This French lemon yogurt cake is so easy to make and the result is one incredibly delicious, moist, light and flavorful loaf that works for so many occasions. It's no wonder this is on every French cook's list.
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I've been meaning to make a yogurt cake for ages now, but for whatever reason it has taken me a while. I suspect it is partly that we don't tend to have dessert all that often, or if we do, it's more likely to be easy fruity dishes like mango cheesecake parfait, grilled peaches with mascarpone or the eternal family favorite, banoffee pie.
But leftover yogurt prompted me to finally make yogurt cake, and we're all so glad it did.
This lemon yogurt cake is the kind of cake that's perfect for us. It's light enough that you can have it as a snack at pretty much any time of the day, and it plays to our love of lemon (try my lemon thyme focaccia, lemon risotto or Meyer lemon cookies if you are equally a fan).
My kids have been all over this, requesting it any chance they get and even my sweet-skeptic husband has happily had a few pieces. I took some in to school to share in the playground and it all went pretty quickly with plenty of "yum" and "is that recipe on your blog?" comments.
That's when you know your on a winner.
And in reality, it's not surprising as this is essentially a tried and true traditional French recipe.
What's the difference between a yogurt cake and pound cake?
To look at it, you might be forgiven for thinking this yogurt cake is a bit like pound cake. It has that similar even color and crumb, and is also often made in a loaf pan.
However one big difference, in case it wasn't obvious by the name, is that yogurt cake includes yogurt. This both gives a lovely moist texture as well as a slight tang to the flavor. The other major difference is yogurt cake uses oil rather than butter.
Lemon yogurt cake - a European tradition
Yogurt cake is in many ways the French answer to pound cake but quite honestly, it's a whole lot better. Despite the French reputation for fine baking, that's not what anyone makes at home, but this is the kind of recipe that is. It's easy, delicious and takes no time to prepare.
I say French, but in actual fact yogurt cake is something you will also find in both Spain and Italy as well. The most common French yogurt cake uses lemon as the flavoring, as is also true in both Spain and Italy. This pairs perfectly with the slight tang from the yogurt, but you can use other citrus flavors as well.
In France, you'll generally use a neutral oil while Spanish and Italian versions will more typically use olive oil. This adds a bit more flavor that can make it feel richer, I think. There's no right or wrong, of course, just variations. I happened to have some lemon infused olive oil (so good!) so I used a blend of that and vegetable oil.
How to make French lemon yogurt cake
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder and whisk together.
- Rub the lemon zest in to the sugar to help it release the oils.
- Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla and whisk until blended.
- Gradually add the flour and mix in.
- Pour in the oil and blend until combined.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment and/or oil and pour the batter in.
- Bake until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
Some versions of this will add a glaze, whether honey, a lemon glaze or frosting, but I think most traditionally it is left as it is. And certainly it already has a fantastic lemon flavor and is moist enough not to need soaked with something else.
I also feel it's more versatile without the glaze (for example, you could grill a slice and serve with berries and cream) but feel free to add one of course if you prefer.
Despite being called a cake, it's more commonly made (in France at least) as a loaf as I have here. You can easily pour the batter into a round cake tin or bundt if you prefer, but you will need to adjust the cooking time (both will be quicker).
Once you try this French lemon yogurt cake, it's easy to see why it's one of those recipes French home cooks keep in their back pockets. It's so quick and easy to prepare, has such a wonderful flavor and texture, it's really hard to find any fault in it. Perfect for any occasion, it's definitely one I know I'll be getting requests for again soon.
Try these other lemon treats:
- Lemon madeleines
- Meyer lemon cookies
- Lemon almond cupcakes (that happen to be gluten free)
- Lemon curd (a delicious spread)
Plus see the snack recipes archives for more sweet and savory treats.
The loaf pan I use here is old and I don't know the brand, but this loaf pan looks like a good option (and I have used, and really like, other Wilton pans).
French lemon yogurt cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 210g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 1 lemon zest (ie from 1 lemon)
- ¾ cup plain yogurt 180ml
- 3 eggs
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vegetable oil 60ml, or other plain oil eg safflower, canola
- ¼ cup lemon olive oil 60ml, or additional veg oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Lightly oil and line a standard loaf pan (8 ½" x 4 ¼").
- Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest in to the sugar in to help it release the oils. You should get patches that become slightly moist.
- Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the lemony sugar and whisk until blended.
- Gradually add the flour mixture as well and mix in.
- Pour in the oil(s) and blend until combined.
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and smooth off the top.
- Bake for approx 50-55 minutes until the loaf is golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool around 5 minutes before loosening from the pan and carefully taking the loaf out. Continue to cool in a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Shireen
Hi, silly question but do you use caster sugar or granulated sugar?
Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Not silly at all. So the 'regular' sugar in the US is generally finer than granulated sugar in the UK (which most people would think of as your 'regular' there) but not necessarily as much as caster sugar. I think both should be fine here, but maybe caster sugar to be sure the texture won't be grainy.
Margarida
Delicious! Made it with vegan greek yogurt (didnt have the regular kind) and worked out really well! Thanks for sharing
Caroline's Cooking
Great, glad to hear you enjoyed!
Jay Williams
Delicious! Incredibly easy and a very light texture.
I didn’t have lemon oil. I found the citrus flavour a little too mild without it so added a lemon drizzle glaze at the end.
I am tempted to try it in muffin cases as it would make a great lunch box snack.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you enjoyed! And yes a glaze is a great way to amp up the lemon flavor. I definitely think it would work for muffins, just reduce the bake time.
Lil
Hi Caroline. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe. However, I didn’t realize your recipe calls for an additional 1/4 cup of oil....and I mistakenly baked it using only a 1/4 cup oil (sunflower). The cake came out fine but a little dry and dense. So I mixed some freshly squeezed lemon juice with two tablespoons of sweet marmalade jam and poured it over the cake and let it soak in for an hour. It was incredibly delicious and moist - sweet and tangy.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm glad you got it to work out, albeit different! Actually, whether you realize it or not, you ended up making something similar to a lemon drizzle cake which is something I used to enjoy when I grew up in the UK (instead of marmalade, we'd make a lemon simple syrup with lemon juice and sugar).
CW
I made this last night and it turned out wonderfully! Some modifications: used 50g less sugar, Greek yogurt, and instead of a whole lemon I only had half a lemon and added some fresh lemon juice.
Thanks!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to heart you enjoyed!
Izabela R
Amazing recipe, made twice this week and turned beautiful both times! Thank you!
Caroline's Cooking
Perfect! So glad to hear - it's one of our favorites as well.
Loretta Francesco
I make this wonderful cake very often. I’ve also made it using orange rind instead of lemon for a change.
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear you have been enjoying, it's one we love as well. And yes orange also works well (though I think the flavor tends to be less distinct, but still tasty).
Susan Norman
Can I use Greek style plain yoghurt in this recipe? Picked up wrong item at supermarket
Caroline's Cooking
Yes that should be just fine.
Annette Coyle
What a fabulous cake to make and so easy.
Thank you
Annette Coyle
Caroline's Cooking
So glad you enjoyed! It's a favorite here too.
Annette
Hi can I add blueberry and how much.
Thank you
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't added them in this specific loaf but have in something similar and it worked - I'd say maybe a typical small-sized box (1/2 pint/125g I think). I'd suggest you put some of the plain mixture in the bottom of the pan (say around 1/4) before mixing the berries in to the rest, to try to help prevent them all sinking to the bottom.
Freya
Hi!
Could I make this without eggs? Want to make it for my mum, but she’s allergic to eggs..
Caroline's Cooking
It definitely needs something to bind it, so if you didn't have eggs you need an egg replacement of some kind. I do use flax in some other things but not sure if it might add a flavor that doesn't quite fit here. I'm afraid I haven't tried to be able to make a specific suggestion or say what does/doesn't work.
Ruth
This lemon cake is my new favorite. It looked exactly like yours and tasted delicious! I used plain EVOO in mine. I love the richness of flavor it adds!
Caroline's Cooking
So glad to hear you enjoyed, I agree the olive oil is definitely lovely in there.
Aadeeba Kaareen
I made this today and everyone loved ittttt!!!! 😍😍😍😍 thank you so so much for the wonderful recipe🙌🙌🙌🙌
Caroline's Cooking
That's great, glad to hear you enjoyed!
Sharon Blacker
Can you let me know if the temperature given is for fan oven or normal oven please
Caroline's Cooking
It's for fan oven, so you may need slightly higher if you don't have a fan. Also, put the loaf in towards the lower middle of the oven, if at all possible, to help it cook most evenly.
Sharon
Thank you. I have a fan oven and put loaf pans diagonally on the low shelf
Amalia
Came out delicious. With strawberries and fresh whipped cream, yum!
Caroline's Cooking
Glad to hear! And that sounds like a delicious way to serve it as well.
archie
Sorry to sound silly but is that 1 1/2 cups of flour AND 210 grams
Caroline's Cooking
No, they are both the same amount, just some people prefer to use cups, other weight so I give both. Generally for baking, I recommend weight if you can as it is far more accurate.
Jc
Hi Caroline, thanks for your recipe! I don’t have a loaf pan, what should the temperature be if I’m using an 8 inch round pan please?
