Lemon and yoghurt cake

My contribution to the 2007 challenge for week 25 was this lemon and yoghurt cake from Easy Summer Food (various authors) published at Ryland and Peters. It contains yoghurt - reason enough for me to bake it. A very similar cake can be made using the yoghurt pot for measuring quantities - that turns out quite nice, too, I personnally prefer this one though, as it uses butter and no oil. The recipe said to drizzle the cake with vanilla syrup before serving but I like my cake plain, thank you very much, so I left that out. What you get is a simple, yet very tasty cake with a soft and crumbly texture, lovely with coffee or tea any time of the day.

Lemon and yoghurt cake
Adapted from Easy Summer Food

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200g self-raising flour (or plain flour and 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda)
• 50g fine semolina
• 150ml full-fat yoghurt

Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and whisk until pale and soft. Gradually beeat in the eggs, a little at a time, until evenly mixed. Fold in the flour and semolina, then stir in the yoghurt and lemon juice.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180° for about 40 minutes until risen and spongy. The cake is cooked when a skewer inseted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for about 5 minutes , then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.