Easy Yogurt Cake
Easy Yogurt Cake, a simple easy and delicious Snack or Dessert Cake Recipe made with your favourite flavor of Yogurt. You can use either Greek or Regular. Change your Yogurt Flavor, change your Cake!
I happened on this Easy Yogurt Cake Recipe almost 20 years ago, from a woman I encountered in the local supermarket, buying yogurt no less.
My Italian was far from perfect at the time (still isn’t perfect I might add), but a cake recipe I understood. In Italy, yogurt usually comes in single servings of 125 grams.
Recipe Ingredients
- Yogurt – either regular or greek yogurt will work
- Eggs – large room temperature
- Vegetable oil – I use sunflower or corn oil
- Sugar
- Flour – all purpose or cake flour
- Baking powder
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners sugar – for dusting the finished cake
So the recipe was as follows …
2 containers of yogurt (containers are 125 grams each), 1 container of oil, 2 containers of sugar and 3 containers of flour, 3 eggs and 1 package of baking powder, now how easy is that? And it makes the perfect snack, breakfast cake or even some Yummy Strawberry Cupcakes.
I make this cake quite often and I recently made the cake with low fat regular yogurt, zest of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. It was gone in a day!
How to make Yogurt Cake
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer on medium speed, lightly beat the eggs.
Add the oil, sugar and yogurt and beat.
Add flour and baking powder and beat until well combined.
Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake until done, test with a toothpick, when it comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached it’s ready!
Let cool completely then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
How to make Homemade cake flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
Why bake with room temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating a silky batter, which will help to create a light tender baked good.
What makes a cake fall?
- There are a lot a reasons a cake may fall, but the most common ones are, your oven temperature is off, you can always check it with an oven thermometer to check this.
- You open the oven door too early. Never open the oven door before 25-30 minutes of baking.
- Once the batter is mixed it should be baked, letting a cake batter sit too long can cause it to fall. The baking powder or baking soda usually start acting immediately and will only last for a very short period of time, therefore if the cake batter is left to stand before baking then there is always a risk that the baking powder or soda will have expired by the time that the cake goes into the oven.
- Your baking powder or soda has expired and is no long active.
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- The pan size might not be the correct size, sometimes using a bundt pan will help.
How to serve the cake
I think it depends on when you are serving the cake, if you serve it for breakfast then a little dusting of powdered sugar is perfect. If you want to serve it as a dessert then why not serve it with a delicious Blueberry Sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream or even dress it up as a Strawberry Shortcake?
What’s the best yogurt to use?
And it can also be made with any flavour of yogurt, I find that greek yogurt, 0 fat (yes 0 fat!) or regular yogurt both work well. If you use greek yogurt then it is a good idea to use 3/4 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of milk, that’s because greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt. Each makes this Easy Yogurt Cake super moist and delicious.
FAQs
The cake can be stored well covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the refrigerator, make sure it is covered well so no air gets to it, which can dry it out. Bring it to room temperature before serving. It will keep for up to 5-6 days in the fridge.
Once the cake is completely cooled, double wrap it with either foil or plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving, or overnight in the fridge fully wrapped.
Adding yogurt helps to make a cake moister.
Yes you can although you may want to add a flavoring such as vanilla, orange, lemon or even almond.
So choose your favourite fruit greek yogurt or regular fruit yogurt and turn on the oven. This cake is also a perfect Easy Summer Dessert Recipe. Enjoy!
More Delicious Italian Cakes
- Mascarpone Cake with Raspberry Cream
- Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake
- Classic Italian Tiramisu Layer Cake
Easy yogurt cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup any flavour yogurt** (I find flavoured regular natural yogurt to be the best / room temperature )
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cups all purpose flour or cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
EXTRAS
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
BLUEBERRY SAUCE
- 1 cup blueberries
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees (180 cm). Grease an 8 inch (20cm) cake pan or a 9½-10 inch (24 cm) bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer on medium speed, lightly beat the eggs approximately 30 seconds, add oil, sugar and yogurt, beat for 1 minute until smooth, add flour and baking powder and beat until well combined approximately another minute.
- Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until tested done (when a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out dry or with a few crumbs attached). Let cool 15-20 in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
BLUEBERRY SAUCE
- In a medium pot mix together berries, sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer until desired thickness. Pour into a bowl, let cool completely and or refrigerate.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from February 7, 2014.
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I made the cake the first time it turned out perfect . When I made it the second time it overflowed and messed up my oven. But it tasted very good. I’m just making up for the third time. I left a bit of the batter in the pan because I saw that it was pretty high in the pan. It seems the last two times the better seems a lot and I am using an 8 inch pan.
Hi Armine, how did it turn out, next time try using a nine inch pan. Have a great week.
I made this cake recipe yesterday, but in muffin tins. They turned out perfectly, although next time I’d make sure to use paper liners as they were very delicate and stuck to the trays a bit. The flavour was lovely – I used full fat Greek yogurt and the seeds from half a vanilla pod in the batter. I topped them with vanilla cream cheese icing (what we in Australia call frosting 😉 ) and a drop of nectarine jam. Many of my friends commented on the light and airy texture. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Hi Morgana sounds so good. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Happy New Year.
