Lemon-Yogurt Coffee Cake
Submitted by demonette
Lemon-yogurt coffee cake baked in a bundt pan, with tangy yogurt for a tender crumb, plenty of fresh lemon, and whipped egg whites folded in for lightness. A bright, buttery cake for brunch or with tea.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
50 minREADY
1 hrsBright with lemon and soft as a cloud, this is a coffee cake that earns its place at the brunch table without any frosting at all. The secret to its tender, moist crumb is yogurt, whose tang both flavors the cake and reacts with the baking soda to help it rise.
It also gets a lift the old-fashioned way. The eggs are separated, the yolks beaten into the creamed butter and sugar with fresh lemon zest and juice, while the whites are whipped to firm peaks and folded in at the end. That folded air keeps the cake light instead of heavy.
Baked in a bundt pan until a tester comes out clean, it turns out tall and golden, with a fine, fragrant crumb that needs nothing more than a cup of coffee or tea beside it.
Chef Tips
- Grease and flour the bundt pan thoroughly, getting into every crease, so the cake releases cleanly.
- Beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb.
- Whip the whites in a clean, grease-free bowl to firm peaks, then fold gently to keep the air that lightens the cake.
- Cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes before inverting; too soon and it breaks, too long and it sticks.
Variations
- Brush the warm cake with a lemon syrup or drizzle with a lemon-sugar glaze for extra zing.
- Fold in fresh blueberries or a spoon of poppy seeds before baking.
- Use Greek yogurt for an even richer, denser crumb.
Ingredients
Directions
PREPARATION: For The Cake, coat a 3-quart bundt or tube pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and dust pan with 1 tablespoon of the flour.
Separate the eggs and set aside.
Grate 2 teaspoons lemon zest and squeeze ⅓ cup lemon juice.
Beat remaining butter and the sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.
Beat in lemon zest, lemon juice and yogurt. Sift remaining flour with baking powder, bakinG soda and salt.
Turn mixer to low and beat in dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Turn mixer to medium, beat for 2 minutes.
With clean beaters, whip whites to firm peaks and fold into batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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