Greek Yogurt Cake with Jam

Or: another recipe I wish I took a picture of in my cookbook!

The first post I shared in this newsletter was for the Green Chile Braised Chicken Thighs from Simply Julia, a recipe I love but regret not including a photo of in the cookbook. I file it under the category of ‘recipes that don't get their shine because there was never visual encouragement to try them.’ Today, I have another one of these recipes for you: Greek Yogurt Cake with Jam. This one is from my book Now & Again.

And…drumroll please…here is a photo of the cake (that I took with my iPhone the last time I made it):

What it is: A simple-to-make (no mixer required! made in one bowl!) cake that comes together quickly and is enjoyed by most everyone. The jam creates a sort-of glaze on top and the fruit in the jam sinks to the bottom of the cake and it’s just incredibly satisfying to both make and eat.

How to serve it: You can serve wedges unadorned, or topped with other things like a spoonful of soft whipped cream and maybe another spoonful of jam (WHY NOT?!) or some fresh fruit. It’s a great dessert, yes, but it’s also great for breakfast.

How to riff on it:

• Use any type of jam! My two favorites for this cake are fig + raspberry

• ½ teaspoon almond extract (instead of vanilla extract) with cherry jam…also great with apricot preserves

• Use the finely grated zest of an orange instead of vanilla extract + use orange marmalade (serve with lots of whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream for a creamsicle effect!)

• See the notes for vegan + gluten-free bakers below the recipe

The recipe: If you already have Now & Again, you have the recipe (thanks so much for buying my book!). But if it's in another room or you don't have the book, the recipe is below.

Take care everyone, xoxoox, Julia

Greek Yogurt Cake with Jam / Serves about 8

Cooking or baking spray

2 eggs

1½ cups [360 g] full-fat Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ cup [100 g] sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 ½ cups [200 g] all-purpose flour

½ cup [150 g] jam (any flavor!)

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan that’s at least 2 inches tall with baking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper (if your pan is only an inch tall, divide the batter between two pans!!). Spray the parchment paper for good measure and set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, butter, and sugar. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the egg mixture and whisk well to make sure they’re thoroughly incorporated. Gently stir in the flour until just combined.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and then smooth the surface so it is even. Dollop the jam evenly over the cake batter. Use a small spoon or the tip of a paring knife to swirl the jam into the batter a bit. The goal is for the cake to have bites of jam, not to have a jam-flavored cake (in other words, don’t stir it in completely, just swirl it).

Bake the cake until golden brown, firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (be mindful that it might pick up some jam), about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature.

Use a dinner knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the pan sides and then invert it onto your work surface. Peel off and discard the parchment, then invert the cake one more time onto a serving platter. Slice into wedges and serve. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For vegan bakers: you can do two flax eggs instead of the regular eggs [for two flax eggs: mix two tablespoons ground flaxseed meal with five tablespoons of water / let the mixture sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to thicken / mix into the batter!], plus vegan butter, and vegan sour cream or vegan yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt.

For gluten-free bakers: Substitute the all-purpose flour with an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour, such as Cup4Cup. You could also try 1 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup of GF flour.

If you like this post/recipe, you might also enjoy: my Sunday afternoon classes (I teach live cooking classes every Sunday afternoon and they are so much fun) / my podcast (always free! some new episodes coming very soon!) / my cookbooks.

Also, if you someone you know might also like this post/recipe, please help me spread the word about this new newsletter by sharing it. It means a lot!