Yogurt and Berry Snacking Cake

Baked goods with berries don’t have to be saved for the summer months. If you use frozen fruit (choose local as often as possible’just look on the back of the bag to make sure your product comes from Canada) you can bring a bit of summer to your table now, when you probably feel like you need it the most.

Now that we’re in the home stretch to spring’18 days and counting!’I can feel that we’re all craving something more than root vegetables, apples and pears. I’ve been filling my freezer with frozen fruit whenever I find it on sale, and using it in smoothies, to spoon over yogurt and granola, and in simple snacking cakes like the one you see above.

This cake recipe is wholesome, very forgiving and one that you’ll feel good about feeding to your family. Feel free to use melted butter in place of the oil if that’s your jam, or swap the maple syrup for honey or sugar, if you prefer. And don’t feel as though you need to stick with just berries here. Frozen peaches also make a mighty fine cake topper, but if you go that route try replacing the vanilla extract with ¼ teaspoon almond extract instead. Your taste buds will thank you.

Yogurt and Berry Snacking Cake
Serves 9

You’ll Need:

2 Tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 cup frozen berries
Optional: 1 Tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Prep and Cook:

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, egg, vanilla and yogurt. In a second bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and sea salt. Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture and stir, just until combined.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and top with the berries. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm in the middle. Cool in the pan before cutting into squares.