Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Something Sweet, For A Change


Wasn't it just yesterday that I was ranting about how hot it's been? The extreme heat made me delirious enough to call my beloved stove "the enemy." What has the stove ever done to me to deserve THAT kind of put-down? So Stove, if you're reading this, I am sorry. Also, I'll admit that I have a flair for overexaggeration on occasion....because here I am, a mere day later, with a cake.

Yes, cakes require baking. In an oven. Ovens heat up houses. My house has no air conditioning. So sue me! The weather has taken a welcomed and unexpected turn for the cooler and I made nice with my oven by baking a cake. One of my favorite executive producers at work turned 40 last week, but it was simply too hot to make anything for him. Besides, everyone made such a huge fuss over his birthday all week that I thought it would be nice to give him a little surprise after all of the hoopla died down.

Cake batter......mmmmmmm

I've been waiting for an excuse to make Clotilde's Yogurt Cake and, since this particular producer spent some time in France and even speaks French fluently, I thought it'd be the perfect present. Not that you need to visit France to enjoy this beautiful cake. The one mistake I made was buying fat free yogurt instead of whole milk- I'm sure some French grandmother is rolling over in her grave at even hearing the words "fat free." However, the cake turned out beautifully and I haven't heard any complaints from the receiving end. Next time, however, I plan to make the full fat version since the only other fat present is vegetable oil.

Sprinkled with blueberries.....

Speaking of Clotilde's Yogurt Cake, check out this hilarious post by the always humorous Amateur Gourmet. Being someone who has done the exact same thing more than once, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who's had cake all over the counter and floors. Hearing about (and seeing photos of) other food bloggers' kitchen disasters reminds me not get too down on myself when I have some big ones of my own.

Although the original recipe doesn't call for any fruit, I'm sure any variety would taste great against the tangy flavor of this cake. A sprinkle of confectioner's sugar gives it a nice finish as well, but I had to do that this morning so it wouldn't get gloppy from the moisture in the cake.

Finished product, minus confectioner's sugar

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4 comments:

Joycelyn said...

hi, beautiful cake! looks wonderfully moist and perfectly domed. the ultimate tea time treat...

susan said...

what a pretty cake! i think this may inspire me to bake this weekend. just maybe. :)

Oishii Eats said...

It's tooo hot...I can't take it anymore!!!

I spent time at Sabor Y Cultura Cafe on Hollywood Blvd. today. Free wireless from 3-5pm...and FREE air conditioning!

Pirikara said...

Ooh I feel like trying that. And since it's yogurt, it's lactose free. hooray! Is it as light-tasting as a Japanese cake?