Lemon Yogurt Cake with Peaches

As much as I crib about the heat during these months, I have to admit that I love the summer for all the lovely fruit it brings with it. There's luscious mangoes, cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, lychees, and melons everywhere you look! I went for a short holiday to the hills last week and brought back such gorgeous looking apricots and peaches that I ended up eating half of my stash before I could bring myself to make something with them. 

But I did eventually get down to using the peaches when I had to bake a cake for a friend's birthday. Came across this recipe for Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake, and decided to make it with some changes that made it an eggless, upside-down, peach cake. I used egg replacer powder instead of eggs, skipped the glaze, and added a layer of peaches at the bottom of the baking pan. This was seriously one of the most delightful cakes I've ever made! The lemon and peach flavours worked very well together and made the cake perfect for summers! 

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs (I used egg replacer powder)
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4-5 peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1 cherry or plum
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• some confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 to 10 inch baking pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Keep aside.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on the greased pan. Place one half of the cherry or plum in the center, and then arrange the peach slices around it in concentric circles. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on the peaches. 

Pour the cake batter on top of the peaches and bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

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. Set aside.

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. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

Once the cake is cool enough, turn in upside-down and sprinkle the confectioners' sugar over it.

© Veggie Wiz | All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated