Lemon Yogurt Cake

It happens at least once a year, my Grandma makes a brilliant yellow bundt cake slathered in creamy lemon glaze. It is one of the only things she cooks anymore but she pulls it off perfectly every time. If she read my blog and knew I had made my own I would tell her that hers outdoes mine by more than a mile but, in all honesty the first thing I exclaimed after taking the first bite was "It tastes exactly the same"!

As much as I love my Grandma's cake I know it is far from healthy and could never be enjoyed as an everyday treat. A lot of butter and sugar is necessary to achieve that delicate crumb. I healthified Ina Garten's version of a lemon cake and the outcome may just be the most successful I have ever been in doing so. Never in all my time making desserts have I eaten an entire cake so quickly.

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup 0% fat plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup Nustevia Baking Blend or granulated Splenda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2-3 tsps lemon zest (2 large lemons)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Syrup

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup Splenda

Preheat oven to 350F

Sift the flours, baking powder, and salt together 

In another bowl whisk the yogurt, Nustevia/Splenda, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until combined

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet stirring just until incorporated and smooth

Fold in the applesauce and oil, make sure it is evenly distributed
(I also added about 2 tbsp more yogurt at this point because it looked a little too dry)

Let the batter rest for 5-7 minutes

Pour into a loaf pan sprayed with Pam

Bake for 45-50 minutes (mine took 47 minutes)

Cake is done when a toothpick in the middle comes out with moist crumbs on it

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes then carefully remove from the pan
Put on a baking rack over a sheet tray

Warm the lemon juice and Splenda on the stove

Use a brush to glaze the lemon cake with the warm syrup

I decided to forgo the powdered sugar glaze because I liked the lemon juice syrup so much I made another batch and drizzled it over each slice I had.

If you are a member of the powdered sugar glaze fan club mix 1 cup powdered sugar with two tablespoons lemon juice (adjust it to the consistency you want) and pour it over the cake after it has cooled or store it in the fridge and use on individual slices.

Servings 14

Per serving (1 slice) 125 calories