Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake

Key limes weren’t the only citrus fruits I picked up on a recent grocery trip; I also came across some Meyer lemons. I’m always on the lookout for fruits or vegetables that are not your typical everyday kind. So, what exactly is a Meyer Lemon? Well, it’s a cross between your basic lemon and either a mandarin or a common orange. They also have a sweeter and less acidic taste than your typical lemon. One other characteristic that sets them apart is their thin skin. I wasn’t all that sure what I was going to make with them. I began by searching for specific Meyer lemon recipes but I wasn’t all that thrilled with what I came up. I also searched through some of my cookbooks but to no avail of something that really stood out. So, I made my search simpler and just went with a basic lemon search and came across Ina Garten’s (aka The Barefoot Contessa) Lemon Yogurt Cake. The reviews for the cake were good so I just went ahead and swapped out the regular lemons for the Meyer lemons.

As you can see from the picture below the Meyer lemons are also a bit rounder and the yellow-orange coloring of their skin lets you know they are perfectly ripe

I began by zesting two of the lemons…

And then squeezing the juice of three of the lemons to get a little more than a 1/3 of cup of juice. Their skins are so thin that a few of the halves ripped a bit while I was squeezing.

In one bowl I sifted together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of my stand mixer I whisked together whole milk yogurt, sugar, eggs, the lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

I then slowly whisked in the dry ingredients.

And finally I used a rubber spatula to fold in vegetable oil.

Then it was time to pour the batter into my prepared loaf pan. I sprayed it with baking spray and then lined the bottom with parchment paper which I then sprayed with some more baking spray.

I then placed the cake in a 350 F preheated oven for about 50 minutes. While the cake was in the oven I cooked an equal part of lemon juice and sugar (1/3 cup each) until the sugar dissolved and the mixture was clear and set it aside.

After the letting the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes I inverted it onto a wire rack which I had placed over a baking sheet. After poking the cake a few times I poured the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allowed it to soak in while the cake cooled.

Once the cake was completely cooled I moved it to a platter in preparation to drizzle it with a lemon glaze, which I made by mixing confectioners’ sugar and a few tablespoons of lemon juice.

The final product. I should note that the recipe called for an 8.5 x 4.25 x 2.5 inch pan, which I don’t have, so I used my 9.25 x 5.25 x 2.75 inch pan which resulted in a cake that was a bit wider and shorter but not lacking in deliciousness.

This cake was absolutely divine. I thought it was going to be on the sweeter side because of the glaze and lemon and sugar juice poured over it but it only enhanced the flavor. I was extremely happy with it and can’t wait to make it again.

 

Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake – adapted from here

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease the pan again.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in the flour mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil in the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolved and the mixture is clean. Set aside.

4. When the cake is done, allow it cool in the pain for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

5. For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the cake.