Ingredients: 

for cake:

1 ½ cup AP flour

1 cup granulated sugar 

½ cup plain, full fat greek yogurt 

¼ cup vegetable oil

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

2 large eggs + 1 yolk 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt 

for spice ripple:

⅓ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

-

2 Tbsp granulated sugar (for topping cake) 

for frosting:

1 cup confectioners sugar 

2 - 4 Tbsp milk 

splash vanilla extract (optional)

Method: 

Make the Spice Ripple:

• In a small bowl mix together ⅓ cup brown sugar and cinnamon, mix until homogeneous.

Mix & Bake the Cake:

• Preheat your oven to 350 f. 

• Spray your loaf pan lightly with non-stick spray, then line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for ease of cake-removal later. 

• In a medium bowl, whisk together your AP flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 

• In a large bowl add your 1 cup of sugar, melted butter, and oil, whisking until sugar is saturated with fat and no dry spots remain.

• Whisk in your eggs + yolk, then continue to whisk for 1 minute or so, until the mixture has a few bubbles and is slightly frothy. Then whisk in your yogurt until fully incorporated.

• Swap your whisk for a silicone spatula and begin to add your dry ingredients — mix in ⅓ of your dries until homogenous. Repeat until all is added and no dry spots or lumps remain (If lumps remain after mixing with spatula, just mix a few times with the whisk.)

Assemble & Bake & Frost:

• To your prepared loaf pan add about one fourth of your batter (you can eyeball this) and using a bent spoon, spread batter evenly until it reaches the edges and corners of the pan.

• Sprinkle one third of your spiced sugar over the spread batter, trying to leave a small ¼” border of plain batter around the edges. 

• Add another one fourth of your batter on top of sugar, then, using the same spoon, spread out batter until the spiced sugar is covered and sealed within, so you can no longer see the spiced sugar. 

• You might find while trying to spread the batter over the sugar that your batter and sugar start to mix and it’s hard to get the batter to cover the sugar completely. This is fine! It does not have to be perfect, just do your best. I find spraying the back of my bent spoon with a little non-stick spray helps making spreading easier and less sticky. 

• Repeat this process for a total of four additions of batter, and three additions of sugar, ending with batter on top. Smooth the top of your cake batter so it is as flat as you can make it. 

• Sprinkle 2 Tbsp granulated sugar evenly over the top of your batter. 

• Place your loaf pan on a baking sheet and just before putting it in the oven to bake, take a butter knife and run it through top of your batter down the center through the sugar topping, but not all the way down to the bottom of the pan,  just ¼” down into the batter. This will help ensure that as it bakes an even crack will form on top. 

• Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, the crust will get pretty dark, but that’s kind of the point. If you feel it’s approaching burnt lightly tent the top with foil. 

• Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes in its pan, then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack for a further 30 minutes before frosting. But, I must say, this cake is amazing still slightly warm out of the oven.

• For frosting: Add confectioners sugar to medium bowl, add milk 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing well, until ideal texture is reached. Frosting should be runny enough to pour over your cake, but firm enough so doesn't all run off the sides – think cake batter texture. Mix in vanilla extract (if using.) 

• Eat for breakfast! This cake keeps very well, well wrapped at room temperature for several days (this is why I always make two of these!)