Iced Mandarin Yoghurt Cakes

Winter in Australia means an abundance of citrus fruit and my fridge has been full of mandarins for a week or so now. They are so delicious and sweet at the moment but the kids are starting to get a bit over them. I know they would eat them made up into something else so based my recipe on this Greek Yoghurt Cupcake recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen.

I had Greek yoghurt to use up and, in the past, I’ve used yoghurt in cakes and it made a very moist cake with a lovely creamy taste.

 

The house smelt amazing as they came out of the oven and my ‘chief taste tester’ was keen to grab one as soon as they landed on the kitchen counter.  They were perfect un-iced or just right with an icing made with the juice of half a mandarin. This is a great recipe and one that I’ll try again with orange or lemon.

 

Iced Mandarin Yoghurt Cakes

(Adapted from “Natasha’s Kitchen” Greek Yoghurt Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting)

 

• 1 2/3 cups SR flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, room temp
• 1 large egg white, room temp
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt 
• juice and rind of 1 medium (or 2 small) mandarins

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 150 deg C (fan forced oven).
2. Prepare cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
3. Mix first five ingredients in a bowl.
4. Melt butter. Add whole egg and egg white plus remaining ingredients.
5. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
6. Scoop cake mixture into cupcake liners and bake for 20 mins (approximately) or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Ice with a mixture made from 1 cup of icing sugar, the juice of 1/2 a mandarin and a tablespoon of butter (melted). 
8. Can be eaten un-iced.

 

 

 

 

5 uses for Greek yoghurt

I’ve been a fan of Greek yoghurt for some time now, opting to make it for quite a while but just for me, making a kilo at a time was just a waste. I buy a 500ml tub every week and use it at just about every meal. I love it. It’s so versatile and a great dairy, (healthy) fat and protein source in your daily diet. It acts as a great base to add so many flavours to, both sweet and savoury. You’ll never want to buy flavoured yoghurts again.

Besides being a tart, rich, creamy yoghurt, it has amazing health benefits. I opt for a full fat version because if you read the label, you’ll find that the low fat version might be slightly lower in fat but it is a lot higher in sugar. Greek yoghurt has twice has much protein as regular yoghurt. It may be slightly lower in calcium than regular yoghurt but it is still a good source of calcium. Greek yoghurt also has twice as much protein as regular yoghurt therefore making you feel more full for longer. It is also less in carbohydrates. Just check sugar levels in fruit flavoured versions. Greek yoghurt also contains probiotics which aid digestion and the immune system.

Here’s a few ways I use it.

Salad Dressing

 

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This has to be one of my most favourite salad dressings. It makes me feel like I’m not missing out on a decadent, creamy dressing (even though I’m probably more partial to vinaigrette style dressings). It’s so simple. Just add any fresh or dried herb, lemon or lime juice, any fruit (eg mango, raspberries, pomegranate etc), garlic, spices, nuts, mustard, avocado, vegetables (eg grated cucumber, celery, fennel etc). Go crazy! It compliments any salad I’ve had.

Breakfast

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This is probably my favourite. I’ve not ever been a big fan of breakfast but since making a few changes to my diet, I’ve really enjoy it and look forward to it. It’s usually 1/2 cup of Greek yoghurt with whatever I can find thrown on top whether that’s untoasted muesli, homemade granola, oats, fresh fruit, chia seeds, LSA mix, almond meal, nuts, dried fruit, pureed fruit and the list goes on. If I’m in a hurry (which is most mornings), I add a couple tablespoons of Greek yoghurt to a fruit smoothie with a few chia seeds added for extra protein and fibre. Layering the Greek yoghurt with your fruit, nuts or muesli and serving in a tall glass makes a lovely breakfast parfait. Same with making overnight oats or quinoa, I always add Greek yoghurt to the recipe. A lovely breakfast dish.

