Chocolate Yogurt Cakes


I'm in Atlanta, currently sitting on my bed with my baby nephew sleeping next to me and my 4-year old niece digging through my jewelry box and untangling all its items for me.

It's been a great relaxing week at home, spending time with my grandma and my mom. I didn't realize it before but this is the longest break I have taken from being in Atlanta, ever. So strange! There are so many new places popping up everywhere. I wonder when ATL will have its fill of cupcake bakeries because we now have four within walking distance of us (we do live near downtown, to be fair).


In preparation for my third annual Friendsgiving, I'm going all out and making a dessert table with lots of mini desserts. It's my first time taking on such a task but I wanted to challenge myself a bit instead of just focusing on one dessert. Of course, it's more difficult just because most of my baking items are in St. Louis. But I'm excited, and starting early!

Since being home, I've only had the time to bake some banana bread because we had too many bananas in the house. So I thought I'd post something I made a week or so back. They were so light and delicious and are totally worth making if only to have a snack around the house that isn't too dense. They're made with yogurt so you don't have to feel too guilty, either.



I found these to be quite tasty straight out of the oven. After that, it's best with ice cream. But that's just my opinion. We ate this with peanut butter ice cream and the bite of salt in the cakes really put the dessert over the edge. I do love any recipe by David Leibovitz so I already knew this was going to be amazing.

Feel free to omit the coarse salt for regular salt if you don't want to taste it. I would love to try a variation where I fill the batter with some salted caramel or perhaps half a fun-size Snickers bar... Although I think that would probably make it somewhat less healthy and not so light anymore.


It's also a good idea to make these in mini muffin size; easier to pop in your mouth and to satisfy your chocolate cravings!

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes
From David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris
Makes 12 cupcakes
7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil  
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain, whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (200 grams) sugar 
3 large eggs, at room temperature 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 teaspoon almond extract 
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder  
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 
  • Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners or lightly butter the pan. 
  • In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat. (Alternately, you can do this in the microwave on high for 30 seconds, then in 15 second increments, stirring well between each until smooth.) 
  • In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup oil with yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and almond extracts 
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple times, then add the melted chocolate and stir until just smooth. 
  • Divide the batter among the muffin or springform cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (less for mini-springforms, more for muffins, though your oven may vary) or until they feel barely set in the middle and a tester or toothpick comes out clean. 
  • Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving with coffee and a nice dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and any berries you can scrounge up in your fridge. Or, you know, as is.
These cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room 
temperature for four days.



In case I don't get around to it, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all spend it with your loved ones and are safe and content, as well as thankful for all that you've received. I know I am :)

Comments

  1. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.:) The cupcakes look smashing! Love David Lebovitz's anything!!!!:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. i have to make these one of these days!

    ReplyDelete

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