In love with Barefoot.

No not bare feet... bare foot. Those of you who know me really well know that I cannot stand feet- period. Sick. Ugh. Yuck. In fact, in my last week's yoga class the teacher made us high five feet with the person next to us, while we were in this crazy position, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack and die.

As much as I hate bare feet, I absolutely love bare foot...Barefoot Contessa that is. Her recipes are classy and simple, her house in The Hamptons is gorgeous and her little gray-haired husband is adorable. They are quite squeal worthy when in an episode together. I've been quire obsessed with reruns of her show, as of late, and wanted to attempt her lemon yogurt cake, since my uncle is coming to dinner tonight. Lemon does not scream winter (and my picky sister likes it in nothing except lemonade) so I decided winter mandarin oranges made a better choice. I modified almost every single ingredient in the recipe, but the foundation is there and the result was incredibly tasty. The cake is baked in a loaf pan, cooled slightly, drizzled with a juice and topped with a glaze. That sounds excessive, but I cut the sugar down and those last two steps keep the cake moist, so do it!! I made some mini muffins, for taste testers last night; try those too.

Orange Yogurt Cake with Glaze (adapted from BFC Lemon Yogurt Cake)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vanilla coconut milk YOGURT (you could use soy or rice milk too)
3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup natural sugar
3 tablespoons of flax, 9 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons grated mandarin orange zest (about 3)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (you can use all applesauce, no oil, if you want, but I was worried about a chewy cake.)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed mandarin orange juice

For the glaze:
1/2 cup natural confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed mandarin orange juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. (MAKE SURE TO LINE AND COAT THE PAN- or you will scrub that pan all night and I will be forced to say I told you so!)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 3/4 cup sugar, the flax and water, zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the applesauce and oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup juice and remaining sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, prick lots of holes with a toothpick and pour the orange-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and juice and pour over the cake. Add more juice, or water if it's too thick.
Serve with fresh berries and/or coconut milk ice cream.