Testing {Recipe} Ciambella allo Yogurt

For those watching the numerous cookery programs in the UK you are not going to be surprised to see this recipe featured. I tried the Nigelissima Ciambella or the yoghurt pot cake that she presented last Monday. I followed the video and the recipe to the letter - all with cornflour, vanilla extract etc. I thought I could be clever and use the mini kougloff baking mould I just bought. I had vision of a light cake that we could have for breakfast or enjoy with a nice cup of tea. 

The Nigelissima attempt

Well I am not going to even bother writing down the recipe here, as it was not edible - according to my taste buds. The consistency was sticky (it took forever to bake through) and it was way too sugary for my taste. I left it on the side for Mr MiH to try - and he likes it... So maybe it is just me, but as I am the one editing the blog, I choose which recipe I am writing about. 

I had to leave for France since the cooking of these things, and I was resolved to actually bake the cake I expected whilst out here. A lot of little research later I ended up in with an Italiano-English recipe of the Ciambella allo Yogurt. If you are going to make an Italian cake, better follow an Italian blogger. Had to get some ingredients. I am not sure how my Mum can live without baking powder at home.. Find a tin, a little help from my Grandma on this one, who lives in the next town. And we were ready to go. 

And this version is much more like what I expected the cake to be. It is really moist and airy, and quite plain, save for the underlying tanginess of the lemon zest. It was a hit at home (hence the fact I did not get time to a picture of the full cake, then again someone had to try it after the disaster that was the first one). This is a super easy recipe, and really inexpensive. The fact that the yoghurt pot is your measuring device makes it much more effortless as well. For effect, you could add a lemon glaze. 

I used the same ingredients as was suggested on the blog, so nothing new. The two changes I made were: starting by the yoghurt as I needed the pot to measure everything else; and to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites to make the cake even lighter (I did learn something from Nigella's recipe). 

To make this cake, you are going to need:

• 1 small pot of plain yoghurt (easier with a real pot -125g - or use a ramekin so you can use it to measure the other ingredients)
• 3 eggs (separated)
• 2 pots of caster sugar
• 3 pots of plain flour
• one lemon zest
• half a pot of vegetable oil
• 2 heaped teaspoons of baking powder 
• a little bit of milk

How to make it?

1. Grease the baking tin you managed to get your hands on (a Savarin mould is perfect), and dust it lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

2. Empty the yoghurt pot in your bowl, sift the flour and baking powder into it; Add the egg yolks, oil, sugar, and lemon zest, and beat using an electric whisk, until pale and creamy. Stir half the egg whites to liquidify the batter, and fold the rest in (to get the lighter texture). Add a little bit of milk to the batter so it pours more easily into the mould.

3. Pour the mixture into the baking tin, and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Turn off the oven, but leave the cake for another 5 minutes before taking it out.  Leave it to cool in the tin.

And here we are, I am leaving my parents tonight safe in the knowledge that they can have something to eat, when I probably have nothing left at home! As it is my last trip before the baby is born, and we get him his passport, I suppose it is worth it!