Ciambella allo Yogurt agli Agrumi (Italian Breakfast Cake with Yogurt & Citrus)

In America, we have a tendency to eat savory breakfasts. At least that was always my go-to. You know, eggs and bacon, omelets, egg and cheese on a roll… (Pardon me as I drool…) In Italy however, they seem to like a sweet breakfast. Toast with jam, biscotti, chocolate-filled pastries, donuts filled with pastry cream, or this Ciambella allo Yogurt agli Agrumi. A ciambella is a ring cake, similar to a bundt cake, and you see them all over Italy in a variety of flavors. Like a bundt cake, they are incredibly homey and easy to make. This Ciambella allo Yogurt agli Agrumi is a delightful and light cake made with yogurt and a hint of citrus. It’s moist, not too sweet and simple to whip up. It’s perfect for your morning or afternoon coffee!

I had this cake while traveling to Puglia almost 5 years ago. We stayed in an idyllic agriturismo (working farm) near a town called Locorotondo, at a place called the Masseria Aprile Agriturismo. This place was glorious – charming, peaceful, quiet, and beautiful. They had gardens with heavenly produce, animals, and an amazing staff. Every morning the owner, Anna, made a wonderful breakfast with fresh breads and cakes. This Ciambella allo Yogurt agli Agrumi was one of them. She very kindly shared the recipe with me, and now I’m sharing it with you. If you find your way to that area of Puglia, I can’t recommend her farm enough. Some of the rooms have outdoor kitchens and dining spaces in which to lounge over a great meal in a picturesque setting. I wish I could be there right now!

Notes on the recipe

As I said, this Ciambella allo Yogurt recipe is incredibly easy. You don’t need anything other than a kitchen scale that can weigh grams (most electronic scales measure both ounces and grams), and two bowls. It doesn’t get simpler. Even though many of you reading this will be in America where it is not customary to weigh ingredients for baking, I am keeping this recipe in its original form. It works and, frankly, weighing for pastry recipes is better and more accurate whether you are using grams or ounces. Scales are so cheap nowadays that there is really no reason to not have one. They help in baking, scaling recipes, and with portion control. I use mine every day. To use a scale, carefully measure one ingredient, tare off to zero and proceed with the next ingredient, tare off, and continue. A scale means fewer dishes, so, yay!

For this cake, I used a 24-cm/9-inch ciambella/ring pan. If you don’t have one, use a regular bundt pan. In addition, I’ve included an ingredient list for making the recipe in Italy and provided substitutions for those of you outside of Italy. For instance, in Italy, I use the Yomo brand of yogurt flavored with Sicilian citrus called Agrumi di Sicilia which provides the citrus flavor, along with orange and lemon zest. For those of you that can’t get it, I’ve provided a way to mimic the flavor of that yogurt. Also, in Italy, it’s common to leaven cakes with something called Lievito per Dolci, that’s flavored with vanilla. You can substitute with baking powder and add vanilla extract. The amounts are below.

Now to the recipe. Happy baking!

Ciambella allo Yogurt agli Agrumi (Italian Breakfast Cake with Yogurt & Citrus)

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Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

• Butter for pan
• 250 grams 00 flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 16-gram package of lievito per dolci, OR 2 teaspoons (5 g total) baking powder
• 3 eggs (medium in Italy or large in US)
• 120 grams neutral oil, such as canola or sunflower oil
• 200 grams sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• 120 grams citrus yogurt
• OR
• 120 grams plain yogurt
• 2-3 teaspoons honey, to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if using baking powder vs. Italian leavener)
• confectioners sugar to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F.
2. Butter and flour a 24 cm/9-inch ciambella or bundt pan. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and the leavener (either the lievito per dolci or the baking powder).
4. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugar, yogurt, and zests, until smooth and homogenous. (If using plain yogurt, add the vanilla extract, honey, and fresh orange and lemon juices at this time.) 
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, working out the lumps as best you can. Take care not to mix the batter too much or the cake will become tough.
6. Place the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes. (Ovens vary.) Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes then carefully unmold onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely and serve with confectioners sugar on top.