Yogurt Cake

A classic French style cake, this Yogurt Cake is a simple, humble cake that is topped with a lemon glaze. It’s so simple that you could whip it up for dessert any night of the week.

If you love desserts made with yogurt, you’ll also love this Peach Frozen Yogurt or this Blackberry Yogurt Mug Cake.

As much as I love a nice, fancy dessert, I tend to always go back to the simple things. Less frills, easier, and just as delicious.

Recipes like this Oatmeal Cake or this Fresh Blueberry Crisp are examples of this. Not a lot of ingredients or time, but they will have you coming back for them time and time again.

This Yogurt Cake definitely falls into that category, too.

It is based on an old French recipe that was measured in yogurt cups. And it is a recipe that has stood the test of time. It is not overly sweet and definitely not complicated. It’s the perfect dessert to whip up when you are looking for something easy and comforting!

Ingredients

• Sugar: This cake calls for granulated sugar.
• Yogurt: I have tried both Greek yogurt and plain yogurt, and I personally prefer the Greek yogurt. But both will work, so you can use what you have on hand.
• Oil: You want a neutral cooking oil, like vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc.
• Eggs: This cake has 3 eggs. Room temperature eggs are best, so make sure to take them from the fridge a little bit before you make the cake.
• Lemon Zest & Juice: You’ll want the zest and the juice. The zest goes in the cake, and the juice goes in the syrup you brush over the top. You will need 2 medium lemons, or one large lemon.
• Flour: I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour.
• Baking Powder: The baking powder will give the cake its texture and lift.
• Salt: Salt is important to balance the flavors.
• Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar is to make a simple syrup that goes over the top of the cake. You’ll want to use powdered sugar because it will dissolve quickly.

How to Make a Yogurt Cake

STEP 1: Whisk the sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs, and lemon zest together in a large bowl.

STEP 2: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. I like to whisk these together to make sure they are well combined.

STEP 3: Add the dry ingredients into the large bowl and stir it all together until combined.

STEP 4: Pour the batter into a 9-inch round cake pan. I like to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, but either way, you’ll want to make sure the pan has been greased first. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

STEP 5: While the cake is cooling, make the syrup. This is simply powdered sugar and lemon juice. It will be very thin.

STEP 6: After the cake has cooled in the pan for 20 minutes, turn it out onto a serving platter or a plate. Take the syrup and drizzle it slowly over the top of the cake, letting it soak into the cake.

Tips and Tricks

This cake is simple and delicious, served just as is. But I also like to add powdered sugar, berries, whipped cream, or any combination of all of these!

You want to make sure you add the syrup while the cake is warm so that it will all soak in.

Don’t have a 9-inch round cake pan? You can also use an 8-inch square pan.

Variations and Storing

Not a fan of lemon? You can change out the lemon for lime or orange. Of if you want to keep it as a vanilla cake, skip the zest and add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract. For the syrup, you can use water mixed with powdered sugar.

Store any leftover cake in a covered container at room temperature. This cake is best when served within 24 hours, but it will keep for several days.

You can also refrigerate the cake to make it last longer, but it will dry out a bit if stored in the fridge.

More Favorite Cake Recipes

Pistachio Pudding Cake
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Lemon Poke Cake with Coconut
Tres Leches Cake
Oatmeal Cake
Italian Cream Cake

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Yogurt Cake

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

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A classic French style cake, this Yogurt cake is a simple, humble cake that is topped with a lemon glaze. It’s easy enough to make in a single bowl!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1/2 cup neutral cooking oil (vegetable, canola, avocado, etc)
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ zest of 1 large lemon
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, and line with parchment paper, if desired.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs, and lemon zest together well.
• In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30-25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and whisk until combined. It will be thin.
• Turn the cake out of the cake pan, then place it on a serving platter or a plate. Take the glaze and pour it over the cake, allowing it to soak into the cake.
• Serve the cake topped with powdered sugar, berries, whipped cream, or even just plain!

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutrition information does not include any additional toppings.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 371kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 52g (17%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 70mg (23%), Sodium: 298mg (13%), Potassium: 56mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 34g (38%)

Keywords: yogurt cake