-do list.

    • Michelle

    Mine also collapsed about an inch when cooling and not far above sea level. Perhaps I put it down too roughly

    • Bebe

    Trish and others who live at high altitudes, Google “high altitude baking” and you will find a number of websites offering good information.

    • Bebe

    Baking times for cakes are usually correct but oven temps vary. Buy an oven thermometer. They are not expensive. Use the correct pan size. Do not open the oven before 5 minutes before the stated baking time. Test the cake with a tester or toothpick.

    If you have altered the recipe be prepared for changes in baking time and/or a failed cake. Baking is chemistry.

    A cake fresh out of the oven should never be put down any way other than gently!

    • Jennifer

    I made this great cake two nights ago and am so in love with this recipe. It’s perfectly lemon-y and it also broke my ‘everything i bake is a disaster’ slump that has gone on for nearly two months!!

    • Lina

    I actually love this cake. It’s my all time favorite for a last minute cake craving cause it’s so fast to make.
    I just love how this cake is so easy to combine with any fruit or flavor. I even baked them in cupcake liners for easy and quick dessert

    • Linda

    I never comment (just lurk), but I had to for this! What a fantastic recipe. I used Straus whole milk yogurt and made the recipe as written, and it was so easy — just a bowl or two, and the whole operation probably took an hour, if that (including the baking!). It stays moist even without the glaze, which I haven’t tried, just tumbled raspberries over. This is so perfect for summer, I’m sure it’s even better with the lovely compote suggested. Thank you!

    • deedee

    David, you are so right: we, french grew up with that cake. I made it everyday for 2 years and sell it at school to get money so our class could go to London for a week. Easy to make and yet so good! Thanks for the recipe. brings back good memories!

    • Sylvia

    Adrienne, a trick someone taught me on stone fruits is to cut in half but NOT on the natural vertical line of the fruit but half way around (so that if you cut at the vertical line, you’d you have 4 sections). So cut there, then twist. That way, if the pit is ripe it won’t split open and get stuck in the segment. Does that make sense? It’s easy to show but confusing to explain!

      • Adrienne

      Sylvia, thanks for the tip. This is a step that always gives me problems.

    • Martin from Hong Kong

    Love the blog! Made this with Alpro Soy Yogurt and it was fabulous. I used peaches instead of apricots and skipped the icing, it was sweet enough. It will not last a day in the house. My 70 year old Chinese mother in law went back for seconds. Now, if I can only cut the sugar down a little for her, we’ll be all set. TTFN, -Martin

    • Robyn

    Hi David,

    I have been trying out some of your recipes for a few weeks now and they have all been amazing! I will be visiting Paris next month and will definitely be checking out some of your recommended spots.

    I just made this cake with non-fat Greek yogurt and it was delicious! I also substituted market fresh strawberries in for the cherries, as there was just a strawberry festival here in Toronto and I had way too many! It was a big hit :)

    • QueensGirl

    After reviewing this in my mInd all week, I made it today for Father’s Day dinner here in the US. Instead of making the compote, I chopped some fresh strawberries and whipped some cream. There were six of us, and the entire unctuous cake was fully devoured. Everyone remarked at how good it was. Thank you!

    • Stephanie

    This looks wonderful . . . but could you tell us what the original gluten-free flours were? My Celiac husband would love it and I don’t have Shauna’s book yet . . .

    • Nancy

    Just curious as to where you recommend buying the “freshest” eggs in Paris. I’ve been disappointed by some of the street market selections.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      The outdoor markets aren’t guarantees of freshness as often the vendors are just négotiants (middlemen) who buy things from Rungis and resell them. Plus in supermarkets and food stores, folks don’t refrigerate eggs so they lose their freshness quickly. You might want to try the Batignolles organic market on Saturdays, which is pretty terrific.

    • Sarahb1313

    So, this is great!

    And after perfecting my at home made yogurt after being re-inspired (milk brand, culture choice and timing), this is a perfect recipe!

    And you added fruit!! What could be better! Sadly finding fragrant apricots here in NJ is quite rare… Maybe once every 3-5 years do I stumble on some. But we have a bounty of other stone fruits looking sexy in fresh fragrant piles at the store.

    I am contemplating a tube pan for aesthetics… you had trouble with a bundt, but maybe without the nooks it could work….

    • Patti

    After reading your blog, I stopped at the store after work and picked up some yogurt.. Then went home and made the cake for friends that were coming over that evening. It is such a wonderful, lovely cake!!! Thank you for sharing your receipe!!

    I served it again the next day. Just as good!

    • Betty B

    This cake was a big hit at our Father’s Day bbq. I added the zest of a lemon to the glaze and only used about 1 c. of powdered sugar. The cake ended up plenty sweet and very lemony. I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you for the great recipe.

    • ChrisJ

    Great results. Cake was easy as….er, pie (which technically is BS) and the compote was so necessary IMHO due to the dry nature of the cake, despite the glaze. I was surprised that the glaze with seemingly so little lemon juice managed to liquefy throughout, though next time I might double or half-again the glaze recipe for adequate coverage. Oh, there was enough there, but not enough lovely drippings along the side.

