Iced Almond-Lemon Loaf Cake

Believe it or not, I didn't start eating yogurt until I was in my early thirties.
Which was just last week, by the way :)

Yogurt just wasn't something my mom ever brought home from the grocery
store, so I never really thought about it.

I have my husband to thank for introducing me to this creamy, delicious,
healthy goodness.  He has been a yogurt fan since he was young and he
often consumes 3-4 containers of Stonyfield yogurt a day!

Today I use yogurt in many of my recipes, so I was super excited when
my friends at Stonyfield sent me a copy of Yogurt Culture by Cheryl
Sternman Rule.

This beautiful cookbook features 115 recipes bringing yogurt to the center
stage.  I can't wait to try Harvest Waffles, Milk Chocolate Yogurt Pots
with Salted Peanut Crush or Frosted Mocha Cupcakes.
And take a look at Ultimate Strawberry Frozen Yogurt!
Delicious and the perfect treat for warm summer evenings!

In addition to the cookbook, I also received a few kitchen tools from OXO.
OXO has the best products!  The wooden reamer works wonders on citrus.
I don't know how I have lived so long without one!

I love using yogurt in baked goods, so naturally I was drawn to the beautiful
Iced Almond-Lemon Loaf Cake. Not only does yogurt make an appearance in the
loaf cake itself, but it is also in the icing, delivering tang and shine to the glaze.

This loaf cake is delicious with bold lemon and almond flavor.
Perfect for gifting to a new neighbor or friend.

I have been given permission to share this sunny loaf cake recipe with you today,
but do yourself a favor and buy the Yogurt Culture Cookbook.
It's a keeper for sure!




Iced Almond-Lemon Loaf Cake

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Yogurt appears twice in this sunny loaf cake: A full cup of it gives the batter tenderness and moisture, and a spoonful in the icing delivers tang and shine. Bold lemon and almond flavors play off the yogurt beautifully, enhancing and deepening its impact.

For the cake

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus soft butter for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup almond meal

Zest of 2 large lemons

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure almond extract

1 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt (not Greek)

For the icing

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt (not Greek)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the center position. Generously butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Mix the batter. Into a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the almond meal and lemon zest. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed. Beat in the almond extract. Slowly beat in half the dry ingredients, then the yogurt, then the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 to 2 minutes to develop some structure.

Bake the cake. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until risen and lightly browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Slide a knife around the perimeter and invert the cake onto the rack. Cool completely, then flip right side up.

Ice the cake. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the yogurt and then the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the icing is smooth, thick, and drips slowly from the whisk. Wave the whisk over the cake to drizzle lines of icing, or scrape the icing over the cake and smooth with an offset spatula.

Store. Once the icing firms, cover the cake with plastic wrap. It can be kept at room temperature for up to 48 hours, or covered with a layer of foil and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Disclosure - I am part of the Stonyfield Clean Plate Club.  Thank you for supporting brands that make Me and My Pink Mixer possible.  As always, all opinions are completely my own.

Recipe from Yogurt Culture by Cheryl Sternman Rule. Photographs by Ellen Silverman featured in Yogurt Culture.

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