CITRUS AND YOGURT CAKE

This is one of the easiest cakes to make, all you need is a few ingredients and one bowl! It has lovely citrus flavour and is ready to be topped with anything you wish, I really like it with freshly whipped cream and orange slices over top. 

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest from 3 lemons and 1 orange (medium size)

juice from 2 lemons and 1 orange (medium size)

SUGGESTIONS FOR TOPPINGS:

freshly whipped cream

peeled and sliced oranges

thinly sliced kumquats

toasted pine nuts

sliced lemon peel

edible flowers

herbs (tarragon, thyme, mint)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray well an 8x12 cake pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl, place oil, eggs, yogurt, lemon, sugar and orange zest and juice and vanilla, then whisk together very well.

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder over the wet ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto the cooling rack to cool completely before decorating it. (place cooling rack over top of the pan, then flip the pan over to invert the cake onto it)

Whip cream, adding sugar and vanilla to flavour it, then spoon over the cooled cake. Top with peeled, sliced oranges (I used blood and cara cara ones), toasted pine nuts and some lemon zest. To make the cake really pretty or special, you can decorate it with edible flowers (here I used pansies, some other edible flowers are roses, violets, daisies, nasturtiums, borage,..., just make sure they are not sprayed)