January–April 2023 Baking Cookbook of the Month: GATEAU: THE SURPRISING SIMPLICITY OF FRENCH CAKES

GATEAU AU YOAURT À LA FARINE D’AMANDE (ALMOND YOGURT CAKE), p. 8

Slight alterations to the basic recipe were reducing the sugar to 165g and since I had only 3/4 cup regular yogurt, making up the difference with kefir. For flavoring, I rubbed a small orange’s worth of zest into the sugar, and in addition to the vanilla and optional almond extract, added 1/4 teaspoon orange extract and 1 tablespoon Cointreau. Baked as 10 cupcakes, which were done in 18 minutes in my countertop oven; I turned convection on for the last three minutes to get the tops a little more golden.

Tasting soon after cooling, I found it a pleasant cake but nothing more, though certainly light, moist, and tender. I liked this better the day after baking, and am much more inclined to repeat it with a day’s rest in mind. The texture was a little denser, but still perfectly moist and tender, and (characteristically) the flavors had developed; the restrained sweetness really allowed the orange, almond, and vanilla all to come through.

10 Likes