Lemon Yogurt Cake

I love when I just happen to have all the ingredients for something I want to make.  It's a lovely feeling.  I'm hoping that as I get older and my grocery budget increases (maybe that's wishful thinking) I will have moments like that much more often.  I will always have plain yogurt on hand, or peanut butter chips, or heavy cream, or any other number of spices and baking mix ins that would make my life even more delicious and fattening than it is.  Case in point, I actually had yogurt and lemons to use up, so I immediately thought of this cake.  Make this cake, if for nothing else, for the crack.  It's all about the crack.

The lemon syrup and lemon icing ooze into the cake and make that crack (excuse my repeated use of that word in reference to food) moist and sticky and lemony and to die for.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup lemon juice (please use fresh)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Grease and flour the pan. (I only greased the pan.  I didn't do the other two steps and it turned out fine.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.  Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 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 1/3 cup 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.  (I would recommend lining the sheet pan with aluminum foil so you don't have to clean it later.)  While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.  Cool.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.