Peach and Almond Yogurt Cake

I had gotten used to the pictures of the mountains that I had been posting the past weeks that it feels strange to see just a few pictures of food in this post.  Let's forget about the Dolomites for a while and focus on this cake.  Let's have a travel break.  In a few days, I will be bombarding you with pictures of my next travel destination again.  You can also guess where it will be.  It's a European country well known for its rich gastronomy and wine culture.  Neighbor.  Hint.  Hint.

A few months ago, I launched my baking adventures in the kitchen.  Blunders, disappointments, accomplishments and frustrations, they were all with me in the kitchen.  I had been persistent and never gave up when I fail to make a cake look and taste like a cake.  I usually make another one immediately after and always learn from my mistakes.   I would have abandoned baking altogether from all the disappointments but the desire to have the cakes that I see floating around the web was overwhelming.  I would be suffering looking at them anyway, I figured, so why not TRY? 

I did try and admittedly,  I think I went through a remarkable position from that novice and clumsy baker to an acceptable one.  I had been experimenting in baking and it makes me feel so wonderful when a cake comes out from the oven perfectly.   Here is one example of my little experiments based on trial and error.  Five months ago, I baked this cake, using pears as my choice of fruit.  I revisited the recipe while I was vacationing at the Dolomites, using peaches because they are in season.  It tasted great but still, the cake was slightly dry.  This time, I thought, I have to put more moisture in the form of yogurt.  I doubled the amount from the original recipe.  Then I also used almond flour in place of 1/3 of the quantity of flour. 

I was right.  It came out moist and soft and oh so good.  Peaches and almonds really work well together.  There is a hint of almond in the cake itself because of the almond flour.  And well, I couldn't stop eating little slices everytime the cake was within reach.   After three tries, this cake finally came out looking and tasting like a real cake. 

Have a good week everyone! 

Peach and Almond Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:
6 - 8 portions in a 24 cm. round baking pan

• 2 eggs
• 2 (125 ml.) pots of yogurt
• 1 pot of sugar (using the pot of the yogurt to measure)
• 2 pots flour, sifted
• 1 pot almond flour
• flour for spreading on the pan
• 1/2 pot peanut oil
• 16 g. lievito in polvere (baking powder)
• 1 untreated lemon, rind only
• pinch of salt
• knob of butter for buttering the pan
• powdered sugar
• 1 1/2  pots peaches, chopped
• about 2 peaches, sliced (optional)
• almond shavings

1. Rub butter on a 24 cm. baking pan.  Cover with flour.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
3. Transfer yogurt to a bowl.  Rinse and dry container.
4. Prepare the ingredients using the clean yogurt container.  Fill up the container for the quantity of sugar and transfer to a bowl.  Fill up container twice for the flour and transfer to a separate bowl.   Fill up container with almond flour and transfer to the bowl with flour.  Fill up container half-way for the oil. 
5. Whisk eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until the color becomes lighter and it becomes creamy.
6. Incorporate yogurt and mix with a spatula.   
7. Add oil and mix well..  
8. Add lemon rind, salt and flour.   Mix well.  
9. Add diced peaches and mix well.
10. Transfer cake mixture to the baking pan.  Layer the sliced peaches on top.
11. Bake for 30 minutes.  To check if the cake is cooked, prick it with a toothpick.  If it comes out clean (dry and without anything attached to it), then the cake is cooked.  
12. Let the cake cool.  Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle powdered sugar and almond shavings on top. 

Pin It