Maple Yogurt Pound Cake

One bite of Maple Yogurt Pound Cake and you will think you are eating a stack of pancakes.  Incredibly moist from the oil and yogurt, sweet from a generous half cup of maple syrup, this was completely and wonderfully different and delicious.

I love making pound cakes because they are so easy to throw together.  I also love that a slice of pound cake is equally at home eaten straight out of hand or served on the fanciest of dessert plates; plain or topped with all kinds of goodies from fresh berries and pillows of whipped cream to sticky syrups and ice cream.

This one was great straight from the oven and the next day.  While many pound cakes can dry up very quickly, this one kept it's lovely texture.  Simplicity at its finest.

Maple Yogurt Pound Cake
Rivka, The Food52 Cookbook


1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
3/4 cup yogurt, preferably nonfat
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter a 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to the wet ingredients and stir just to incorporate.  Add the oil and fold gently until the oil is absorbed into the batter.  Make sure not to overmix the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Place the pan on a baking sheet in the oven and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes.  Cut around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Turn the cake out onto the rack, then turn it upright on the rack and cool completely.