French Yogurt Cake

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A French Yogurt Cake is quite possibly the most bright and sunny, tender, and just-sweet-enough cake in the entire world. This cake is topped with a thin lemon glaze that firms up and shatters into sugary crust when you bite into it and was brought to world by generation upon generation of French grandmothers and the children who love them!

Lemon French Yogurt Cake is almost embarrassingly easy to make, but that has never once stopped me from making it and foisting the recipe on anyone who likes it. It will become your go-to snack cake the first time you make it.

This lemon yogurt cake -also known as Gâteaux de Mamie (or Grandma Cake) never goes out of style. Those who grew up on it crave it, and those who try it for the first time understand that after their first bite.

I texted a photo of the finished cake to my wonderful daughter-in-law who happens to be French. She recognized the lemon yogurt cake immediately and asked why I was torturing her because she wanted some desperately.

I promised my son would make her a cake. That young man can cook. I think that’s part of why my daughter-in-law loves me.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Obviously, yogurt plays a big part in this cake. Many French gra-meres and mémés (that’s granny to you!) measure the ingredients for their yogurt cakes in the most charming way.

They measure one jar of yogurt, one jar of oil, two jars of sugar, three jars of flour, three eggs, and salt plus baking powder. This simple formula makes yogurt cake a great project to make with kids or grand-kids.

I, on the other hand, buy large containers of yogurt as a rule, so as I’m not yet a gra-mere, I’ve made today’s lemon yogurt cake with standard measurements. Handily, most small jars of yogurt are about 1/2 cup in volume, so that makes this an easy conversion.

Yogurt Cake Recipe

Let’s knock out our ingredient and equipment lists so you know what you need to have on hand. Both lists are quite manageable and despite the moderate ingredient list, nothing is exotic, expensive, or difficult to find!

Ingredients

1. Non-stick cooking spray
2. All Purpose Flour
3. Baking Powder
4. Kosher Salt
5. Plain Greek Yogurt
6. Granulated Sugar
7. Large Eggs
8. Whole Lemon
9. Pure Olive Oil or another Neutral Oil
10. Confectioner’s sugar

When it comes to the type of yogurt you choose for your lemon yogurt cake, you have myriad options. My preference is for plain whole milk Greek yogurt because it yields a tender, slightly richer cake.

If you prefer a lower fat Greek yogurt, it will still yield a delicious if ever-so-negligibly less tender yogurt cake.

I have successfully tested the yogurt cake recipe with plain low-fat Greek yogurt, plain regular yogurt in whole milk and low fat varieties, lemon Greek yogurt, and lemon plain yogurt. All of the cakes have been delicious.

I have not, however, tried dairy alternative yogurts but I imagine they’d work fine! If you try this with a plant-based yogurt, please let me know how it turns out for you.

You have some choices when it comes to the oil you use in the yogurt cake as well. I prefer pure olive oil for the richness it imparts.

I have also made yogurt cakes with canola, grapeseed, sunflower, and vegetable oils and they’ve been great. Any neutral, liquid oil should work well here.

In keeping with the simple perfection of this cake, there are no extracts added to lend flavour. All of the lemon oomph -of which there is a great deal- comes from the zest and juice of just one lemon.

The tangy yogurt boosts the sunny lemon presence to infuse the entire cake. You can smell the lemon in and on this cake when you walk into the room!

The zest is baked into the cake, while the lemon juice is part of the 2-ingredient glaze. The glaze is brushed onto the cake while still warm and melts into it before firming up and forming a sweet crust on the outside of the cake.

Can you imagine anything lovelier than sitting down to a slice of this with a cup of coffee or tea? Whether it’s eaten while reading alone or while conversing with your grandma, it’s a piece of divine, sunshiny happiness.

What pan do I need for this cake?

For our lemon yogurt cake, you can use a standard loaf pan, a bundt pan, an 8-inch round cake pan, or an 8-inch square cake pan. This is, as my sister Christina says, a very forgiving cake.

Whichever pan you choose, you’ll prepare the same way. Spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.

If you’re using a loaf pan or either a round or square cake pan, it’s not a bad idea to line it with parchment to ensure easy removal after baking. If you’re using a bundt pan, just be sure to spray it or brush with cake release thoroughly.

I love USA Pan bakeware because it’s sturdy, cooks evenly, and releases food easily. This is not sponsored, I just love their loaf pans, cake pans, and bundt pans.

