Audrey's yogurt cake

I recently finished reading the book "On Rue Tatin" by Susan Herrmann Loomis who is also the author of several other cookbooks. In her book "On Rue Tatin" she chronicles her life as a married woman living in France with her family. One of the best things about this book besides being entertaining is her liberal sprinkling of recipes throughout. I absolutely love getting recipes like this. It brings the story to life and gives me another way of enjoying a book.

Audrey's Yogurt Cake recipe came to her from a mother she meet at her son's school that had brought in this cake to celebrate her daughter's birthday. Susan explains that yogurt cakes were taught to every French schoolgirl but now most of them learn how to bake this cake at home. She said it was the best yogurt cake she had ever tasted and she had tried many before. So of course I had to try it. I love to try regional recipes especially recipes that I have never heard of.

My ingredients mise en place and ready for action.

My bake pan buttered, floured and ready.

Once the eggs and sugar have been whisked to a light yellow,

the flour is sprinkled over the mixture and folded in.

Fold in the yogurt and the vanilla, then the melted butter. Pour half of it in your prepared cake pan and

fold the melted chocolate into the remaining batter.

Pour the chocolate batter onto the plain one. You can run a rubber spatula through it several times if you want a marble effect. I ran a spatula through mine but my batter just wanted to sit on top and not mix with the rest of the cake. What a party pooper.


I liked this cake, as it was not very sweet. It reminded me of a snack cake that would go well with a warm cup of tea. The combination of a chocolate layer with a vanilla layer was a very happy combination. I mean let's face it; chocolate layered with anything is bound to be good. I had to give hubby a hard time as he added chocolate frosting to his piece, as did my middle son. They said it tasted better. They prefer a sweeter cake. My other kids thought it tasted perfect just as it was baked with just a dusting of powdered sugar on it.



Audrey's Yogurt Cake
Adapted from On Rue Tatin.

1 1/2 cups/200g all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of fine sea salt

3 large eggs

1 cup /200g sugar

1/2 cup/125ml plain, full-fat yogurt (I used low-fat)

8 tablespoons/125 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ounces/90g bitter chocolate, (I used Ghirardelli)
melted in a double boiler, then cooled

Confectioners' sugar

Butter and flour one 91/2-inch round cake pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Shift together the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of waxed or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar until they are light and pale yellow. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the eggs and sugar, whisking to incorporate then. Fold in the yogurt and vanilla, then the melted butter.

Pour half the batter into the prepared cake pan; fold the melted chocolate into the remaining batter until it is thoroughly combined. Pour the chocolate batter on top of the plain batter this is already in the cake pan and run a rubber spatula through the batter several times to make a marble pattern.

Bake the cake in the center of the oven until it is slightly mounded and your finger leaves a very slight impression when you touch the top of it, about 35 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Once it is cool, dust it with confectioner's sugar and serve.