Cranberry Maple Yogurt Cake

 

2014 is here and I’m sure many of you had a blast saying good-bye to the old year and welcoming the new one! I wish peace, good health and prosperity for one and all in this new year. The new year has brought with it a new beginning for this blog here. I decided to change the blog’s name to ‘The Flavor Nook’ after a great deal of thought. Ever since I started the blog, I had an inkling in the back of my head to change it to something that is well thought of, unique in the sense that it does not resemble a popular TV food show and one that would strike a chord with me. I also updated the look and feel of the blog just a bit to accommodate some additional features. So, here it is, my space – a nook where I share with you all things flavorful and tasteful, the things I love – Cooking/Baking, Crafting and Photography!

Like any new year’s day, this year too we made and enjoyed some good food at home. And what better way of starting the year with anything other than a CAKE? This cake is simple and yet has a bit of a distinctive flavor profile. The beautiful ruby red cranberries add a nice tang and give a festive touch to the cake. I used maple syrup to continue the fruity tones and also to cut down on the white sugar. I also used thick yogurt to make a significant part of the wet ingredients and cut down on the butter. The yogurt, cranberries and maple syrup compliment each other really well and the result was a perfectly moist and delicious cake.

To keep things simple, I made an easy chocolate glaze with just 3 ingredients – brewed coffee, cocoa powder and confectionery sugar. Simple mix all together and chill for at-least 30 to 40 mins. Drizzle the glaze just before serving and enjoy with family and friends.

Recipe

Prep time: 20 mins
Bake time: 30 to 35 mins
Serves: 4 mini cakes
Adapted from:Food52

Cake
– 1/2 cup dry cranberries
– 1/3rd cup maple syrup
– 1/2 cup thick plain yogurt
– 2 eggs
– 1/4th cup sugar
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1n1/2 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 stick butter (at room temp)
– 1/4th tsp salt
– 1n1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze
– 1/4th cup brewed coffee
– 1n1/2 tsps dark cocoa powder
– 1 cup confectionery sugar

1. In a mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt to remove any lumps.
2. In another bowl, take softened butter. Slowly add sugar and using an electric mixer, whisk until the sugar and butter are creamed. Add eggs one at a time and whisk well. Add vanilla extract, maple syrup and yogurt now. Whisk well until everything is well blended.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients slowly whisking until everything comes together as a creamy batter.
4. In a small bowl, take cranberries. Add about 2 to 3 tsps of flour and dust the cranberries until lightly coated. This prevents the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
5. Add the flour-dusted cranberries to the batter and give a quick whisk. Taste the batter and adjust sweetness if desired.
6. Transfer the batter to the desired greased-&-flour-dusted cake pan. Here I used 4 ramekins. The batter should be enough for a thick 6-inch or thin 8- inch cake.
7. Pop the cake pan into a 325 deg preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 mins ot until a tooth-pick comes out clean. If you are using a regular-sized cake pan, increase the temperature to 350 deg and bake for an additional 5 or 10 mins. When done, remove from oven and let it cool for at-least 10 to 15 mins.

For the chocolate glaze,
In a small bowl, mix together brewed coffee and cocoa powder and confectionery sugar. Mix well. Chill in refrigerator for at- least 30 to 40 mins until it thickens.

Drizzle this delicious chocolate glaze on the cake and savor every bite of it!