Thanks!
Jc
Caroline's Cooking
It would be the same temperature, you just might want to check on it a little earlier assuming the loaf isn't going to be as thick - just check with a skewer in the middle around 15 minutes earlier, I'd suggest, to see how it's doing.
Mandy
Hi, Caroline,
I use butter and olive oil instead of Vege oil?
Caroline's Cooking
You could, I'd say olive oil over butter, although you can use another mild-flavored oil instead of specifically vegetable oil such as canola or safflower. I'd probably say an oil of some sort is better than butter here.
Gilly
Well it was easy to make but not v succeessful...rose a lot but then sank a lot when cooling to a dense rubbery consistency. Cooked for over an hour as it was still very wobbly in the middle . definitely not the same consistency as the images..tastes alright just more like a pudding than a cake.
Caroline's Cooking
I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out, it sounds like it didn't cook for long enough, even cooking it that little bit longer, or the oven wasn't hot enough - maybe your oven isn't true to temperature? Also, is it a fan oven or not? I, like most people I think, typically use fan oven for baking in particular to ensure even cooking. If you didn't, this too can influence the cooking. If you don't have fan option, I'd suggest maybe 10 degrees or so hotter to try to compensate, and check the middle with a skewer towards the end to see if it's still soft as if so, it probably still needs longer.
Esabeth
Hi Caroline, thank you for sharing this wonderful lemon yogurt cake recipe. I have tried baking this twice, however my cake does not seem to rise. First try, it is dense and a little tough. Second try, I beat (hand whisk) the eggs separately before adding with the sugar and the other ingredients. Followed the steps of mixing yogurt then the oil last. The outcome is slightly better, not too dense, but it only rise to 1 inch. Does not have the cakey texture.
Wonder if I should separate the egg whites and use a electric hand mixer? I will go for a 3rd attempt, since we all love the zesty lemon flavour! I am not giving up.
Caroline's Cooking
Hmm. It doesn't rises as much as some cakes, but definitely should a bit - it's more of a loaf/pound cake. Is your baking powder definitely ok (have you used it recently with other things and found it to work as you'd expect)? You certainly could try beating the whites separately, but be sure to fold them in so well combined so you don't get bits of egg in there. Or else you could try some extra baking powder. Agree, we love the lemon flavor as well.
Esabeth
Thank you caroline for the feedback. Will check on my baking powder as I have kept it in the fridge for quite a while now. Taken note to fold in the separated egg whites and combine evenly with the rest of the batter.
Dee
Baking powder beyond its prime, or accidentally using baking SODA might be a factor.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks for the suggestions, and yes both may impact.
Syeda
Hello caroline
Can I double the recipe and bake in 2 pans?. Also can I add some fresh lemon juice to enhance the flavor. If yes then how many tea or tbsp for one loaf. Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
Yes, you can certainly double the recipe and bake in two pans. You could add some fresh lemon, but I wouldn't add too much - maybe just 1 or 2 tsp, as it will make the batter thinner which may impact how it rises etc. I'm not sure how much more flavor you'd get. However, if you really want to add more lemon flavor, the best thing is to make a lemon glaze with lemon juice and powdered (confectioner's) sugar to make a relatively thin glaze, pour it over the cake after baking while it's still warm and let it soak in. It will make it slightly sticky but definitely more lemon flavored.
Jocelyn
I have a question: Is it possible to freeze this cake? And if so, is there anything special to take note of?
I ask because I have a ton of yogurt right now and want to serve the cake in 2 weeks.
Thanks
Caroline's Cooking
I haven't done it but yes, I believe you can - just wrap in plastic/cling wrap, then put in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Michelle Lau
Hi Caroline, it's okay to substitute lemon oil to normal vegetable oil? It's because I can't it at my local grocery Store.
Caroline's Cooking
I'd recommend additional olive oil rather than vegetable oil, if you can, since the flavor will be better. And you might want to add a bit more lemon zest or a little lemon extract to boost the lemon flavor. Enjoy!
Angela Saver
I love brunch because I love the variety of all the delicous food. I love both sweet & savory & would say I usually eat a little more of the savory dishes, but plenty of the sweet too. I love lemon and can't wait to try this recipe! Yum!
Caroline's Cooking
Sounds like the best of both! And hope you give this a try and enjoy as much as we did.
Brandi Burgess
I can not get enough of LEMONY baked goods! This looks DIVINE!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, I agree lemon is so good in baking. And this was an instant favorite!
Julie Menghini
That cake looks amazing. Lemon is my favorite!
Caroline's Cooking
Thank you, lemon is a big favorite here too and this was such a hit!