Monday, February 20, 2012

gateau au yaourt (Yogurt Cake)

Inspired by my current read, Bringing Up Bebe, the little lady was eager to prepare this simple cake from scratch. 

"The first cake that most French kids learn to bake is gateau au yaourt, in which they use empty yogurt containers to measure out the other ingredients.  It's a light, not-too-sweet cake to which berries, chocolate chips, lemon or a tablespoon of rum can be added.  It's pretty hard to screw up.
...With its orderly measuring and sequencing of ingredients, baking is the perfect lesson in patience.  So is the fact that French families don't devour the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.  They typically bake in the morning or early afternoon, then wait and eat the cake as a gouter (pronounced goo-tay)- the French afternoon snack."

from Bringing Up Bebe


Ingredients:

2 six-ounce containers plain whole-milk yogurt (use the empty containers to measure the other ingredients)
2 eggs
2 containers sugar (or one, depending on how sweet you like it) (We used one.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
just under 1 container vegetable oil
4 containers flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Add-ins optional (frozen berries, chocolate chips, or any flavoring you like)



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch cake pan or loaf pan.

Gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.


Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix gently until ingredients are just combined (don't overmix). 


Once combined, stir in add-ins such as frozen berries or chocolate chips.


Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  It should be almost crispy on the outside, but springy on the inside.  Allow the cake to cool and serve with tea (if you're feeling fancy) or a giant cup of milk.


My la petite dame, was delighted to crack an egg and demonstrate her cutting skills for the very first time.   Un parfait (perfect) activity.

In all honesty, the experience was sweeter than the cake.  Just sayin'.

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