Yogurt Cake

So how do you serve this yogurt cake recipe? You have options, my friends!

You can serve a slice of this bright and happy French yogurt cake all by itself. It doesn’t really need anything else.

It is very traditional, though, to dust a little powdered sugar over it. Since the cake isn’t over sweet, it is a nice touch.

And should you decide to take it a little further into the realm of the divine, serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or whipped cream and a handful of berries.

French Yogurt Cake

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spray a loaf or cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment. Alternately, spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set the pan aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.

Add the yogurt, sugar, eggs, and zest of the lemon to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and even in colour. Switch to a spatula and stir in the flour until moistened.

Add the oil and stir until the mixture comes back together and is even. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the cake gently out onto a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.

Whisk together the lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar and brush the glaze all over the top and sides of the cake. Repeat this process until all of the glaze has been used.

Allow the yogurt cake to cool completely. The glaze will firm up as it cools. Serve in slices alone, dusted with confectioner’s sugar, or served with additional yogurt, crème fraîche, and berries.

Want more cake recipes?

Try out this Brown Sugar Peach French Yogurt Cake, Snickerdoodle Mug Cake {single serve cinnamon vanilla butter cake}, Maple Apple Upside Down Cake, Orange Olive Oil Cake with Candied Oranges, and Berry Skillet Cake.

Print

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine French

Keyword after school snack, french yogurt cake, lemon yogurt cake, yogurt cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Cooling time 15 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 308kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

• cake pan or loaf pan

Ingredients

For the Yogurt Cake:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 ½ cups 6.75 ounces by weight all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 lemon zested
• ½ cup pure olive oil or another neutral oil

For the Glaze:

• 1 lemon juiced
• ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

Optional for Serving:

• A dusting of confectioner’s sugar
• Fresh berries
• Additional yogurt

Instructions

To Make the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spray a loaf or cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment. Alternately, spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set the pan aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.
• Add the yogurt, sugar, eggs, and zest of the lemon to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and even in colour. Switch to a spatula and stir in the flour until moistened.
• Add the oil and stir until the mixture comes back together and is even. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the cake gently out onto a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.

To Make the Glaze and Glaze the Cake:

• Whisk together the lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar and brush the glaze all over the top and sides of the cake. Repeat this process until all of the glaze has been used.
• Allow the yogurt cake to cool completely. The glaze will firm up as it cools.

To Serve

• Serve in slices alone, dusted with confectioner’s sugar, or served with additional yogurt, crème fraîche, and berries.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

References:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to add spice to a drink?

I love spices adding flavour to food. But how do you make them come alive when used in drinks?

Spices can bring out the best of any beverage. You can add a little cinnamon or nutmeg to any glass of wine, beer or coffee.

Most recipes call for ground spices. This means that you'll need fresh whole spice. This makes sense, but it is expensive, takes time, and requires storage space.

This is where the magic happens. It's possible to transform your favorite spices into a powdered form that is easy to use with a bit of creativity. You can then mix the spices into your favorite beverages to make delicious spiced drinks.

There are two ways to go about creating these powders. One way is to grind whole spices into fine powder. One method involves using a mortar-and-pestle to grind spices into a finer consistency.

It doesn't matter what method you choose, the result is easier to measure out than whole spices and easier to store. You won't run short of powder, and it keeps well.

Mixing spices can be fun to create new flavors. For example, you could combine peppermint and spearmint leaves to make minty water. For spicy ginger tea, use ginger and cardamom capsules.

Once you've learned how to make powdered spices from scratch, you can apply the same process to herbs. Some popular herbs include basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

There are so many possibilities. Powdered spices can enhance the flavor and texture of beverages, such as soups or salads, as well as the taste of pasta.

Does Thai use ginger?

The answer is yes. The traditional Thai cooking uses ginger heavily. Ginger is used extensively in Thai traditional cooking. It's often added to soups and stir-fries, and it's also common in desserts and drinks like lassis.

Ginger is a common ginger plant in China, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. Its origins can be traced back to more than 5,000years ago. It is believed that ginger originated in Southeast Asia where it was grown for medicinal purposes.

Ginger is known to stimulate digestion and relieve nausea. It may even help prevent migraines. Ginger also helps to relieve muscle spasms, reduce joint pain, and treat arthritis.

Ginger is often eaten fresh in Thailand. The ginger root is cut into thin strips, dried and stored in a sealed container for future use. In Asian markets, you can purchase ginger root in cans or in jars.