Substitute for Sour Cream

 

Skinny Sour Cream Enchiladas by Cooking for Keeps

I challenge anyone to point out the difference in taste between plain Greek yoghurt and sour cream. Sour cream may appear a little more smooth and thicker but it really doesn’t taste any different. I use it in every recipe that requires sour cream for a lot less calories. In 100grams of sour cream are 193 calories compared to approximately 130 calories in full fat Greek yoghurt. Add it to your stroganoffs, curries and soups for a rich, creamy addition.

Baking

 

Lemon & Blueberry Yoghurt Cakes

You may have noticed not a lot of baking has been going on here. We’re nearly at the end of one of our hottest summers on record so the oven hasn’t been going on much. I love to use yoghurt in my baking. If you search ‘yoghurt’ on the blog you’ll find quite a few baking recipes where I’ve added yoghurt. It does add a more dense cake crumb resulting in a lovely cake. It also works great in cheesecakes.

Dips and Spreads

 

Greek Tzatziki by CRAP Mamma

I think I’ve been making a big batch of this every week and using it on whatever I can like wraps, microwaved potatoes or as a dip for vegie sticks. Just add grated cucumber, garlic and fresh herbs like mint or dill. Greek yoghurt used as the base of any dip works well. Think of low fat versions of ranch dip, garlic dip for souvlaki, serving with meatballs or anything. Very tasty, low fat, healthy versions of practically any dip you’d normally make.

Making your own soft cheese

 

I love my Greek yoghurt and my body has been thanking me for it.

Streusel topped Papaya Yoghurt Cake

Growing up in the 60s and 70s here in Australia, we didn’t have access to grocery stores like we do now. To think we could just pop down to the grocery store to pick up some ‘unseasonal’ apples, pears or strawberries (because that’s all our kids will eat) would’ve been just ludicrous. One thing was for sure and that was we ate what we grew and even though Mum didn’t have a vegie patch or fruit orchard, just about everyone in our neighbourhood had a choko vine and a papaw (or papaya) tree. There was always an abundance of papaws and lucky we liked them, because that’s all we got. (Unless of course Mum went to the fruit and vegie coop with other Mum’s or picked up something from those country roadside stalls when we were out on our Sunday drive.)

Circa 1971 on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Going through some of my Nanna’s old photos recently and I found this one of the papaw tree she had in her backyard on the Sunshine Coast, just weighed down with fruit. My Nanna and Mum always took photos of their plants and trees. My Mother always said people used to comment on how nice her skin and clear her complexion was and she claimed it was from eating papaw.

Papaya – slightly sweeter than papaw and more of a ‘red’ flesh where the paw paw is more orange.
For more information, click here on the Papaya Australia website.

I have to admit, I’ve not really ‘cooked’ with it before. We always had it in fruit salad, as is or Mum cooked it up as a chutney or pickle. I recently discovered there are some wonderful ways to use up this delicious fruit. In fact, here are 27 ways to use papaya / papaw. The texture is very much like cooked pumpkin and would be delicious in cakes, loaves, muffins or as I’ve cooked it in this Streusel topped Papaya Yoghurt Cake. This is my favourite yoghurt cake recipe and I thought I’d try baking the papaya on top of the cake with this crunchy topping http://www.supplychainforum.com/member.php/17043-Paulsen with just a hint of coconut. Its very tropical tasting and such a delicious, moist cake. There is a lot of liquid in the papaya and when you mash it for the cake, you might want to strain it before mixing it through. I didn’t and it didn’t affect the cake too much except that it had to be cooked a bit longer than expected.

Streusel topped Papaya Yoghurt Cake

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 125gm butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 small papaya (or half large papaya)

Streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 tbs water
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C (320 deg F).
2. Grease and line 2 loaf pans (or any pan you like – you could even make these into cupcakes) with baking paper.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until sugar has dissolved.
4. Add vanilla and beat each egg in, one at a time. Add yoghurt and mix until combined.
5. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl. (Don’t lick the spoon or you won’t be able to stop. This is my favourite tasting cake batter of all time.)
6. Remove seeds from papaya and scoop out flesh into a bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Remove as much liquid as you can.
7. Mix 2 tablespoons of cake batter with the papaya flesh. Distribute cake batter between between cake tins, top with papaya mixture.
8. For the streusel topping, mix all ingredients until it forms clumps and sprinkle on top of the papaya in the cake pan.
9. Bake for approx 40 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Remember that the papaya layer will still be quite moist so check in a couple areas.
10. Allow to cool before slicing. Can be sprinkled with icing sugar if desired.

