Give Lemon Yogurt Cake A Flavor Boost With Ina Garten's Tip

There's no denying that, when it comes to cooking and baking, celebrity chef and cookbook author Ina Garten knows what she's talking about. It's why we've put together lists such as dessert-making tips from Garten that you need to know or 10 Garten-approved ways to upgrade classic desserts. With that in mind, it's time to highlight Garten's flavorful way to make a lemon yogurt cake even better: making a quick lemony syrup to pour over the top.

Whether you like to use Garten's own lemon yogurt cake or you have a go-to recipe for the dessert, this tip from Garten is one that you don't want to ignore. As she describes in an instructional baking video for Food Network, the syrup consists of just lemon juice (and from the same lemon that Garten used to add zest to the cake batter) and sugar, which are combined over heat on the stovetop. Once it's ready, Garten spoons it over the top of the still-warm cake. Garten says, "And then what it does is it just soaks right into the cake. It keeps it really moist and has lots of great lemon flavor."

If you love lemon, then you probably love the sound of this. With Garten's tip, there's no question that the lemon flavor will be front and center. Plus, as the chef says, the syrup helps keep the cake moist, so her tip ensures that the dish has the perfect texture along with incredible flavor.

Once you've poured the citrusy syrup over the cake, per Ina Garten's instructions, it's time to decide how you'd like to serve it. Firstly, if you're interested in even more sweetness and lemon flavor, Garten includes a lemon glaze – made of confectioners' sugar and more lemon juice — which you could choose to include (she pours it over the cake once it's cooled). Or, perhaps you want to go a slightly different route and use traditional buttercream instead, for a richer addition. For a lighter option, you can skip the glaze or the frosting and opt for a dollop of whipped cream.

Whether you choose to add anything, the cake will taste delicious served on its own. In fact, there's so much flavor packed into the dessert that you should try it at least once without any other add-ons. But if you want to take the dessert to the next level, then you could try serving it with a scoop of ice cream on the side. Some creamy vanilla would be a great pick, or, for extra lemony goodness, there's always lemon sorbet. To make the treat a bit more decadent, you could also consider adding a drizzle of chocolate sauce, as chocolate and lemon actually make for a wonderful pairing.