… a lovely and welcomed weekend back at the cottage ended with a beautiful flurry of snow on Sunday evening so that when we woke on Monday the whole landscape was dusted with white. I know it can be seriously worrying for some but I’m a big fan of snow and seeing that we didn’t get it over the Christmas period i’ve ben praying for it ever since… it was only a sprinkling but nonetheless is was just so lovely to peer out into the frosty landscape at the soft downy blanket of snow covering the land. I remember that during one of the first winters we had after moving to the cottage I had to travel down to London for work and over the 48 hours I was away The Viking was snowed-in. He tells daring tales of having to walk the 5 miles to the nearest town for supplies and of course i’ve always been very jealous of this. My neighbours tell me that during the 80’s and early 90’s they used to have very harsh winters and due to the odd situation of the village, being located in the lee of a valley but also half-way up a hill, when it snows, the whole village seems to be swept into a snow drift which makes it very difficult to get in or out. Tracey tells me about times they have food delivered by a truck that would stop at the top of the hill with bread and milk and other essentials and they would climb up through the snow to collect it. Is it wrong but there’s a small part of me that wants this to happen again. I love the idea of being isolated and unable to attend all the ridiculous meetings I have to attend because i’m too busy surviving! But maybe that’s just me…
greek yoghurt and honey cake with honey yoghurt buttercream glaze
this cake is inspired by a Plum and Blueberry Yoghurt cake I saw on The More Than Occasional Baker blog. I love how light yoghurt cakes are but it’s been ages since i’ve made one. I’ve kept it as plain as possible with just a drizzling of honey buttercream icing on top because sometimes I think simple cakes are better than those ridiculous cakes with all that frosting everywhere… and with a cake as delicate as this it’s nice to actually taste the lightness… but you know, go crazy with icing if you want… I won’t come down on you too hard, particularly if you send me a slice…
for the cake
125g full-fat TOTAL Greek yoghurt
50ml vegetable oil
the finely grated zest of 1 orange
3 free-range eggs
125g caster sugar
200g self-raising plain flour
for the buttercream yoghurt glaze
in a large bowl beat together the yoghurt, vegetable oil, orange zest and eggs until light and fluffy… roughly 5 mins, then sift in the flour and sugar and mix until just combined.
spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for roughly 45 minutes… I did 30 mins, then turned the temp down to 160C for the last 15 mins. The cake will be done when golden and firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
remove from the oven and leave to cool a little in the tin on a wire rack
I am of course linking this cake to the brilliant AlphaBakes hosted by The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline Makes as the letter for February is Y
eat and of course, enjoy!
I love yoghurt cakes, I really need to give this one a try 🙂
This looks fantastic. I have some Icelandic Skyr I might try it with!
That cake looks so light – exactly what I fancy after the heavier stodge of winter. x
What a gorgeous looking cake.
I'm not with you on snow. The bad winter of 2012/13 in Derbyshire, when thousands of new lambs died in snow drifts because the farmers couldn't get to them, and I had many sleepless nights worrying about if the snow would be up to my knees in the morning, is partly what made me take the decision to retire, without any pension, because I couldn't hack the stress of getting to work and back again any longer. I don't regret the decision, and rather like snow now that I no longer have to fight my way to work in it, but I do occasionally have a nightmare about it.
This is just delicious! I'll give a try.
I know Tina, they are so light and fluffy!
Thanks Heidi, i've nattered the Skyr yet but i'm sure it's lovely x
yes, lovely and light… perfect to lift us up!
thanks Jean.. oh I love that snow but if you've had a bad experience then it's hard to see it that way!
Thanks… do try it and let me know how it goes!
This looks an amazing cake. Any chance you could pop a slice in a jiffy bag for me? 😉 Can't agree with you on the snow though. I really really do dislike it. I don't mind looking at it from inside my cosy warm house but I hate the inconvenience. And I really really hate driving in it. Fortunately living in the south east it doesn't happen much but my poor kids are just desperate for snow! We had one flurry in January – enough to make a snow mouse (!) and I think that may be our lot this year!
This looks amazing, I would do anything for a slice of this right now!
This looks delicious. Thankyou for the recipe x
Not just you. I love the sound of splendid isolation in a snow capped world (for a while at least). My mother always used to travel with a shovel in the back of her car, so she could dig herself out of snowdrifts on the way to and from work. And we used to have days off school cos no-one could get there – loved it. Not had a single flake down here this winter – not right at all.
Your cake looks fantastically light and spongy and delicious.
Delectable looking cake Dom – so light and fluffy too! Perfect for afternoon tea or a sly midnight treat!
I can tell just by looking how light and fluffy this is! Thanks for sharing with Alphabakes.
Light and fluffy! Yum!! Loving the sound of the honey yoghurt buttercream….
I got snowed in for a week once when I lived in a village….. it was before we had laptops and mobile phones for work which essentially meant a free week off! There was a pub over the road, so we spent most of the week utilising the warmth of their fire (rather than wasting wood on our own). I'm not sure it would be quite the same now……
can I use butter instead of vegetable oil and how much ? can I add honey to the mix and reduce castor sugar? if I reduce the yoghurt and honey in the icing by half it should be less runny, right?
can I use butter instead of vegetable oil and how much ? can I add honey to the mix and reduce castor sugar? if I reduce the yoghurt and honey in the icing by half it should be less runny, right?