One Bowl Lemon Yogurt Cake

This Lemon Yogurt Cake is a one bowl classic that is soft and moist in texture. This easy lemon cake uses Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. With a dusting of icing sugar to serve if desired. 

🍰 What Is Yogurt Cake?

A yogurt cake is an easy cake recipe that has a natural tang thanks to Greek yogurt. It’s similar to a butter cake however the texture is quite different. The yogurt offers immense moisture and fat which makes the crumb not only delicate but very moist. The addition of lemon zest and juice complements this yogurt cake nicely. 

You may also know this lemon yogurt cake as Gâteaux de Mamie which translates to Granny Cake. Popular in France, a cake recipe using yogurt produces a crumb that is unlike any other regular cake. 

Try this Plum Yoghurt Cake for another wonderful cake that uses yogurt. My Lemon Blackberry Cake is another one-bowl cake recipe as well as my Eggless Banana Cake. 

🍋 Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Made in one bowl with only a dusting of icing sugar to serve. 
• A lemon cake that uses yogurt to achieve a moist and soft textured cake. 
• An easy cake recipe that can be enjoyed for any occasion. 

📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Plain all purpose flour: I use unbleached plain all purpose flour but you can also use just plain all purpose flour. Be sure to check out my guide on how to accurately measure basic baking ingredients. 

Granulated sugar: You can use either golden or white granulated sugar. 

Lemon zest: Use a ripe lemon and finely grate the zest using a zester or a microplane. 

Plain Greek yogurt: The star of the show. Use plain style Greek yogurt. 

Eggs: Need to be at room temperature before making your lemon cake. Having your cold ingredients at room temperature makes them blend and emulsify more appropriately with the remaining ingredients. 

Extra virgin olive oil: I recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil as it results in the best and most subtle flavor. 

Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice from a ripe lemon. I don’t recommend using store bought bottled lemon juice. It doesn’t produce an authentic lemon flavor like fresh lemon does. 

Icing sugar: Also known as confectioners sugar or powdered sugar. A light dusting of icing sugar is all you need to ice this easy lemon yogurt cake. 

🥣 Step By Step Instructions

1) In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Your flour, sugar, baking powder, and the lemon zest. Whisk well. 

2) Add in your wet ingredients. Your lemon juice, eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Grab your spatula and gently fold it all together. The batter will be quite thick, thanks to the amount of yogurt you’re using. Don’t over-mix your batter either, it’s already thick but overdoing the mixing will contribute to a tougher textured cake once it’s finished baking. 

3) Pour your batter into your prepared baking pan. Smoothing out the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and it’s lightly golden on top.

4) Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully flip it out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

5) Once cooled, you can dust over a light layer of icing sugar using a fine-mesh sieve if desired. Instead of the icing sugar, you might like to brush your cake with an orange or apricot jam too. Serve and enjoy!

💭 Expert Recipe Tips

Make sure to measure your baking ingredients accurately to achieve the best results. Check out my helpful guide on how to measure basic ingredients.

Ensure your eggs come to room temperature before making your yogurt cake. Using cold ingredients in cakes will not emulsify and blend appropriately with the rest of the ingredients, which results in problems with the final product. 

Use plain style Greek yogurt and fresh lemon zest and juice for the best lemon yogurt cake. 

Do not over-mix this cake batter as it will result in a tough cake texture after baking. 

Store your lemon yogurt cake in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. This is a moist lemon yogurt cake and is best consumed the day you bake it and a couple of days after. 

Freeze this lemon yogurt cake by allowing it to completely cool after baking. Do not add the dusting of icing sugar. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in tinfoil. Freeze it for up to 3 months. 

To defrost your lemon cake with yogurt, remove it from the freezer and place it in your refrigerator, it’s wrapped up, for a full 24 hours to slowly thaw. 

💬 FAQ's

🥄 Related Recipes

One Bowl Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe

Samantha

This Lemon Yogurt Cake is a one bowl classic that is soft and moist in texture. This easy lemon cake uses Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. With a dusting of icing sugar to serve if desired. 

4 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Servings 8 slices

Calories 334 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 cups (300g) plain all purpose flour, scoop & leveled
• ⅔ cup golden or white granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, finely zested
• 1 cup plain greek style yoghurt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature approx. 55g-60g each in shell
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
• 2 teaspoon icing/powdered sugar, to serve or apricot or orange jam if desired

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF). Line a round 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. NOTE: Alternatively, if you have a non-stick pan, liberally grease it with melted butter and dust it with a light layer of flour. This will leave your finished cake with smooth sides. 
• In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest. Whisk until well combined. 
• Add yoghurt, eggs, oil, lemon juice and vanilla. Using a spatula, fold until combined and no pockets of flour remain, ensuring not to over-mix. The batter will be quite thick, thanks to the yoghurt. 
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Smoothing out the top. 
• Transfer to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted into the middle comes out clean and it’s lightly golden on top. 
• Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
• Dust over a light layer of icing sugar using a fine mesh sieve. Instead of the icing sugar, you might like to brush your cake with an orange or apricot jam, if desired! 
• Serve and enjoy! 

Video

Notes

Make sure to measure your baking ingredients accurately to achieve the best results. Check out my helpful guide on how to measure basic ingredients.

Ensure your eggs come to room temperature before making your yogurt cake. Using cold ingredients in cakes will not emulsify and blend appropriately with the rest of the ingredients, which results in problems with the final product. 

Use plain style Greek yogurt and fresh lemon zest and juice for the best lemon yogurt cake. 

Do not over-mix this cake batter as it will result in a tough cake texture after baking. 

Store your lemon yogurt cake in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. This is a moist lemon yogurt cake and is best consumed the day you bake it and a couple of days after. 

Freeze this lemon yogurt cake by allowing it to completely cool after baking. Do not add the dusting of icing sugar. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in tinfoil. Freeze it for up to 3 months. 

To defrost your lemon cake with yogurt, remove it from the freezer and place it in your refrigerator, it’s wrapped up, for a full 24 hours to slowly thaw. 

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 7gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 194mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 62IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe? I hope you loved it!Snap a picture & share it with me on Instagram @wholesomepatisserie