Chocolate Orange Yogurt Cake

So as you might have guessed from my last post, this cake was not nearly as moist as the cake Deb made over at Smitten Kitchen...that's what happens when you cut out all the ingredients that make it moist! :) But it did have a great flavor & I rather liked the texture. It was light & filling at the same time, & oh so orange-y. I think everyone really enjoyed it. I did decide to frost it after all, but don't even get me started on that! The frosting doesn't look the greatest, but it complemented the cake well.

Chocolate Orange Yogurt Cake
Adapted from Ina Garten

courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup egg whites
2 teaspoons grated orange zest (approximately 1 orange)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
5 oz dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.

Sneak Peek!

I have this little guy constantly sitting on my shoulder when I bake. He's like "No, you don't need eggs in there...egg whites will be just fine." Or "Honestly? You need that much oil? Just throw a banana in there instead. Or some applesauce." It's getting to the point where I just can't manage to bake ANYTHING without "cutting down" on the unhealthy qualities...or as some might call them, the delicious qualities. And the thing is, I'm doing it even when I'm baking for someone else. Like, in a birthday cake. Aren't birthday cakes supposed to be indulgent?

Goodness gracious, what has my world come to...

:) Stay tuned for my "healthy" (ok I do include dark chocolate on my list of "healthy") birthday cake! Maybe I'll make some heavy frosting & satisfy someone's sweet tooth!

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

So today I was in the drug store (which, sidenote, I ran into SIX PEOPLE I knew today while I was out...was the whole world last minute Valentine's Day shopping?) & I ran into one of the students from the lab where I work. We say hi & I expect her to ask how I'm doing or if I'm enjoying the snow or something of the sort, but instead she bursts out "Oh my god, can you please give me the recipe for those cupcakes you made the other day?" :)

Since it was a close friend's birthday, I wanted to make something special & I decided on brownie cupcakes. I was hoping to have something that was really 1/2 cupcake, 1/2 brownie, instead of brownies in a cupcake liner (mostly because I had a plate of brownies already sitting on the coffee table).

I decided on the recipe from GigiCakes, because of course her recipes are lovely. :) I'll reprint it to make it easier, but here's a link to her site so you can see all of her advice.

I attempted to make her espresso buttercream as well, but I screwed it up big time (possibly due to a faulty candy thermometer, possibly due to a faulty baker) and decided to go with a peanut butter icing instead, which is always a crowd pleaser so it worked out.

Brownie Cupcakes
adapted from Gigi Cakes

-12 Tbsp butter
-12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-2/3 cup of sugar
-4 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 cup flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with liners.
2. Melt butter and chocolate in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on low, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.
3. Stir in the sugars, then add the eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla, then flour.
4. Divide batter into the liners.
5. Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes with moist crumbs attached (similar to a brownie). Cool completely before icing.

Mine made about 24 cupcakes.


Icing adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2003

Peanut Butter Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp vanilla yogurt
2 tsp instant coffee + 1/2 tbsp water

In a small bowl, mix instant coffee & water until blended. Put powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, & cinnamon in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture is smooth. Add yogurt and coffee mixture slowly, and mix until blended.


The peanut butter icing is reportedly "not too peanut-buttery" according to one of my taste testers. And another said "I didn't know that peanut butter & chocolate could go together in THAT way" (not that I necessarily know what that means, but I assume it wasn't the classic pb & chocolate combo).

Both parts of the recipe were quite easy. And you'll love them!