French Butter Cake #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

   

This cake was so easy and so delicious.  Using oil instead of butter made it extremely moist.  At first, I thought the oil was never going to blend in and I'd done something wrong but I kept whisking and eventually it coalesced into a smooth batter.  It's a simple cake that is a blank slate for the toppings of your choice--keep it simple with some powdered sugar, or make it fancy with fresh fruit or whipped cream.  It's a lovely dessert but is also something you might have with a cup of tea or even for breakfast if you're feeling decadent!  

For the cake:

½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup neutral flavored oil

For the glaze:

⅓ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1½ tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Spray a 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper.

Combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs and the vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk until well blended.

 

Add the baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine then add the flour and whisk again just until all of the flour is blended in. 

Add the oil and stir well. Don't worry, at first it will seem to separate but keep stirring till smooth.

 

Pour the batter into prepared pan.

 

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

 

While the cake cools a bit, prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:

Combine sugar, butter, water and extracts in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. 

Using a pastry brush, slowly brush the glaze all over the top of the cake, using about a quarter of the mixture.

Flip the cake out onto a cooling rack set over parchment paper (to catch drips). The bottom of the cake will now be the top.

 

Brush the remaining glaze over the top and sides of the cake until all the glaze is gone. Allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired before serving or top with whipped cream or fresh fruit.

 

 

  

 

When a wealthy local benefactor is slain on the farm, Monica has to figure out who wanted to cash in on the killing . . .

As Sassamanash Farms hunkers down for the long winter, Monica agrees to let the local animal shelter host their Christmas-themed fundraiser there. The draw of the event—a chance to have your pet’s picture taken with Santa—brings in animal lovers from far and wide. But when the crackling fire dies down and the festive holiday props are all carted away, Monica discovers a very un-jolly sight next to the barn—the dead body of one of the shelter’s biggest donors. With the farm’s good name in jeopardy, Monica goes to work to root out the killer.

By all accounts the victim was a charming and generous supporter of the shelter, but Monica discovers that he was loathed by those who knew him for being tight-fisted and unscrupulous. Suspecting money might be the motive, she turns her sights on his stylish wife and her lavish lifestyle, along with the manager of the struggling shelter, who stood to collect a hefty bequest from his will. But as Monica closes in on one final clue, the culprit closes in on her. Caught unawares, she’ll have to survive the brutal winter weather, as well as a cold-blooded killer . . . 

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