Mini-Yogurt Cake with Strawberries

Mini-Yogurt Cakes with Strawberries and Yoplait Vanilla Yogurt

Today's my last day visiting my friends Racheal and Lee in the DC area. Yesterday, I made a light dessert with some ingredients we had on hand.

And yes, those are glass coasters! :)

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Cake
This is 1/4 of Ina's recipe, and it made 5 regular size cupcakes.

sift together (dry):
1/4 c + 2 T flour, 1/2 t baking powder, dash of salt

whisk together (wet):
1/4 c yogurt (I used French vanilla Yoplait yogurt), 1/4 c sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 t zest (I used orange because that is what we had on hand), 1/8 t vanilla

oil: 2 T oil (I used vegetable oil, but have also used olive oil)

1. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until smooth.
2. Fold in oil until combined.
3. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
4. This only makes 5 cupcakes...if you want the full recipe for a loaf or cake pan, click here.

Ina's recipe has a lovely lemon syrup, but I didn't have any lemons. I split the cupcake and spread some strawberry jam in the center with diced strawberries. I filled and topped one of them with the remaining Yoplait vanilla yogurt.

The lemon sauce would have been great on this, but luckily the fresh California strawberries were nice and tasty.

Since Racheal's big blowout California baby shower was postponed because she is now on modified bed rest for early contractions, I made a small breakfast shower to present her with gifts from friend and former neighbor, Diane and me. Yes, that's the Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt cake I love so much! :)

And if you think Racheal and I just sat around vegging out and eating for a week, you are wrong. We had a book discussion group too! Well, sorta. We watched both BBC's "Colin Firth in his glory" Pride and Prejudice as well as Bridget Jones's Diary. Then we had a lively discussion comparing the two movies that are based on Jane Austen's classic. Deep, in-depth discussions of Mr. Darcy's gaze at Elizabeth while she played the pianoforte, and when Mark Darcy looks at Bridget during her blue soup dinner! And, we discussed the latest issue of People...since we both read it cover-to-cover. Such an academic vacation, no?

If the mom is this cute in these hooded towels, the baby boy is going to be adorable. Before the trip, I took my mom with me to Babies R Us and she was amazed there was a whole wall dedicated to pacifiers...times have changed from cloth diapers!

Thanks Racheal and Lee for letting me stay at your new house! I enjoyed hanging out with you and your three other sons, cats Jake, Elwood and Samson! Can't wait to see you when you visit Los Angeles with your newest Baby Boy in October! Love, Auntie Mary