Blueberry-Thyme Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- Softened butter or non-stick spray, for the pan
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 or 2 tsp. chopped thyme, finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup oil, such as canola or olive oil
- 1 cup blueberries
- Lightly sweetened crème fraîche, for serving
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
- Generously butter the inside of an 8-1/2-inch by 4-1/2-inch loaf pan or coat it withnon-stick spray; if your pan is 1/2-inch bigger all around, that’s fine but check the cake a little earlier as it might bake faster.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
- To a medium bowl, add the sugar and thyme and finely grate the zest of the lemon over it with a Microplane.
- Working with your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until the sugar is moist and aromatic.
- Whisk in the yogurt until it’s thoroughly incorporated; add the eggs one at a time, blending each egg into the batter before you add the next.
- When all the eggs are in, give the mixture a few energetic beats to bring it all together.
- Switch to a silicone spatula and stir in half of the flour mixture.
- When it’s well incorporated, add the remaining flour and stir until blended.
- Add the oil to the bowl gradually, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides until you have a thick, smooth batter with a light sheen.
- Drop the berries into the batter and stir to mix them in evenly.
- Scrape the batter into the buttered pan, smoothing the top.
- Place the cake in the pre-heated oven, on the center rack, and bake the cake until the cake is golden brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick or long, dry noodle inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging; 55 to 60 minutes.
- With oven mitts, take the cake out of the oven and set on a wire rack or cool stove burner.
- Wait 5 minutes; run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.
- Carefully invert the pan onto the rack; flip the cake so it’s right-side up and finish cooling to room temperature.
- Serve with lightly sweetened crème fraîche,or nothing at all.
Notes
The cake keeps best well-sealed at room temperature; it will be good for at least 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month; defrost, still sealed, at room temperature.
