Spring is an ideal time for baking—fresh, seasonal fruit options increase at your local store and farmer's market, and the mostly temperate conditions mean it's not too hot to turn on the oven. The following recipes highlight some of the fresh fruits of the season; the cake recipe is even gluten-free.
Yogurt Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 8 ounces nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, or line cups with paper liners.
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Combine all of the dry ingredients, including the poppy seeds in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oil, lemon juice and zest, egg, yogurt and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, or until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from tin immediately and place on wire rack to cool.
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Cherry Apricot Almond Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons melted butter (can use non-dairy butter substitute)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cup ground almond meal
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 8 fresh apricots, pitted and cut into quarters
- 24 fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, optional
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a nine-inch springform cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, almond meal, eggs, salt, honey and ginger. Mix well until lumps disappear, then gently stir in apricots and cherries. Pour batter into cake pan. Or, if you'd like a more elegant-looking cake, arrange apricots in concentric circles on top of the batter instead of stirring into batter. Top cake with slivered almonds, if desired.
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Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until cake is set and lightly browned. Rotate the cake pan twice during baking to ensure even browning. Let cool before removing from springform pan. Dust with powdered sugar and served with whipped cream or honey-sweetened Greek yogurt, if desired.
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