Simple Monday Bake - Gâteau au Yaourt:

1 - 2 pots of vanilla yoghurt       

[You want to wash out the yoghurt pot and use it as a measurement]

2 pots of golden caster sugar

3 pots of starch*

3 eggs

1 good tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 tsp dark rum

1 pot oil

(Cocoa powder)

(Vanilla sugar)

(2 Lemons)

*I use ⅓ plain flour, ⅓ self-raising flour (I know, I usually despise the stuff) and ⅓ cornflour. 

If I'm making the cake chocolate flavoured, I replace reduce the ⅓ s to ¼ s and I add ¼ dark cocoa powder. When making the cake chocolate-flavoured, you'll also want to melt (in a bain-marie, NO microwaves) 100g dark chocolate and incorporate into the sponge.

For a 'plain' flavoured sponge, you'll want to add in the zest of 1½ lemons, finely chopped/grated and 12g vanilla sugar and a dash of vanilla extract.

First start by mixing together the yoghurt, the starch and sugar. You may not be able to incorporate all the dry ingredients with just 1 pot so add in a tsp at a time from the 2^nd pot until it all goes. But don't give up too soon; it does take quite a good beating.

Next pour over the oil and beat with a hand mixer. Now, crack in the eggs. It will take slightly longer than usual to incorporate them until homogenous.

After that, flavour the sponges with the rum + either (melted chocolate) / (lemon & vanilla) and beat in the baking powder and the salt.

Pour into a greased and lined 20cm round deep cake tin and cover with foil. Bake at 190°C for 45 minutes - 1 hour. You really need to test this cake because the outside takes quickly but the middle may still not be cooked. The foil helps to keep the cake from browning until the middle is cooked.