Chocolate almond yogurt cake

Every so often a chocolate cake does you good, especially if the chocolate is dark and especially on those dark and gloomy days like today here in the UK!
Yesterday it was glorious: we had plenty of sunshine and we went out to the woods for a good long walk. It was so beautiful, I felt so good as you always do when the sun is out. Some woods looked just blue.. full of bluebells. It was just breathtaking I just wanted to dive in and roll in them!
I spotted lots young and fresh nettle leaves which are fab is soups, risottos and frittata. Sadly I forgot to bring my gloves with me so I could not pick them. Next time I make sure I will. My grandmother used to make many things with nettle including tea.
I made this chocolate and yogurt cake for the weekend, with some yogurt I had in the fridge. Yogurt helps adding moisture to cakes, I am using yogurt in my bakes more and more as it helps reducing the butter content in your cakes. If you can, use full fat yogurt as low fat versions are often too thin and they lack in flavour.
This is a good one to dunk in your coffee or tea at any time of the day.
- Prep Time : 25 minutes
- Cook Time : 40 minutes
Ingredients
- self raising flour - 300 g - 2 + ½ cup
- butter - 100 g - 1/2 cup
- sugar - 200 g - 7/8 cup
- almond meal - 120 g - 1 cup
- dark chocolate - 100 g - 5/8 cup
- eggs - 4
- yogurt - 125 g - 1/2 cup
- For the topping
- dark chocolate - 100 g - 5/8 cup
- toasted almond flakes - 4 tbsp
- vanilla essence - 1 tsp
- butter - knob
- powdered sugar - (optional)
Instructions
In a bowl work the butter with the sugar to a creamy consistency. Add the eggs, the yogurt, the vanilla and the almond meal. Mix well then add the sifted flour.
Chop 100 g - 5/8 cup of chocolate into small pieces and add it to the mixture.
Stir well and pour it onto a well greased round baking tin measuring approx 22 cm or 9 inch.
Cook for 160C - 320F for the first 10 minutes then increase the temperature to 180C - 350F and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes.
After this time check with a toothpick as you might need to leave the cake in a little longer. When it is cooked remove it from the oven, let it cool down a little and remove it from the mold.
Make the topping by melting the remaining chocolate over a sauce pan of simmering water. Put it in a bowl with a knob of butter and stir it whilst it gently melts. Pour it on top of you cake and brush it all over it. Sprinkle with the almonds.
You can decorate with powdered sugar if you like. I like that "snowy" effect.
Anche qui da me in questi giorni c’è cattivo tempo e piove, una fettina della tua torta sicuramente mi metterebbe buon umore! Complimenti Alida per la tua bella e golosa torta e per le foto! Buona serata, baci!
Grazie cara e buona settimana.
We finally have some sunshine this week…it was bloody cold whole last week. It finally feels like spring today. The cake looks scrumptious.
Yes we need a bit of warmth and lots of sunshine now!
Perfect cake for the weekend.
Thanks Elinor!
Dear Alida,
Beautiful cake and I can just imagine how delicious it must be..Anything with chocolate and nuts…just thrills me. I love the idea that you are reducing the butter with the yogurt. The photo of the woods with the bluebells is just dreamy. You are a good photographer as well as a chef and baker. Thank you for sharing this one….have a great rest of the week…Ciao!
Hugs, Dottie x 🙂
Always so kind Dottie, I love reading your comments! 😉
This cake disappeared in no time. Always when it is chocolate.
cominciare la giornata con una fetta di quella torta sarebbe il massimo ! Splendida foto dell’ortica in fiore ! Buona giornata, un bacione
Buona sempre con un buon caffe’ 🙂
What a lovely looking cake Alida. I love the speckled look from the chocolate pieces. I used yoghurt a lot in my baking, it helps with both flavour and texture and I’m a firm believer in the benefits of yoghurt.
Thanks Choclette!
Meant to say the bluebells look beautiful. I haven’t seen a carpet of them yet this year, but I hope I will before the season is out. As for nettles, we eat loads of them at this time of year. As well as being a good spring tonic, I find them very tasty.
Yes nettles are just so healthy, I love their taste too and there are plenty of them.
That’s a stunning woodland photo Alida, perfect as a print to hang on your wall. You are so lucky to be able to enjoy that carpet of bluebells and then as if that wasn’t enough you make yet another great cake. Thanks.
I was looking for a wood with so many bluebells to take a nice photo. They are such beautiful flowers. Grazie Elisabetta.
Adoro i dolci allo yogurt, e questa torta è fantastica!!!!
Anche io. A casa mia si mangia sempre un sacco di yogurt ogni giorno!
Bellezza, semplicità e armonia! Questo mi ha trasmesso la tua torta…che chiaramente divorerei tutta in pochi minuti! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Baci cara Alida!
unospicchiodimelone!
Grazie la devo rifare, e’ piaciuta molto ai miei bambini 🙂
I love putting yoghurt in cake for moisture. It works every time! Your cake looks divine. The chocolatey flecks in the sponge and the almonds and ‘snow’ on the top look so pretty x
I need to bake more with chocolate. They keep nagging here for more like this.
This is awesome!
Thank you Ruxana.
Looks super delicious! How beautifully you presented it on this page!
Thanks Sapana. This is an easy dessert to make.