Did you all have a happy Mother’s Day? I sure did. For starters, I got to sleep in until 7:15. That’s major sleeping in for me. It was great spending time with my parents and my sisters and their families. The place we went for brunch was just so-so though. Cuz really the best food you can eat is what you make at home. Right? Wow, I’m becoming my mother. That is so a mom line. But appropriate given the holiday.
My mom is a fantastic cook and everything she makes is amazing. One of her favorite chefs is Ina Garten and I can’t blame her. Ina’s recipes are always delicious and many of her dishes have become staples for our family. You really can’t go wrong with her stuff. One of my mom’s favorite Ina recipes is her Lemon Yogurt Cake. She always has to make more than one because it’s so incredible and we inhale it.
And my sister Shannon, who’s got mad baking skills, had the idea of taking our favorite lemon cake recipe and changing it up by swapping the lemon with orange. The result? Holy moly, it was delicious. I mean, ORANGE, people. How can you go wrong? If I find a dessert recipe that has orange in it, I pin it, I save it, I email it to myself, I share it, or I go way old-school and PRINT IT OUT. F’reals, people. So imagine my excitement at Shannon’s ingenious idea.
This cake is so incredibly moist thanks to the yogurt and it’s perfect because it’s not over-the-top sweet. The cake gets its orange flavor from both fresh-squeezed orange juice and the orange zest icing that is infused into the cake by poking holes into it and drizzling the icing on top when you take it out of the oven. WHAT. THE. HECK. YEP, it’s true.
This cake is fancy enough for a birthday cake or chill enough for a snack cake. Although it’s dangerous to call it a snack cake cuz then I think of it as a snack like chips. Have a bowl of chips or a loaf of cake, right? Shhh, if we say it quiet enough, our waists won’t hear. So make a loaf (or four) today. It’s perfect served plain jane, served with ice cream or berries, or topped with whipped cream.
Orange you so excited to try this amazing recipe? 🙂
- FOR THE CAKE:
- Shortening, for greasing*
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1-1/3 cups sugar, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tsp grated orange zest (about 2 oranges), divided
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease loaf pan with shortening, line pan bottom with parchment paper, then grease parchment paper. Flour the whole pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, eggs, 2 tsp of the orange zest, and vanilla.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and add canola oil, whisking until fully incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook the remaining ⅓ cup sugar and the ⅓ cup orange juice over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear.
- When cake is done, allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then run a butter knife around the sides to loosen it. Turn it out onto a baking rack positioned over a sheet pan. Turn upright.
- Poke holes in the top using a thin skewer. Pour sugar/orange juice mixture over the top, making sure some seeps into the holes. If any begins to pool at bottom, you can smear that into the sides of the cake to make sure the cake gets a nice layer all around.
- Just before serving, stir the confectioner's sugar, 2 Tbsp orange juice, and remaining 1 tsp orange zest in a medium bowl. Drizzle over cake.
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What a beautiful loaf cake! I love any type of citrus based cake.. especially when its a citrus and yogurt cake as they are always so moist. Craving a slice now.
Thalia @ butter and brioche recently posted…Smoky Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thanks, Thalia! I’m a huge fan of citrus-based desserts too. Your Smoky Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies look amazing! I’ve never thought of adding bourbon to my cookies and now I really need to try these!
This cake is lovely, Erin. I wish I had a huge slice right about now.
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert recently posted…Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Thanks, Jen. Me too! 🙂 Just finished lunch and I need something sweet.
I don’t bake with oranges enough! This looks great!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction recently posted…Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurt Pops
Thanks, Jessica! It really is super yummy. Thanks for visiting!
Oh my! I despetately want a piece of that cake. One of my favorite combinations. 🙂
Theodora Nan recently posted…Almond strawberry muffins with lemon curd
Thanks, Theodora! It’s one of my favorite combinations, too. I could go for a piece right now actually. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
Hi,
Is that a self raising flour or an all-purpose you use?
Thanks
Hey Ed, it’s just regular all-purpose flour. Thanks for visiting!
I made this one yesterday, my roommates and I devoured it within the hour. SO GOOD! I just went a little lighter on the sugar because I don’t like cakes to be too sweet. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Alyssa! It’s definitely one of my favorites. Thanks for visiting!