Friday, July 16, 2010

Yogurt Sheet Cake with Berries


Don't be surprised if I keep bringing back recipes from foods we enjoyed during our family reunion.

Make no mistake, good food abounded during that time, and while I wasn't about to take time away from family to blog everything as we consumed it, I will rewind and share some favorites over the next few weeks...


Like this yogurt sheet cake (which I had made before, loved, and never got around to sharing...oops!) and birthday cake for my brother's little guy, Jesse. The little sweetie turned two while they were here and it was my absolute treat to be able to bake his cake.

A sheet cake was perfect for this event; I didn't want to spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen, yet still wanted something that felt festive.

This recipe comes together quickly, and the frosting is poured over the top and left to run down the sides in the true unhurried fashion of lazy summer cooking.

For the simple decoration, I cut a 'J' stencil out of cardboard, lay it on the cake and generously doused it with sprinkles.

The kids approved.


Pair this cake with any berry you like, whatever is gorgeous and ripe at the market or in your backyard. It was strawberry season in June and we were bringing home a flat of 6 pints from the market every day.

The ripest ones got whizzed into a coulis along with some vanilla sugar and the rest were sliced up and served alongside the cake.


I love this cake, not just for its simplicity, but for its tender crumb, too. No doubt the cake's moistness is a result of the two cups of yogurt, and the cake flour certainly contributes to its tenderness.

Thanks to Gourmet magazine for this recipe. Can we just take a moment for my favorite magazine, please? This cake was featured in the August 2009 issue (to date, my favorite issue).

Try it!

Yogurt Sheet Cake
with sliced strawberries & strawberry coulis

Makes 1 9x13 sheet cake. Serves 12.

Ingredients

for cake:

  • 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, warmed in shell in warm water 10 minutes
  • 2 cups well-stirred plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek-style) at room temperature 30 minutes
for frosting:
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar
  • 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Scant 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method for Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9x13 cake pan, then line bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper and butter parchment. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, at medium speed. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until just combined. Spread batter evenly in pan and rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge. Invert onto a rack and discard parchment. Cool completely, about 1 hour.


Method for Frosting:

Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, cream, and vanilla until smooth.

Put cake on a platter and spread icing on top in a thick layer, letting it run down sides. Let icing set at least 15 minutes.

Serve with plenty of fresh berries and a strawberry coulis.

Do ahead: Cake can be made and iced 1 day in advance. Cover and keep cool.

* * *
Don't Miss...Julie's profile of yours truly on The Family Kitchen, the family food blog of our friends over at Babble:
Master Your Muffins with Aimee Wimbush-Bourque of Simple Bites.

It's an honor to be featured!

22 comments:

Jennifer Jo said...

Bookmarking this.

Patricia Scarpin said...

I love how summery and fresh this cake looks - and delicious, too!
Beautiful, Aimée!

Jan @Family Bites said...

Yummy, Aimee!! Looks so seaonally perfect....

annie said...

And now I will cry big, fat, wet tears about the fact that I was just at the store and did not buy any confectioner's sugar. Sigh.

Melissa said...

Sweet! Love the decoration!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Mmmm, I have several cakes for birthday's that I need to bake. This sounds like a perfect one to add into the mix.

Happy Friday!
~ingrid

Unknown said...

This looks delicious!!! I wish I had a slice or two.

Elle said...

Oh my word, I can't wait to make this! Gorgeous photos--and I also have to say, love the little guy in the photo that's licking his finger. I can guess what he just did. ;)

Hilary said...

Nice one! Sheet cake recipes are awesome to have on hand but often they're not that inspiring. This looks much more interesting than most - I'm bookmarking it too.

Cheryl Arkison said...

Love that decorating idea! Adding this to the list for the next gathering.

Kare said...

This looks so easy and yummy. Love love love the photos of all the kiddos gathered around the cake. Too cute for words.

Jennifer said...

Loving the simplicity of the cake and how perfectly decorated it is for summer!! Beautiful!

Haidi said...

This cake was so easy to EAT. Not crumbly, moist, and even better the next day. Thanks, A.

Stephanie said...

You can't go wrong with cake for dessert. And the berries are the perfect summer complement. What a great recipe.

Helen said...

Do you know why Greek yogurt is not recommended? What if I cut it with fat free or evaporated milk? Hmmm, I think I'll try the recipe with Greek yogurt because that's the only yogurt I have taking up space in my frig - and a yogurt CAKE sounds SO much better than just a bowl of yogurt. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

This looks fabulous, customizable, and perfect for celebrations in a pinch (which I often find myself in). Thank you so much for sharing!

Amie said...

This cake looks absolutely delicious! I may just have to make this on Saturday. Thanks for the recipe :)

Natalie said...

The cake looks great and wow, that picture of the kids around it is absolutely precious!!

Miss High Heels said...

I will definitely be making this cake. The recipe reads as quite delicious. Your decoration is very clever!

Anonymous said...

I made this cake the day I read your post. It's light, pretty and delicious. My only problem was that my corn syrup (which I realized too late was not 'light') made the icing look kind of grey - definitely didn't have that beautiful white look that yours did. Any suggestions as to where I can find light corn syrup?

Jenifer said...

Is there an alternative to corn syrup in the frosting. I am having a party and no one I know would eat it if it had corn syrup in it. Perhaps something natural like agave syrup?

Aimée said...

Hi Anon- Hmm, I pick up my light corn syrup at any supermarket.

Hi Jenifer- I think agave would work well- or honey even. It's really just for the gloss.

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