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This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won’t even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt! 

This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won't even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt! Get the cake recipe on RachelCooks.com!

This time of year, we go through clementines like craaaaaazy. E loves them, Ben loves them, and I love them. Easy to peel, easier to eat.

But sometimes I go a little overboard when I’m buying them at the store and I need to find another use for them. Plus it is fun to play around with different uses for something other than just peeling and eating.

When I saw this recipe on Girl Versus Dough, I knew right away that I’d be making my own version of it. I love that her recipe includes whole wheat flour and yogurt. And obviously, the star of the show, clementines.

I, of course, add vanilla beans because I just can’t help myself! I add them to everything: cream cheese, butter, frosting, granola, applesauce, candied walnuts, and more.

This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won't even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt! Get the cake recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Plus, I adore the sweetness that vanilla adds to citrus. As demonstrated by my love of all things orange creamsicle but that’s a whole ‘nother addiction to talk about on a different day.

This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won't even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt! Get the cake recipe on RachelCooks.com!

This cake is really simple to make and can be made with all pantry staples. Assuming your pantry is stocked exactly like mine. It is, right? Fridge staples too — I always have plain Greek yogurt on hand. Even for the kids. I prefer it to the flavored kinds — less sugar! I just add a little brown sugar, some vanilla extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon. They both devour it.

This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won't even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt! Get the cake recipe on RachelCooks.com!

The best part of this cake (besides the vanilla beans) is the syrup that you create to pour over the top. It creates a moist, sticky, sweet layer on the top of the cake. Something for the powdered sugar to stick to, you know?

Used in this recipe:

 

Love this cake?

I love that it doesn’t need frosting, so easy and delicious! Try more no-frosting cakes:

 

Clementine Vanilla Bean Yogurt Cake

Clementine Vanilla Bean Yogurt Cake

Yield: 1 cake (8 slices)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won’t even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated clementine zest
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed clementine juice
  • Powdered sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper and then spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray as well. .
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt until combined. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 cup of the sugar, eggs, clementine zest, vanilla extract and the caviar from inside the vanilla bean (save the scraped out pod!).
  3. Put vanilla bean pod in a small bowl and cover with remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Set aside.
  4. Slowly stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in oil. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes in pan, then remove from cake pan and transfer to a cooling rack with a rimmed baking sheet underneath it.
  6. While the cake is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and cook the clementine juice, sugar/vanilla bean pod mixture, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let vanilla bean pod stay in this mixture until the cake is on the cooling rack. Then remove the vanilla bean pod and pour the juice/sugar mixture evenly over warm cake on cooling rack. Cool completely.
  7. If desired, sprinkle top with powdered sugar before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 2gSugar: 54gProtein: 8g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

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© Rachel Gurk
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes & Cupcakes
Verdict: Writing this post is making me want to stop writing this post, get back in the kitchen and make the cake again. I love it.
Husband’s take: He said it was a “little too much” with the clementine flavor but he ate about 3 slices. I’ll let you come to your own conclusions. My parents got to sample this cake and they love it!
Changes I would make: Try poking some small holes in the cake next time so the syrup can really saturate the cake — it isn’t really necessary but you can’t go wrong adding even more flavor to this beautiful cake.
Difficulty: Easy.

This yogurt cake has so much great flavor thanks to clementines and vanilla beans that you won't even notice that it uses whole wheat flour and yogurt! Get the cake recipe on RachelCooks.com!