Twelve Days of Desserts: Day Seven

This moist, dense pound cake is an Italian classic. North of Rome, it?s often referred to as a Ciambellone, south of Rome, it?s called Quattro Quarti, meaning 4 quarters, because the original recipe required ¼ kilo of butter, ¼ kilo of flour, ¼ kilo of sugar, and ¼ kilo of eggs. In Italy, this cake is sliced and eaten plain for breakfast, and topped with fruit and whipped cream for dessert.

This is the perfect cake to travel with because it?s sturdy. I wrap it in plastic wrap and bring it to people I?m visiting. If you?re invited to dinner you can bring it as a host/ hostess gift for breakfast the next morning. It can be cut up and used as a base for more sophisticated deserts like shortcakes and trifles. I like to present it whole, filling the ?reservoir? in the top with a rich hot fudge sauce and scattering strawberries around the base of the plate. I?m sure once you begin baking this cake, you?ll find many of your own uses for it. This cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to a month.

Italian Yogurt Pound Cake

Makes 1 (8.5x 4.5-inch) loaf pan
Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for buttering pan
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large cage- free eggs, beaten until light and foamy
1 ¾ cup unbleached, all-purpose baking flour, plus extra for buttering pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup organic non-fat French Vanilla Yogurt
1 (13.5 ounce) jar hot fudge sauce, optional
1 cup strawberries, trimmed, optional

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan.

Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the top of it.
Turn over and tap off excess flour.

Combine sugar, butter, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and mix until well combined.

Place the flour and baking powder into a sifter or strainer and sift into the mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix well just until ingredients are incorporated.

Stir in the yogurt. Pour into loaf pan and smooth out the top.

Hit the bottom of the pans on the counter a few times.

Bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool for 5 minutes in pan.

Remove from the pan and place on a cake rack to cool completely.

Spoon hot fudge sauce into the indentation on top of the cake. Scatter strawberries around the sides or base of the cake.