#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Peach Yogurt Bundt Cake and Chobani Giveaway

Pin It
Three years ago today, I decided to try my hand at blogging. Long-time readers know this was an experiment of sorts. I was looking for a distraction from my running injuries and I’d only recently begun finding my way around a kitchen. I knew nothing about blogging or photography. I wasn’t on Twitter. Pinterest wasn’t even invented.

Today, I’m still a part of the blogosphere. I’ve gotten a little better at photography and like to think I’ve at least somewhat navigated my way through blogging. I tweet, but not nearly as regularly or (dare I say) obsessively as many. Same goes for Pinterest

It’s really easy to get caught up in the comparison game in any world, the blog world included. You click on someone’s blog and wonder why their pictures are always accepted on Foodgawker, or why they got offered that free trip, or why their readers leave dozens—even hundreds—of comments. 
I’m not the best food blogger out there, and to be honest, I don’t aspire to be. I love The Sweets Life, and this space I’ve carved out for myself on the internet, and I will stay true to who I am and who this blog is. Three years in, I have a pretty good idea of what that encompasses. The truth is, I don’t have endless hours to play around in the kitchen simply for the sake of creating content. What you see on this blog is reality—it’s the food I am making, eating, and sharing—but only as it fits within the bounds of my real life. 
The food I share with you on The Sweets Life hopefully sets realistic expectations for you. That you can have a job and a social life and a long to-do list and still avoid the temptation of the drive through. That you don’t have to be an expert chef or baker, but can still throw a dinner party with confidence. That you can try a new ingredient or cooking method, simply by following directions. 

I will not add graphic text to my photos to make them more Pinterest-worthy. I will not retweet every big bloggers recipes, hoping they’ll maybe notice me. I will not stray from what The Sweets Life was created to be—real life, and real food. I’m not saying that those things are bad—they just aren’t for me.
Thank you for sticking with me—through these three years of sharing recipes, but also through this unusually long post! Your reward? An utterly addicting bundt cake (and a Chobani giveaway!).  Here’s what you need to know about this cake: Ryan and I polished off 95% of it in two days. Two, people. Yes, there are two sticks of butter in this cake. I’m choosing not to do the (rather simple) math to figure out just how much butter I ate over forty-eight hours. Humor me. 
Chobani sent me some of their newest product: blended fruit yogurt in [resealable!] 16 oz. containers. Love this stuff because the fruit is all mixed in, not just sitting in the bottom like it is in the individual cups! The second I arrived home one evening to find it on my front porch, I immediately dropped everything to bake. I used their peach yogurt and added fresh peaches and strawberries, but you could just as easily swap in any of their flavors. Pineapple with coconut and fresh pineapple mixed in?! Mango with blueberries?! Get creative! 

I love Chobani—their company, their products…okay, especially their products! It is by far my favorite brand of yogurt to eat or to bake / cook with, and today you get a chance to try some for yourself! Chobani’s sending one of you a pack of their new yogurts. Leave a comment by Monday, September 3rd at 9 pm Central—anything—and I’ll pick one winner via random number generator [to be announced in Tuesday's post]. If I don't hear from the winner by Wednesday, I'll pick a new winner. For an extra entry, "like" my Facebook page and let me know you did so (or leave a second comment saying you already like the page!).  (GIVEAWAY WINNER PICKED and announced on this post).

One Year Ago: No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three Years Ago: Homemade Blizzards 

Peach Yogurt Bundt Cake
inspired by A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:
-2 sticks butter, softened
-1 cup sugar
-3 eggs
-1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
-1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup Peach Chobani Greek Yogurt
-1 large peach, diced
-1/2 cup diced strawberries
-1 cup powdered sugar
-2 tbsp milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Liberally cover a 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray. In a arge bowl, sift together whole wheat flour, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until combined.
3. Toss the strawberries and peaches with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour before gently mixing into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes (ovens will vary) until lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before turning pan onto a wire rack to allow cake to cool completely. Once cake has cooled, whisk together powdered sugar with milk and drizzle over the cake.
*Wrap cake well in plastic wrap and foil before storing in the fridge. Will keep for 2-3 days (best on days 1 and 2).