My home state of Texas is famous for belt-busting meals like smoky slabs of beef barbecue with a side of spicy beans or chicken-fried steaks smothered in cream gravy. Since traditional dinners are on the heavy side, I’ve learned to keep the appetizers and desserts light and refreshing.
One of the easiest ways to “lighten” up a heavy recipe is to substitute a high-quality, low-fat Greek yogurt for sour cream, mayonnaise or heavy cream. Yogurt helps to keep baked goods moist and enhances the texture. Using low fat yogurt instead of sour cream saves 46 grams of fat per cup and it can be substituted for mayonnaise in equal amounts. Yogurt is also a flavorful topping on a baked potato, or in Stroganoffs and stews, and a low fat way to thicken sauces.
The refreshing addition of Greek yogurt in this simple cake recipe makes it tender and moist. Serve the cake topped with a dollop of lemon yogurt and your favorite berries. It makes for a beautiful presentation and is the perfect way to finish a Texas-sized meal!
Lemon Greek Yogurt Cake
Yield: 12 servings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whipped butter, softened
1 cup stevia
4 large eggs
1 carton (6 oz) non-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup finely chopped, toasted almonds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degree F. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl at medium speed, beat together butter and stevia until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, yogurt, lemon juice and almond extract until well blended. Reduce mixer speed to low and add reserved flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, beating just until blended.
- Pour mixture into a greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and sprinkle with chopped almonds, if desired. Cool completely before serving.