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Slices of lemon yogurt cake on a plate.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

5 from 1 vote
This classic French-inspired lemon yogurt cake is a reliable one-bowl recipe that always turns out perfectly.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 288
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake:
  • ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil , or vegetable oil
For the glaze:
  • 1 lemon
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a loaf pan or cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 3 large eggs, stirring and whisking until well blended. Add the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, mixing just to combine. Add the ½ cup coconut oil and stir well to incorporate. Keep stirring until it forms a smooth batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
  3. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
  4. Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.
  5. When the cake is thoroughly cooled, juice the 1 lemon into a bowl and whisk in the sifted ½ cup powdered sugar. Then, evenly spoon the glaze over the top of the cake; it will soak right in.

Notes

  • Choose your pan. I used a standard-size loaf pan to bake my cake, and I also love using a bundt pan for a more decorative option. It also bakes up beautifully in a round 8 or 9-inch cake pan.
  • What type of yogurt? I prefer a whole milk plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt) in this cake. For a touch of extra flavor, you could use vanilla yogurt. You could also use low-fat yogurt, but I would not use non-fat because you'll lose out on the richness from the higher-fat yogurt.
  • Add vanilla extract. In keeping with the simple spirit of this recipe, I don't add vanilla extract to the batter. But, if you wish, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • Another oil. I use melted coconut oil in this cake, and I also use vegetable oil. You can use any neutral oil of choice (I don't recommend olive oil because it might overpower the delicate lemon flavor of the cake).
  • Make it extra lemony. If you love a lot of lemon flavor, rub the zest of 1 lemon into the 1 cup of sugar first to release its oils, then add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Try another citrus. Use this base recipe as your jumping-off point for other citrus flavors, like orange or lime.