[Donna]

I've made this cake several times now and it wins over my most diehard"Chocolate Only" friends. there are so many variations you can make to appeal to any palate. I've made lemon, blueberry, raspberry and chocolate chip. And a plain one! I've sent one to my son in New York and it arrived in fine form! Always a big plus!

The other delight about this cake is the moist crumb and the way it lasts and lasts - if you don't just gobble the whole thing down the second you take it out of the pan!
_________________
L'appetit vient en mangeant. -Rabelais

[Rachel]

Eva, I made mine with grapeseed oil, which is just about as neutral-tasting as you can get (and has the advantage of being suitable for people with nut allergy) and there was no odd taste at all... so if you can find that, I'd recommend it. Hope that helps!

[Eva_]

Thanks for your comments about the kind of oil you use!
I made the yogurt cake again today with a different kind of vegetable oil, and the funny taste is still there (the cake got all eaten nevertheless ). Next time I'll try the (Judy's) no-oil-method to see if it's the oil or maybe another ingredient that causes the weird taste.
If that doesn't help I think I'll just move on to something else ...
I'd love to try one of your yogurt cakes to be sure what it is 'supposed' to taste like, and to know what everybody is so enthousiastic about!

[kjgibson]

I just made this yesterday -- Rainy's brown sugar thread converged with this topic and I used brown sugar and walnut oil. The nut oil was a bit dissapointing. It overpowered the brown sugar. I'll try it again, with less walnut oil and see if it that helps. Otherwise a great, EASY recipe. Texture was great and it mixed up in a snap!

I made it from the recipe on the blog (not the book) and note that it uses a full tablespoon of baking powder. That seems a lot to me for a single layer cake. Could that be the off taste that Eva is noticing?

Cheers,
Karen

[gingerpale]

Karen--thank you, I don't think anyone noticed the double amount of baking powder in the blog recipe, and that could produce the funny flavor--I'll go "by the book" next time. I bet you've solved the mystery, although there are all different "strengths" of yogurt too--?
but after just now tasting a pinch of baking powder I'm pretty sure you're right.

[kjgibson]

You are welcome, glad I coud help!

There are certainly different styles of yogurts. But if by strength you mean fat content, then yes, there are differences. "American", grocery store yogurts, like Dannon or Yoplait, can be nonfat or low fat but usually they are not made from whole milk. And many have gelatin or other stabilizers. The "gourmet" brands like Brown Cow or Stonyfield have whole milk versions. And then there is French-style and Greek-style yogurts. Not sure exactly what Greek-style is -- I think it is strained and enriched but I'm not certain of that.

I just found a self-described French-style at Whole Foods that is made in small batches in Bodega Bay, called Saint Benoit (put a little hat on the i :-). My husband really likes it -- says it is much richer and creamier than even the comparitively rich Brown Cow whole milk yogurt. It has 9 grams of fat per 7.5 oz whereas Brown Cow whole milk has 7 grams per 6 oz, and Yoplait Original (99% fat - free) has only 1.5 grams per 6 oz.

Certainly the different amounts of fat in low-fat versus whole milk yogurts would have an impact on texture, if not flavor.

Cheers,
Karen

[emilyj]

I might be wrong kjgibson but I think that greek style means that it is thicker than other yogurts. That is what I always understood the term to mean anyway. From my recollection true 'greek' yogurt is actually made from sheeps milk (or maybe goats milk?) but greek-style yogurt is made from cows milk using a similar process.

[Griffin]

Well I'm about to make the Yogurt cake, but what's thrown me is that there is baking powder and baking soda! According to my scientific father (I am his arts son!) they are much the same. I'm thinking I'll just use the baking powder and see what happens.

The other thing that threw me was David using lemon essence. Is that the same as lemon juice or am I missing something?!! I have blueberries, so I may as per ideas here make a blueberry compote for the cake... or put blueberries in the cake mix and let them cook with the cake... oh good grief, I'm getting adventurous!!!

As I'm also thinking of making more of the financiers too, at least one of them will work... I hope!
_________________
Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[gingerpale]

Griffin, being an "arts son" is no excuse!--at least read this first:

http://www.ochef.com/364.htm

I think lemon essence is oil of lemon suspended in alcohol? (Lots of lemon flavor in a small amount of liquid.) Plain lemon juice would be too insipid, probably.

[David]

Go for it Griffin!! Yes, lemon essence is sort of an extract like thing--much stronger than juice and acid free I would think! Ended up giving more of a nice lemony "nose" to the cake rather than much of a flavour.
_________________
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

[kjgibson]

Griffin,

Baking powder and baking soda are both used for the same thing - leavening - but they are not the same thing. In fact, baking powder contains baking soda. In the US, baking powder is usually double acting.

Baking powder reacts when it is wet AND when it is heated. Baking soda on the other hand reacts when it is wet.

However, when both are used in a recipe. the soda is usually there to offset an acid, like buttermilk and not for leavening. And a bit of baking soda is often added to cookies for crispness.

Both will go expire -- I write the date I open them on the container with a marker. After 6 months, I buy new ones.

See http://www.foodsubs.com/Leaven.html

Cheers,
Karen

[Griffin]

Thanks folks,

Gingerpale,

I would hate to make a mistake and fall on my arts!! But I also know my father only too well to just take his word for it... which is why I asked here!!

David,

I am all for Lemony Nose, tho' with a scent like that it's a shame you don't get to taste it as well. Still... I have blueberries! So I may use those anyway.

Karen,

I will try to remember that the soda is like the Gremlins and reacts when wet! Tho' hopefully doesn't cause as much trouble!! I'll get some soda today... along with the lemon essence.

The rest is cake!
_________________
Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[gingerpale]

Griffin, if you need a little gentle encouragement to actually do this thing, here it is: {encouragement, gentle} .
Cakes do not make themselves, ya know..

But please don't leave us in the dark as to the results. From now on I'll think of this as the Arts & Science Cake, an International Collaboration.

[Griffin]

Well I made the mix and put freshly washed blueberries in before putting it in the oven. The blueberries all seem to have sunk to the bottom, possibly in a futile bid to escape... but... I haven't yet tasted it. Hmm, I may have to rectify that...

Hurrah! It worked, ha, ha, it worked.... ahem. Um, I am glad to say that Clotilde's invention worked... even tho' I was doing it! The blueberries possibly should have been left out and made into a compote to go with it tho'. They make it a little wet, but the flavour is good. Next time I'll try it with the exact recipe and no fooling around with it! After all, if it's good enough for Clotilde, it's good enough.

I can't smell the lemon essence tho', but ooh! I just did then! Jolly good show, what?! (I'm British, I'm supposed to say that!!) I also did the financiers again... I may be turning into a financier addict...!
_________________
Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[Griffin]

gingerpale,

Thanks for the gentle encouragement... I am great at planning... but then I fossick when I should be actually getting on with it!! Slowly I am becoming a better cook... and in years to come I will say it was all down to two main women... my mum and Clotilde! Of course then all the other women will wanna know - what about me eh? You forget o skinny one, what you have been taught... and I bow my head for tis true, I cannot deny it (and generally I am good at denial... it wasn't me officer, honest!)

I have recently been thinking tho'... I have done two recipes from the sweet trolley, but I have yet to do a savoury something... so that's next. All I have to do now is make up my mind which...!!!
_________________
Confusion comes fitted as standard.