Kandy-Kolored Tangerine Flake Streamline Yogurt Cake

(with apologies to Tom Wolfe. Seriously, Tom, I'm really sorry.)


As is often the case Chez ToastPoint, this culinary sucess was inspired by rotting food. A tub of maple yogurt was about to expire, and it would have been a crime to throw this stuff away. A bowl of tangerines beckoned (psychedelically?), threatening to go soft and attract fruit flies.

I've stolen the recipe for Clotilde's yogurt cake. The only difference in my version was the use of maple yogurt, and the addition of two tangerines-worth of zest instead of vanilla. My take on the cake also sports a fruit topping--very American--a cool, sweet sauce of maple syrup and tangerine pulp. It required minimal effort and really amped up the corresponding flavors in this simple snazzy dessert.

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Maple Tangerine Yogurt Cake
(a variation on Chocolate & Zucchini's yogurt cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl (or mixer), mix gently to combine:
2 eggs
1 cup maple yogurt (I used Seven Stars Farm Original Maple, but plain full-fat yogurt and generous pour of maple syrup would be a functional replacement)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used ghee, but it made no difference and is way more expensive)
1 Tablespoon rum
Zest of 2 tangerines

Then add, and stir gently:
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder

Pour the batter into a greased and/or parchment-lined round cake pan. Bake until the top is lightly browned and knife inserted in the center comes out clean. I like to let it get pretty dark, which adds a nice crunch to the outer crust. Using an 8-inch pan takes about 45 minutes, a larger pan will cook more quickly.

While the cake is baking, make the topping. The cake is not tremendously sweet, so don't be alarmed by the sugar content of the assemblage below. Put into a small bowl:
4 tangerines, peeled, de-pithed, and roughly chopped (don't let the juices escape)
2-3 Tablespoon dark maple syrup
1 Tablespoon honey

Refrigerate until very cold. Spoon the thickened mixture over individual slices of cake, and be sure to soak the cake with the juices collecting in the bottom of the bowl. A little vanilla ice cream probably wouldn't go astray here, either.