Blueberry-Lemon Yogurt Cake

It is no secret how much I love Ina Garten. Her approach is delicious food that is easily prepared with ingredients most have on hand or is easily accessible. This recipe is one of her most well-known recipes, and easily adaptable by using various citruses (orange, tangerine, lime, grapefruit, etc.) and with the addition of fruits as well. The sweetness isn't overbearing and perfectly balances the tartness from the lemons. The cake is incredibly moist due to the addition of yogurt. I love the flavor combination of lemons with blueberries, so I added 1-1/2 cups of this berry, and the end result was delicious (though certainly not necessary). I mixed the frozen blueberries with the dry flour ingredients- coating the berries with flour will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. A refreshing and light dessert with a smooth texture- another winning recipe from Ina.


Ingredients:
For the Cake
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (Plain or Vanilla would be fine)
1-1/3 cups sugar, divided
4 large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon zest (1-2 lemons)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. 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.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. Gently mix in the blueberries until coated.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
4. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
6. 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.
7. 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. (This should only take a few minutes.) Set aside.
8. 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.
9. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
10. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Note: I planned on making this for friends, so I used (4) mini loaf pans, and baked them for 35-37 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Ina Garten