Yogurt Cake with Fruit Purée

This cake was a bit of a dark horse.  The only reason I made it was because my neighbors got together for an impromptu dinner, I was painting that day, and I needed something quick and easy using only the ingredients I had on hand.  I’m so glad this cake fit the requirements.  It had a dense crumb, but a subtle, lightly sweet flavor that I thought was a bit reminiscent of cake batter.  With nothing more than a simple fruit puree and some fresh berries on top, it was a great end to low key dinner with my neighbors.  The leftover slices made an equally delicious dessert the following night, topped with some warmed jam and a dollop of yogurt.

Yogurt Cake with Fruit Purée

from The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 c. plain yogurt, at room temperature (The recipe calls for full-fat, but I used low-fat without problems.)

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For the fruit purée:

1 1/2 lb. fresh or frozen, thawed fruit such as peeled peaches, raspberries, or strawberries

up to 1/4 c. sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously spray a 9-in. round pan.  Line with parchment paper, if desired.

2.  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

3.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well combined.  Whisk in the yogurt and almond extract, then melted butter.  Whisk in the flour mixture.

4.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake until cake is puffed and slightly browned around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.  (My cake took 32 minutes.)  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

5.  While cake cools, make the fruit purée by processing fruit and desired amount of sugar in a food processor until smooth.  If using a fruit with seeds, strain purée, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

6.  To release the cake, run a knife around the pan, then invert.  Cut into 8 slices and serve each topped with fruit purée and additional berries, if desired.