If you’ve been coming to the site for any amount of time, you guys know that I love using yogurt as an ingredient in baked goods. It adds a ton of moisture, without a ton of of calories. In the past I’d only done Bundt or loaf cakes, so I thought it was high time I made a traditional layer cake using yogurt.

I took a recipe I’d found on Pinterest and modified it to make a larger cake. I added blueberries and raspberries, because I happened to have them both on hand. Then covered it in a delicious lemon-cream cheese frosting. Aren’t the flavors of lemon and berries just divine when paired together? The lemon really sets off the flavor of the berries, I think!

I cut my cake layers in half, to make a super-impressive four layer cake – but just two layers would be just as delicious, and less work. The whole family enjoyed it’s summery flavors, and the fact that it was rich – without being too heavy, if that makes sense…

Not to mention it was beautiful when cut into, with gorgeous bursts of color from the berries baked inside. A perfect cake to bake for a cookout or potluck this summer!

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Mixed Berry Yogurt Cake

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries

For the Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
zest & juice of 2 lemons
pinch of salt
5 cups powdered sugar
fresh berries for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add in the eggs one at a time until combined well. Scape the bowl if necessary. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

With the mixer running on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Then add the yogurt and buttermilk and mix until combined. Finally add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in the berries.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for around 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice and salt and mix until combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Beat on medium speed for a couple minutes until light and fluffy.

To make a four layer cake, slice each cake layer in half. Spread with frosting and top with another cake layer. Continue until all layers are used. Spread the cake with remaining frosting and garnish with fresh berries.

Source: adapted from Kitchen Trial & Error

I love banana bread and all, but sometimes I just feel like my bananas have a higher calling than in the form of a loaf. A calling for something more like…cake, for instance! Now, after making this – I’m not sure that I’ll ever make a loaf of banana bread again. It was that good!

I mean, I guess I should have known. Coffee cakes have never let me down in the past. But the banana added so much flavor and moisture, then to combine it with the cinnamon streusel on top was just the perfect touch. It also has some of the streusel layered in the middle of the cake too, which I thought was a really nice and surprising twist.

It was perfect as breakfast or dessert, and was still fresh and moist after day three. It made plenty, so it’s perfect to make for a get-together, or to share with friends and neighbors. It’s been a few weeks since I baked this, and I’m already looking forward to making it again. It might have to happen this weekend!

We’re looking forward to the annual egg hunt at our local NASA base tomorrow. As well as dying our easter eggs – that’s getting to be so much fun now that the boys are getting a little bit older.! Although, I’ve been making poor Jon dye eggs since before we were married – so I suppose I’ve always had alot of fun with it. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter holiday!

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Banana Crumb Coffee Cake

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For the streusel:
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mash bananas until they become liquified. Mix in butter until combined and then mix in sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer running on low, carefully add flour and mix until just combined.

Prepare streusel by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl, cut the butter in with a pastry cutter until a coarse crumb forms.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Cover the filling with the remaining batter and top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

Mix together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake before serving.

Source: adapted from Cookies & Cups