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I’m not sure why I always seem to need a dessert fast.  Obviously on occasion I have taken the day to make a strudel, but generally I prefer something that can be eaten quite quickly after my initial craving.  Especially when I bake during the week.  Also many times I do not have a fully stocked pantry – oh I know I should, but alas there are times when I just run out of butter, or icing sugar, or milk.  In any case, I find this type of baking the most fun.  Always proudly proclaiming “look what I made – and I didn’t even have any…”

It was by chance I stumbled across Two Spoons recipe for what she called a Three-sugar cake.  It looked fantastic and used yogurt and oil, no butter- perfect.  I have made it a few times now, so my recipe is modified.  I baked a couple vanilla cakes and a couple with citrus and I liked the citrus with the yogurt best.  Also I found I couldn’t discern between the three separate sugars, so I switched to two (I actually did have three in my pantry though!  Outrageous).

• 1 1/4 c plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c plain, natural yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/3 c white sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp zest of any citrus you’re craving (we used Meyer Lemons)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 c oil

If you don’t want a citrus cake, just omit the zest and make the vanilla a whole tsp.

This makes a nice loaf, or you can bake a round 8in cake.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and lightly grease your pan.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl to combine.  In another large bowl, whisk yogurt, eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla together until smooth. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until uniformly moist.

Pour batter into your pan and pop it on the middle rack of your oven, baking for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out cleanish. Let cool in pan until warm before serving. Can be served the next day, and can last for several days if kept covered.

This cake is delightfully moist.  Quite yogurty if you use yogurt, sour cream is a little less flavourful.  You can leave out the citrus zest if you want a regular vanilla teacake, but also feel free to add some berries maybe, or nuts, almond essence instead of vanilla.  It’s quite versatile and totally delicious.

With thanks to Two Spoons for the original recipe.

Song for this recipe:

“Vanilla’s the Killer” – Amon Tobin

Amon Tobin is a Brazillian electronic musician. I think his music is more like sound design, sophisticated experimentation.  He’s noted for his unusual methodology while making music.  In 2007 he released Foley Room an album based entirely on the manipulation of field recordings and this is my favorite album still.  He lives in Montreal too so I feel a little connected to him, even though that’s silly.

Tags: easy no butter cake, simple cake with oil and yogurt, sour cream cake, tea cake with yogurt, very moist teacake, yogurt citrus cake