    I had prepared an entire ‘French bistro’ dinner with baguettes, a forestiere terrine, olives, Spanish mixed nuts, a verrine of cold asparagus soup, the classic Goat Cheese salad from Chez Panisse, and a perfectly cooked duck confit with fried potatoes that wowed everyone…though the dessert came a close second.

    • Jackie O

    I made this cake with Greek yoghurt. It was rich and moist. The cake tasted even better the next morning with coffee. I had peaches that we couldn’t eat (you know how our “modern” peaches look ripe but are still too hard to eat?) so I made the compote with the peaches and mangos. Delicious! (Although I think the tartness of cherries would complement the cake better).
    I logged on to your blog after reading your book “The Sweet Life in Paris”. It brought back such sweet memories for me. I love Paris and her citizens. Two years ago I rented an apartment in le Marais just off Rambuteau for a month. I loved living “like a local”. The people were wonderful, the shopkeepers were kind and helpful. I speak French but most of the French people we met wanted to practice their English. We walked miles each day exploring the city and buying fresh, delectable produce and breads. I hadn’t tasted such freshness since I was a kid and bought fruits and veggies in season off the “farm stand” in CT. The most fun we had was trying to locate a jar of horseradish (my brother insisted he wanted some with his shrimp). We searched high and low but couldn’t find any (but now thanks to your book I know where to look). Each and every clerk we asked about horseradish (in one grocery store I described it as “wasabi” which turned the looks of confusion to nods of recognition) was patient and determined to locate this elusive product, not one smidgeon of rudeness did we encounter.
    I think for the most part people treat you like you treat them.
    I have to make a dessert for a tapas party tomorrow night and I’m anxious to try your Individual Almond Cakes.

    • mousepudding

    For some reason, mine overflowed the pan, made a mess in my oven and filled the kitchen with black smoke. I used a standard 9″ cake pan, measured the ingredients carefully, and had a thermometer in the oven to monitor the accuracy of the temperature. The cake still tasted yummy, but what a mess! :-) Any ideas?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I made the cake 3 times and the only issue I had was it sticking in the bundt pan. I used the standard sized pan shown, which I believe is slightly larger than 2-inches high. (You can see it here.) Perhaps you mismeasured the leavening? Other than that, I can’t think of anything else.

    • Jackie O

    I baked the cake in a springform pan and it worked beautifully.

    • AA

    I made this cake twice. It fell both times though not so much the second time when I baked it longer even though it passed the skewer test. Can’t figure out why it fell. It was delicious both times – in fact the second time, I used homemade yogurt made with 1.5 percent milk.

    • Christopher

    David, thanks for this delicious cake – despite years of punishing and selfless research into cake-making and -consumption I had never come across this method. The oil seems to relate it to carrot cake.
    After making it twice now I found it needed at least 10-15mins longer in my oven to cook the centre – without that it does indeed sag and is decidedly on the soggy side of moist. I also found the glaze quantity to be too generous – half your given quantity seems to be about right, at least for my perhaps less-sweet tooth. Orange seems as good as lemon – and a few drops of orange liqueur in the glaze does no harm either :-)

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Christopher: I made less than the original recipe indicated and found it to be enough. Interesting that you thought there was too much – because @BettyB (above) used a lot less! I guess folks have various ideas about how much glaze they like on cakes : )

    • Christopher

    I do like at least a little cake with my slice of glaze :-)

    • Vanita Vasudevan

    Awesome! Can I substitute eggs with flax seeds? If so, how much would you recommend? Tks

    • Madeleine

    Great recipe! I made this cake earlier this month and I’m already about to make another. It’s super-easy to make, very moist, and keeps beautifully at room-temperature.

    The first time I made it I had a bag of very ripe key limes I needed to use, so those took the place of the lemons. I used salted butter in place of the oil — I have a hard time passing up an opportunity to use salted butter — and I made a different, slightly crunchy glaze with loads of key lime juice and a small amount of plain old granulated sugar. I used non-fat Fage yogurt because that was what I had, and slightly less sugar, more like 1 1/4 cups. Delicious results. I didn’t make the compote but was very happy with the cake on its own.

    My next variation will be made with cardamom, and some almond-flavored vodka in place of the lemon juice. I infused some vodka with cracked apricot kernels (yes, I know they’re sort of dubious health-wise) and it smells so almond-y, I can’t wait to use it. I’m making a cherry-almond confiture to go with it, which I’m very excited about.

    • Angela

    Is this what we call a lemon drizzle cake?

    • Lisa

    Fabulous recipe!

    Made it last night for the first time, followed the quantities/method to the letter and had no sinking issues. I had a couple of really big duck eggs to use- wonder if that’s why it kept the shape?

    • Nari

    This cake was really really amazing. Super easy, healthy (in my standards!) and delicious. I did cut the amount of sugar in the cake by 1/4 cup as I often do with cakes and was happy with the result. One thing though–it took me about 20 minutes more baking time to completely cook the cake!!! I was worried about adding so much more time esp. because the cake looked little darker than I would have liked but it was perfectly tender and moist on the inside even with all that extra time. This one is a keeper!

A

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