Yogurt Cake With Chocolate Chunks and Nutella

“I want grapes,” she said, opening her eyes for the first time in days. It was the sweetest request I’ve heard in my life and, at the same time, the most bitter and painful.

Many ask us how we’re doing these days, how we’re managing, referring to the situation outside of Israel during these cursed times. But the truth is, within this war film, we are now in a personal and painful battle.

My mom, whom you know from the posts as the one who gave me wings to soar through life, about Paris, about my love, went through a difficult brain event, and at the moment, we are uncertain about the future.

I won’t go into details; I respect her privacy. But for those who know us and her impact on my life through the posts, you’d understand that the shock is immense—very immense.

Within this big and sad war, everyone has their personal battles. Some are smaller, and some are larger, but each person has their battles. They are legitimate, deserving of space, and it’s allowed to embrace and talk about them.

“Mom, do you know who I am?” I asked her yesterday afternoon. “The most beautiful in the world,” she answered in a whisper. This sentence, which she used to tell me all the time, never sounded so special.

I haven’t baked in her kitchen for over 15 years. Yesterday afternoon, I baked a cake in her oven, and it felt like home.

The cake, an upgrade to my yogurt vanilla cake, was baked in a simple elongated mold. I added lots of Nutella to make it indulgent. The next day, I brought it to the hospital and thanked the dedicated team that takes care of her and many other patients. It’s not a cliché that they do holy work, and I hope my next meeting with them will be in a departmental gathering in Paris.

Yogurt Cake With Chocolate Chunks and Nutella
30-cm English cake pan

Ingredients
210g eggs (around 3 big eggs)
150g light brown sugar
100g canola oil
5g vanilla extract 
210g all-purpose flour, sifted
10g baking powder
Pinch of salt
210g yogurt
80g dark chocolate, chopped
100-150g Nutella

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius, grease and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a mixer (or by hand), whisk together the eggs and sugar.
3. Add oil and vanilla extract, continuing to whisk.
4. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, add the yogurt, and gently mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the mixture.
6. Add chopped chocolate to the batter and gently fold it in.
7. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, then pour half of the Nutella over the batter. Pour the remaining cake batter and top it with the remaining Nutella. Use a knife to create a marbled pattern.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake is set but not too dry. Allow it to cool inside the pan.
9. Once the cake is warm, cut and enjoy!

Bon-Appétit
Sharon

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