Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake - because it's damn hot.

Did you know that Phoenix is in the desert? Did you know that the desert is freaking hot for 3 months out of the year? I mean damn.I moved here last fall and honestly, its just the same version of inconvenient as winter up north but with a toasty spin to it. And, there ain't nothing so fabulous as to get in the pool when it's 110 and sunny; for those brief minutes you are a goddess and the water is there to caress each inch, each pore, each follicle on your being. It's pretty incredible, and ain't no body getting that kind of pleasure in the Midwest in January. So boom. Score one for Arizona. 

Anyway, with the heat of the desert I decided to take a hint and make some dessert. The berries have in amazing lately since they're in season and, not only are they delicious, but they're also cheap: we're talking $2.99 for 2 lbs at Costco. Can you say holla?!

So I've been buying way too many berries (which is not actually a problem) and I decided to make Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake.

Side Story and Life Lesson: I also branched out and decided to buy a couple Greek yogurts other than my tried and true heartthrob yogurt, Trader Joe's Coconut Cream Greek Yogurt - better known as "the freaking most amazing, absolute best, all-time favorite, nothing else even compares to it's greatness" yogurt. Needless to say, my out of the norm yogurts were huge disappointments and cooking with them was the only possible use other than just throwing them out. 

With that, I had excess berries and unwanted yogurt making this Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake the obvious next step.

This cake surprised me with how tasty it turned out. It almost had a gourmet box cake flavor - possibly from the funky yogurt? - but it gave the cake a great structure and moistness. Together with the berries, the cake had a wonder soft, yet sturdy texture, an amazing fresh flavor, and worked perfect as a coffee cake with breakfast or dessert when topped with fresh whipped cream. I will be making this one again.

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 lemon zested and juiced
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus a bit more for strawberries
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces strawberry Greek yogurt (or any flavor)
• 6 ounces strawberries, chopped into small cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan or spray it with Pam's Baking Spray (I love that stuff)
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then stir in the lemon juice.
4. Toss strawberries with lemon zest and a couple tablespoons of flour. This will help the berries maintain their shape and keep their color from bleeding when you stir them into the batter. 
5. Alternate beating in sifted flour mixture and yogurt in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour; be careful not to over mix. 
6. Just before flour is fulling incorporated, add in strawberries tossed in zest and flour and stir a few more stokes until fully combined. 
7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons sugar and put pan in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with baked crumbs on it. 
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool 20 minutes before eating.

NOTE: this recipe would also be amazing for muffins but I didn't have a muffin tin. If you choose to go this route, follow recipe the same but reduce the bake time to 22-25 minutes.

*Sorry, no pictures on this one, I ate it to fast!!*