If you’d like to try your hand at baking, cooking or preparing papaya or papaw, stay tuned for an exciting cooking competition on my blog where you can win a $250 Woolworths shopping voucher! Details to follow. For more information on papaya or papaw and the growing, harvesting and health benefits, check the Papaya Australia website, here.

Sharing at Rattlebridge Farm.

Orange Yoghurt Spice Cakes

I had oranges and plain Greek yoghurt that needed using up and I always make this Orange Yoghurt Cake but do you think I could find the recipe. I couldn’t even find it online. I was going to have a guess at it but didn’t want to waste ingredients in case it was a flop. Instead, I relied upon my old favourite, the No Fuss Fudge Cake and just tweaked that. I’ve also been loving Chai tea since my weekend meditation retreat towards the end of last year and really felt like adding some spices to complement a mug of Chai tea.

I was lucky enough to receive a variety of teas from Nature’s Cuppa and they make a Chai blend in a tea bag. It was gorgeous, with just the right blend of peppery warmth and spicy flavours. Its my regular treat just before bedtime.

Nature’s Cuppa also have a great range including all of your regular blends like Ceylon, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green, herbal teas and even a coffee.  Their tea is certified Fairtrade®. Fairtrade® means better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fairer terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing http://bellalunawitches.com/event/5349 world. The Fairtrade® label is your independent guarantee that this product meets international Fairtrade® standards.

My son loved this mini loaf in his lunch box. It was nice just with a light sprinkling of icing sugar and didn’t need any frosting. Adding yoghurt to a cake makes a lovely dense mixture without being too heavy. I think this would work well with lemon too.

Orange Yoghurt Spice Cakes

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1.1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional)
• 6 tbs oil (I used Canola)
• 1 tbs vinegar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C. Oil cake pan. (Cake can be made into cupcakes, mini loaves, a loaf pan or round pan.)
2. Mix all ingredients together and mix well.
3. Bake for approx 20 mins or until golden brown.
4. Allow to cool slightly in pan before turning.
5. Once cool, dust with icing sugar to serve.

Disclaimer:  This is not a sponsored post. This product was provided for editorial consideration. I was sent some Nature’s Cuppa tea and coffee to try and all opinions and photos are my own. 

Lemon & Blueberry Yoghurt Cakes

“I’m forever pinning recipes….” (sung to “I’m forever blowing bubbles”). And it’s true. The last thing I do at night, before I turn off the computer is check Pinterest for recipes. I have to admit that about 80% of recipes I see are related to S’mores, peanut butter and chocolate or brownies in some way but the odd one comes up that makes my mouth water and I can think of nothing else until I make it. Lemons and blueberries was the case this time.

This was the culprit. A Lemon-Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf by Sweet Pea’s Kitchen. The recipe is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) recipe. I just love cakes made with yoghurt. The cake is more dense without being rich and not so sweet. This recipe didn’t disappoint. I made them in individual cupcake wrappers as they’re easier for little fingers and my portion control. I can also pop them in the freezer easily too.

The cake is your typical cake recipe but what’s special about these is that after baking, they are brushed with a lemon sugar syrup a couple of times, adding to the lemon flavour and then topped with a lemon drizzle icing.

Even on their own, without the blueberries, I think they’d be nice. This one’s a keeper and now I’m already thinking about all of the different flavour combinations I could come up with.

Lemon & Blueberry Yoghurt Cakes

(from Sweet Pea Kitchen’s Lemon-Blueberry Yoghurt Loaf recipe)

For the Loaf:

• 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon plain flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 deg C (350 deg F). Line a texas muffin pan with cupcake papers.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops of the warm cakes. Brush the top with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each cake. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.