I don't bake. I cook. But every once in a while I feel the urge to mix something up, put it in the oven and see what comes out. This has resulted in countless so-so cakes, and even though Eduardo swears they are good, I know better, they are really borderline edible. Don't get me wrong I can make a good cake, but baking is science, it's about following the rules. That's the root of the problem, I tend not to follow the [cooking] rules - have you noticed? - I have my version of almost everything.
Well, this attitude has not translated well into baking, first because I also have a calorie conscience, and second because I don't like overly sweet things. So I usually cut the sugar and the fat. Oh, I am also not a fan of electric mixers, so I usually rely on my abilities with the wooden spoon. Needless to say the butter usually gets swapped for vegetable oil. You get the picture. Not a good one. But wait don't stop reading, this recipe is actually good!
I baked this cake for a picnic last year, so I wasn't as strict with the rules. The original recipe called for butter and sour cream. When Eduardo found out the cake was going to have sour cream, he gave me a 'sour-cream-is-for-dip' look and told me 'he didn't like sour cream in cakes'. The cake came out pale and silky and the raspberry swirls created a beautiful contrast. Eduardo was sold. He later reflected on the fact that he loved sour cream - why wouldn't I love it in cake too? - yeah.
For my version of the cake, I substitute the sour cream for fat free yogurt (* yogurt cake is a classic in France, it's a rustic cake made by measuring all the ingredients with the yogurt pots!). It calls for vegetable oil, so I used that, and vanilla. I substituted the vanilla for lemon, because it breaks the sweetness and works well with the raspberry jam.
I beat it by hand, so all you need is a bowl, measuring cups and a wooden spoon, enjoy!
R E C I P E
2 eggs
2 pots of yogurt - 125 gr each
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 lemon - juice and zest
2 cups of cake flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of rapsberry jam (framboise)
1 tablespoon of water
Preheat oven to 350 F or 180 C
In a large bowl beat the eggs, the yogurt and the sugar with a wooden spoon. Add the oil, the lemon juice and zest and mix. Mix in the flour.
*Mix only until the batter is homogenous, if you beat it too much it can result in a hard cake (believe me I know).
In a small cup dilute the jam with the water.
Grease and flour a cake pan - I like to make squares so I use a square or rectangular pan - pour the batter onto the pan. With a spoon laddle the jam on top of the batter, and make swirls with a knife. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Let it cool, cut it into squares, and dust with confectioners sugar!
Ta-dah!
PS - No nutritional info on this one. It's cake! ok, so it does have a lot less fat that regular cake, but it is still cake, so enjoy it! Just don't eat the whole thing or do it every day :)
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