Lemon Yogurt Cake Topped w/ Fresh Strawberries

Saturday night I made a Lemon Yogurt Cake that was an Ina Garten recipe.  The only changes I made was that I halved the glaze you put on the top at the end and substituted lemon extract instead of vanilla to give it a more intense lemon flavor.  I also sliced fresh strawberries and tossed them with a few tablespoons of sugar and let them macerate a bit in the fridge to make a light strawberry syrup to spoon over the cake.  I sliced and served the cake topped with the fresh strawberries and drizzled with a little bit of the syrup that they created after being tossed with sugar.  It was a beautiful and fresh tasting dessert.  The lemon and strawberries really complimented each other.  I've snapped a few pictures to share below, as well as the recipe.  Enjoy!

The whisked wet ingredients and fresh lemon zest

Voila!

So pretty!

It was as delicious as it was beautiful.

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

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 extra-large eggs (I used large eggs instead)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (instead of the vanilla originally called for)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (instead of 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (instead of 2 tablespoons)

Strawberry Topping: 

• 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries; tossed with 3 tablespoons of sugar; set aside
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-1/2 by 4-1/4 by 2-1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

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

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

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan 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 (I poked holes in the top of the cake to help some of the lemon syrup to soak in better). Cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake. (The original recipe called for double the glaze amount ingredient listed above, but I found that 1/2 the recipe was enough so that is what I posted).  I also very lightly dusted the top of the cake with a little confectioner's sugar after adding the lemon syrup and before drizzling with the glaze.

I like to serve it by slicing and plating the cake and spooning the sweetened fresh strawberries on top, along with drizzling a little of the fresh strawberry syrup created by macerating the berries.