Hello from Istanbul! I came here last Friday for a mini break to be with my family on my birthday and New Year’s Eve! And today is my birthday! This is why I wanted to publish this simple yet very delicious cake recipe, for all those who were born today and want to celebrate with a quick cake!

 

 

I think what I love about this cake is its simplicity. It’s not too complicated to make, it doesn’t take long. Yet, the taste is very fresh, smells fantastic and it’s also very familiar – it may not be a life changing new taste but that’s why it is perhaps best for a cosy birthday celebration.

 

I adapted this recipe from Joy of Baking website. In the original recipe, Stephanie Jaworski uses regular plain yogurt (Greek) but I wanted to add a different touch and used coconut yogurt instead. This gave a small hint of coconut smell and altogether made the cake even fresher with lemon zest.

 

 

 

In Helsinki you can find coconut yogurt in big supermarkets, for example in K-market Kamppi. If you can’t find it, then you can also use soy yogurt with coconut. This yogurt is easier to find, even in small size S-markets.

 

 

Yogurt makes the cake really moist and soft while keeping the overall sponginess. That’s why it is a special ingredient in this particular cake. You can top the cake with powdered sugar, with fresh fruits, or you can just leave it plain, like I did. I thought the smell of the cake was so nice and fresh that I didn’t want to add anything more on top. Enjoy your cake in any serving you like and happy birthday to all December 26’ers!
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Ingredients:

 

Difficulty: ★☆☆ (Easy)
(makes 1 cake in 24cm springform cake pan)

 

Printable PDF-recipe (no photos)

 

2 eggs
2 dl + 2 tbsp + 2 tsp / 1 cup granulated white sugar
1 dl + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp / 1/2 cup canola oil (or another flavourless oil)
1 1/2 dl + 2 tbsp / 3/4 cup coconut yogurt (or soy yogurt with coconut flavour)
3 dl / 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
4 tbsp almond flour (ground almonds)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Zest of a lemon

 

Toppings (optional):
Powdered sugar
Fresh fruits

 

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1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Prepare a 24cm springform pan (or another same size cake pan you have) by greasing and lining the base with a baking paper.

 

 

2. In a mixing bowl, put eggs and sugar. Beat them well until white and creamy.

 

 

 

3. Add canola oil and coconut yogurt and continue beating until they are incorporated.

 

 

 

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing until all ingredients mix well (but try not to overmix). If needed, scrape the sides with a spatula in between.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan and tap the pan onto your counter a few times to get the air bubbles out. Put in the oven, in medium rack and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. When it’s ready, take it out of the oven and leave it to cool down in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to your serving plate. Let it cool at least 20-30 minutes more before serving. Top with powdered sugar and/or fresh fruits (optional). Enjoy!