Lemon Basil Cake

This recipe is adapted from Trader Joe's Lemon Basil Cake. It is simply delicious. 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups Four Stars whole wheat pastry flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

 1 cup sugar (can use 1/2 cup if you know you like things less sweet or if you are definitely going to use glaze)

finely grated zest of 2 lemons

3/4 cup plain, vanilla or maple Sidehill yogurt OR sour cream (I like to bake with whatever dairy product needs to be used first)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil

2 large eggs

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 - 1/2 cup finely chopped basil (look for lemon basil in perennial garden for double lemon whammy)

For the glaze:

½ cup confectioner's sugar

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon milk or cream

Preheat oven to 350. Oil an 8 or 9" springform cake pan or a loaf pan. Mix yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add sugar, lemon zest and basil and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour into pan and bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. If glaze is desired, whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over cake. Apprentice, John Dickens, highly recommends this step!

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