Absinthe's Golden Yogurt Cake

Name: Absinthe's Golden Yogurt Cake
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 cup sifted all-purpose flour; 2.5 tsp baking powder; 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt; 0.5 cup vegetable oil; 1.5 tsp grated lemon, Meyer lemon, or orange zest, or a combination; 0.75 tsp vanilla extract; 0.38 tsp kosher or sea salt; 3 eggs; 1.25 cup sugar; 1 cup plain drained yogurt or Greek yogurt; 0.25 cup honey; 0.5 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 whipped to firm peaks

From the kitchen of Carly

A tender crumb spiked with citrus zest and kept moist with tangy yogurt. This golden cake strikes the perfect balance between sophisticated and simple, letting bright flavors shine without fuss. Perfect with coffee or as an elegant finish to dinner.

Yogurt plays both sides here, lending moisture and tang to the crumb while doubling down as a honey-sweetened topping. The oil keeps things tender without requiring butter, and citrus zest brings brightness that makes every forkful feel light. A cake that tastes fancier than its straightforward method suggests.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1 1/2 cupsifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tspbaking powder
1 cupplain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cupvegetable oil
1 1/2 tspgrated lemon, Meyer lemon, or orange zest, or a combination
3/4 tspvanilla extract
3/8 tspkosher or sea salt
3eggs
1 1/4 cupsugar
1 cupplain drained yogurt or Greek yogurt
1/4 cuphoney
1/2 tspvanilla extract
1 cupheavy cream
1whipped to firm peaks

Instructions

Set your oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides, line the bottom with parchment paper, then dust the sides with flour and shake out any excess.
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the yogurt, oil, zest, vanilla, and salt until smooth and combined.
Fit your stand mixer with the whip attachment and beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy and well blended. Pour in the sugar gradually, then raise the speed to medium-high and whip until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns thick and pale, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Drop the speed back to low and stream in the yogurt mixture, followed by the dry ingredients, beating just until everything comes together.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it level. Bake on the center rack for about 40 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and firm to the touch and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let the cake rest on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold it and leave it to finish cooling top side up.
For the yogurt cream, whisk together the yogurt, honey, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth, then gently fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
Cut the cake into wedges and finish each slice with a generous dollop of yogurt cream.

Tips from the kitchen

Whip your eggs and sugar to genuine pale thickness, at least 3 to 4 minutes. This aerates the batter and keeps the cake from landing dense.
Fold the yogurt mixture and flour gently with a spatula at the end, just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb.
Use full-fat yogurt, not nonfat. The fat content is what delivers creaminess in both the cake and the topping.

Variations

Swap the citrus zest for cardamom: use 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom in the cake batter for a warmer, spiced flavor that pairs beautifully with the honey topping.
Skip the whipped cream and serve the yogurt cream as-is for a tangier, lighter finish.
Top with berries or stone fruit and a drizzle of the yogurt cream instead of the full dollop for a more stripped-down presentation.

Make ahead and storage

Keep the cooled cake wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate it covered for up to 4 days. The yogurt cream topping is best applied fresh, just before serving.