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Vanilla Yogurt Cake - Updated
An updated version of my Vanilla Yogurt Cake. I give the ingredients for a classic 8 inch, two layer version below but in the blog post, you will find a chart with the ingredients and cooking times needed to make various sizes. The method is the same, regardless of the size you are making - just note the baking times will vary for different sizes. I really recommend taking the time to read the full post before starting, especially if this is to be your wedding cake :D
Servings: 6
: 884 kcal
Author: Just Jo
Ingredients
  • 200 g softened butter*
  • 250 g caster sugar
  • 245 g plain flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200 g Greek yogurt*
To fill
  • 100 g soft butter**
  • 200 g icing sugar
  • Optional - 2-3 tsp milk unsweetened almond if going dairy free
  • 3-4 tbsp jam of your choice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder if making this dairy free - see notes
To finish
  • Icing sugar
Equipment for the full wedding cake version
  • Oven thermometer essential!
  • 6 and 9 inch cake boards 2mm thick
  • 12 inch cake drum about 8-10mm thick
  • 6, 9 and 12 inch cake boxes
  • 8 wooden dowels
  • Large piping bags
  • 1.5 cm plain icing nozzle
  • Approximately 1.5kg fresh berries and flowers as liked
Instructions
  1. Place an ovenproof dish (I use an enamel one) filled with about an inch of cold water on the floor of the oven.
  2. Preheat oven to 160°C and set the shelf so the cake tins will be no higher than halfway up the oven.
  3. Grease and line two 20cm loose bottomed sandwich tins. Baking parchment lined with foil is fantastic as it is nice and thick so helps with even browning. I spray the inside of the lining (have the parchment against the cake batter) with oil - you don't want any stickage for a naked cake look!
  4. Cream butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, which will take several minutes for butter. CAUTION - for the dairy free version, this will take a mere 60 seconds and you should use the spread straight from the fridge. Beat it too long and it will split and curdle.
  5. Sift the flour and raising agents together twice.
  6. Beat in one egg, plus a spoonful of the flour, then repeat for the remaining eggs.
  7. Sift over the remaining flour, scrape in the yogurt and vanilla then mix until no streaks remain. Do not over mix.
  8. Divide the mixture between the two tins, spreading the mixture up the sides of the tin so there is a hollow in the middle. This helps them to bake nice and flat. Bake for 35 minutes.
  9. Cool in the tins for 10-15 minutes then unmould and finish cooling on a rack. I lightly cover them with a clean tea towel. If not filling until the next day, wrap the stone cold cakes in clingfilm and store someplace cool.
  10. When ready to sandwich, beat the butter until lightened then sift over the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Again if making a dairy free version, this takes a fraction of the time and do stand and watch to ensure you catch it before it splits. Add in the vanilla and a little milk if not soft enough.
  11. Use a little buttercream to secure one of the cakes to the cake board then spread the cake with the jam of your liking. Place the rest in the piping bag with the nozzle fitted and starting at the outside edge working inwards, pipe in concentric circles, leaving just half an inch of cake around the edge to allow for settling when stacked.
  12. Top with the second cake and press down to secure - you can use a very clean spirit level to check it is level if you like. The beauty of this recipe is I've never had to trim a cake as it rises perfectly flat.
  13. Dust heavily with icing sugar and top with the fresh fruit.
  14. (If stacking with other cakes, push the dowels through the cake at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions about an inch in from the outline of the cake to be stacked upon it. Trim level with the cake using pliers. Use a little extra buttercream over the exposed dowels to secure the next tier with.)
Recipe Notes

* = if you are making a DAIRY FREE version, they use a dairy free spread like Pure in place of the butter; and Alpro Soya Yogurt instead of the Greek yogurt.
I use vanilla extract in the cake, but vanilla powder in the dairy free buttercream as it will split otherwise.
** = for dairy free buttercream, I use 50g solid Stork and 50g Trex instead of the butter.
If making the entire wedding cake, you will need 500g butter (or 250g solid Stork plus 250g Trex) plus 1kg icing sugar plus 1 tbsp vanilla extract (2-3 tsp vanilla powder for dairy free buttercream) plus approximately 50ml milk/almond milk to loosen the texture enough.