What are the most delicious Thai spices?

Galangal, coriander and turmeric are the best Thai spices. The best spices are clove, cardamom. black peppercorn. fennel seeds. star anise.

Other valuable spices include bay leaves, curry, pandan, curry leaves. Kaffir lime leaves. Vanilla beans. Tamarind pods. Lemon grass. Basil.

Thai food can Paprika be used?

Yes. Yes.

Thai food, Mexican, Spanish or Indian cuisines, Thai food, Mexican, Spanish, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Thai, Greek, Turkish and Balkan cuisines all contain paprika.

Paprika can also be traced back to Ancient Greece, more than 5,000 year ago. The Hungarian language means "pepper" and the word "paprika".

What are the 7 Indian spices you use?

Indian spices are a collection of spices used in Indian cuisine. These spices include cumin, cardamom and coriander as well as turmeric, fenugreek and ginger. They enhance flavour and aroma of dishes by blending with natural ingredients like meats and vegetables. Spices create unique flavour profiles, which make Indian cuisine so distinctive.

Cardamom's sweet, pungent flavor is balanced with ginger and citrus notes. It is used to flavour curries, rice dishes such biryani, and other Asian cuisines. Cumin has an earthy, rich aroma and a nutty flavor. It is often added in to curries, dals, or meat dishes. Coriander adds a delicate nuttiness and sweet citrus aroma to dishes. It is used to season lentils and vegetables.

Turmeric has an earthy taste with mustard, spices, hints of pepper. This spice is used in curries and other dishes. It has a golden color. Fenugreek possesses a rich, earthy scent, slightly bitter flavour, and earthy tone tones. It is commonly used to season meat dishes, such as kebabs and curry. Ginger is spicy and pungent, with hints citrus. It gives a great kick to soups, curries, and chutneys. Asafoetida or hing has a pungent scent and strong taste that can replace onion and garlic for some recipes.

These spices produce unique flavors, which make Indian cooking distinctive.

Statistics

• According to the McCormick Science Institute, indigenous Indian spices were cultivated as early as the 8th century BC in the gardens of Babylon. (spicecravings.com)
• Their 14 to 20 percent essential oil content means that cloves have the highest concentration of aroma compounds of any spice. (masterclass.com)
• It has been estimated that around 1,000 tons of pepper and 1,000 tons of other common spices were imported into Western Europe each year during the Late Middle Ages. (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• PubMed - Acute Inflammation & Metabolism


• Aging, inflammation and the environment - PubMed

en.wikipedia.org

• Cumin - Wikipedia


• Charlemagne - Wikipedia

penzeys.com

• Homepage

doi.org

• Vanilla


• Genes & Nutrition

How To

Are you a master of making curry paste?

Curry paste contains dried chillies and shallots, galangal roots, lemongrass (kaffir lime leaf), garlic, shrimp paste, sugar and salt. It is an important ingredient in Thai cuisine.

Curry paste is a popular condiment in Southeast Asia. It adds a unique flavour to many dishes, such as curries, soups, stir-fries, salads, rice dishes, noodles, and desserts.

It is easy to make your own at-home recipes! Follow our step by step guide below.

Step1 - Prepare Ingredients

• Before you can start the recipe, it is important to have all the ingredients ready.
• Start by peeling and chopping shallots (about 2 cups). Cut galangal root in small pieces, about 3 inches long. Set aside.
• Next, cut four garlic cloves into pieces. Next, peel and mince the lemongrass stems (about 1/2-inch thick).
• After that, you will need to crush dried red chili peppers (about four tablespoons) before removing the seeds (optional).
• Next, trim the kaffir lime leaves into strips about 5 inches in length. Next, remove the white part from the stem and leave it alone.
• Then drain the shrimp paste (6 ounces) and then coarsely mash it.
• Final, weigh out salt and sugar.

Step2 - Grind Ingredients

• Mix all ingredients until well combined.
• The texture should look similar to peanut-butter.
• Not to worry if the dish contains too much oil, you can use water to replace it.

Step3 - Add Coconut Milk

• Mix the coconut milk into the mixture.
• Slowly add coconut water to prevent the paste from getting too sticky.
• If you prefer less spice, add less chillies to the recipe and more galangalroot.
• If you prefer it spicy, add more chillies or less galangal roots. You should enjoy the final product.

Step4 -- Serve

• Serve on top of your favourite foods.
• Enjoy!