maple syrup

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I have been trying to bake once a week, and with an abundance of fresh maple syrup from Trader Joe’s and some from my aunt in Vermont, I decided on a Maple Yogurt Pound Cake from the site Not Derby Pie.

The pound cake consists of only a few ingredients with yogurt and maple syrup being front and center. I absolutely positively love using Fage 2% Greek yogurt for everything from breakfast to dips, as a substitute for sour cream, and in baking. It is amazing, and every time I eat it again, I remember that no other Greek yogurt measures up for me.

Mixing up this cake was kind of fun. All of the wet ingredients, except for the oil, went together at once. And when I added the dry ingredients, the batter got REALLY thick.

I tried to get a good photo of the maple syrup without my hand, but I couldn’t. I just love the amber color of maple syrup.

Stirring the oil in last was part of the recipe instructions, and because the batter was so thick, it gave me quite the workout!

My one and only loaf pan was occupied with green meatloaf leftovers, so I had to use a pie plate instead for the cake. The batter fit perfectly.

In the end, this cake smelled SO good cooking, and it turned out of the pan so easily, thanks to the generous amount of butter I used to grease the pan. Considering most of my baking adventures end with something stuck in a pan, I am happy with this.

The flavors of the cake are great, but when we ate it last night, it was a bit dry. I had a glass of milk with it, but I am wondering if some sort of glaze or frosting might help make it less dry? I wouldn’t want anything too sweet because I do love the maple and vanilla flavors in this cake.

Any thoughts on how to jazz up a dry cake? Have you ever gone to Vermont during maple syrup season to harvest syrup and eat pancakes and do all sorts of fun outdoor things? I have always wanted to do this, but our schedule never seems to match up with the harvest.

Recipe from Not Derby Pie

Maple Yogurt Cake
inspired by Bon Appetit

1/2 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B
3/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan.

Combine syrup, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Stir or whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir to incorporate. Add oil, and fold gradually until oil absorbs into the batter.

Place cake on baking sheet in oven and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack. Turn cake upright on rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)