Vanilla Yogurt Loaf

I discovered a huge pot of vanilla yogurt in the refrigerator that was almost at it's sell by date the other day and as I hate wasting anything, I decided to make a cake with it.  But not just any cake . . .  a deliciously dense and moreish Vanilla Yogurt Loaf cake!



It's loosely based upon Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake . . . with all of the lemon flavours eradicated and replaced by Vanilla flavours . . .

 

I always use vanilla paste for cakes like this, where you really want the vanilla flavour to be especially pronounced.   You can use regular vanilla of course, but I think that it's well worth it to use the vanilla paste, especially when you save it for special things like this lovely loaf cake!



So you've got a dense and moist cake, flavoured with both vanilla and vanilla yogurt, and then you baste it with a vanilla syrup when it comes out of the oven . . .  letting it soak into all of that dense cakiness .  .  and the once it is cooled completely, you pour a vanilla icing glaze over top.



Triple Vanilla Yumminess!

Oh so good with a hot drink.   I love my lemon/ginger tea in the mornings.   Just squeeze some lemon into a mug, add a slice of fresh ginger, bash it about a bit and then cover with boiling water and let it steep.  Comfort in a mug.  Gets my day off to a great start . . .



Oops!!  Did I just admit I eat cake for breakfast?   I reckon I did!

 

*Vanilla Yogurt Loaf Cake*

8 to 10 slices

Printable Recipe 

I took Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe and adapted it to use vanilla flavours.  Deliciously dense and fabulous! 

210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

225g of vanilla yogurt (1 cup)

191g of sugar (1 cup)

3 large free range eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla paste

120 ml of vegetable oil (1/2 cup) 

For the first glazing:

1/2 tsp vanilla paste

63g of sugar (1/3 cup)

60ml of water (1/4 cup) 

For the final glaze:

130g of icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)

1 1/2 TBS milk

1 tsp vanilla paste 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter an 8 1/2 inch by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.  Line with baking paper.  Set aside. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.  Whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.  Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until incorporated.  Fold in the vegetable oil until it is well combined.  Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, whisk together the first glazing ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is completely clean.  Set aside. 

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.   Tip out onto a wire rack and while the cake is still warm, pour the glazing mixture over top allowing it to soak in.  Cool completely. (You may want to have a piece of paper underneat the rack to catch any drips and make clean up easier.) 

Combine the icing sugar, milk and vanilla paste for the final icing glaze and pour over the cooled cake.  Allow to set before cutting into slices to serve.



I just have to tell you about this really nifty Tala Triple Sieve I was sent.  I just love it! I've been using it all week for all my sifting needs and I think it's just really wonderful!

 

First off I have always loved the Vintage look of the Tala products.  This sieve is no exception.  It also looks very vintage with it's cream enamelled base and robin's egg blue handles, which are really handy and comfortable to hold while you are sifting whatever it is your are sifting!



Another thing I really like about it is that it gives you a choice of mesh when it comes to sieving, with three interchangeable stainless steel discs . . . consisting fine, medium and coarse mesh. Suitable for draining and rinsing pasta, beans and pulses.  You can drain your tins with it, or wash and rinse off your berries for all of your preserving and baking and then drain . . .  and of course sifting flour and icing sugar, with even results.  It's also dishwasher safe.

Win/win/win!  Many thanks to Tala for sending me this lovely piece of kitchen kit.  I really am a lucky girl! 

Note - Although I was sent this sieve free of charge I was not required to write a positive review.   Any opinions are entirely my own.