What a great recipe! I have made it twice now, excellent both times. I used plain Greek yogurt and added two teaspoons of vanilla extract, and a pinch of ground vanilla bean. So delicious. Thank you for this and I enjoy your writing, too.
Hi Bonnie, thanks, so glad you like it. 🙂
Hello I’m not sure if it is plain or self raising flour to use. Please let me know.
Hi Samia, the flour I use is always Plain/All Purpose unless I indicate a certain type. Hope that helps. 🙂
Can I use butter instead of oil? If yes, what is the amount needed?
Hi Anu, I have never made it with butter, but give it a try apparently it is a 1 for 1 swap and you should melt the butter and let it cool before beating with the eggs. Hope that helps.
Just made this tonight, it baked perfectly in 35 minutes. I used plain Greek yogurt and sprinkled powdered sugar on top. It was okay but I felt like it was missing something, I then paired the cake with a few strawberries…SOOO amazing! This cake would go great with any fruit, it was very simple and fast to make. I definitely recommend this recipe for anyone who is looking for a quick sweet cake, but make sure you have some fruit to go with it!
Hi Camil, thanks glad you enjoyed it and yes very good with fruit.
When I made this cake it leaked all over my oven. It did not even bake after 1 hour 30 minutes.Instead it got soopier and less like the batter I poured into the pan(like the consistency of milk after 1.5 hours, but the consistency of honey when I looted it in the pan).) I made a huge mess and humiliated myself in front of my family.
Hi Kara, I am really sorry it didn’t work out. Are you sure you baked it at 350° F and not 180°? (I have my recipes also in celsius). I have been making a video of this recipe and it turned out perfect both times.
Is it possible to substitute brown sugar for regular sugar?
Hi Chris, yes you probably can but it may change the texture and taste of the cake, because brown sugar contains molasses. If you do decide to try it let me know how it comes out. Have a great weekend.
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe. It is definitely the perfect moisture & now a family fave. I followed your recipe with vanilla greek yogurt. I added 1 TBSP of vanilla bean paste into the yogurt mixture before adding dry ingredients. I alolso added pecan chips after I poured half the batter in the pan I sprinkled pecans then topped it with rest of batter. ❤
Hi Cynthia, so glad you enjoyed it and what a great idea with the pecan chips. I will have to try it too.
What a nice treat to make. I never had yogurt cake! I’ll have to give it a try!
Hi Marisa, thanks I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think.
Hi Rosemary, I want to try this cake tonight not sure if you will get the email in time or I can wait till tomorrow. So I know it’s in a greased pan… Does it come out of the pan or if I try and flip it on a cake dish will it be disastrous?
Thanks,
JO
Hi Jo, if you are making it exactly as the recipe it should come out just fine, just run a knife around the edges of the cake. Do you have a springform pan? If you use that you don’t have to flip it over, you can even leave the cake on the bottom. Hope that helps, let me know.
So many comments I couldn’t read them all! So in case someone already asked, I do apologize.
Could you add fresh sliced peaches or would it be to gooey?
Looking forward to making from all the praise, must be a winner!
Thanks
Pam
Hi Pam, thanks so much and yes this is my daughter’s all time favourite. I think you could add peaches, Italian cakes are quite firm so it shouldn’t be gooey. As I always say, “you’ll never know unless you try”! Let me know how it comes out. Have a great weekend.
This turned out great. The first time I used coconut yogurt and added a handful of butterscotch and chocolate chips. Was amazing. Tonight I am making one with strawberry yogurt. Thank you !
Hi Tiffany so glad you enjoyed it. Sounds amazing. 🙂
I’m so happy I found this recipe! I made this for my daughter’s 2nd birthday, I cut the sugar by half but to make up the sweetness, I added a layer of sliced fresh strawberries between the batter, so delicious! I can’t wait to try this recipe with other flavors!
Hi Emily, so glad you liked it and sounds delicious, Happy Birthday to your daughter. Have a wonderful weekend.
Hi! I’m fairly new to baking, so just wondering what you mean by moist? Dense and rich? Wet? Also, is their any topping that would go well with this? Maybe a whipped cream or icing?
Thanks!
Hi Dina, what I mean is that it is moisture than most Italian cakes, which tend to be on the dry side (not wet at all), in my opinion a really good middle of the road cake. I wouldn’t ice it but some chopped fruit and whipped cream would be delicious. Let me know what you think. 🙂
So glad to have found your website and this recipe! It’s in the oven now and smells so good. 😉 I had this cake at a restaurant in Florence earlier this year and had been looking for the recipe ever since. Question though – is the batter supposed to be very, very thick? When I was just about finished blending the ingredients the batter kept creeping up the mixer in a big thick lump and when i poured it in the pan it seemed almost doughy. Wondering if I used the wrong measuring tool for the yogurt and inadvertently added too much (i used a dry cup vs a fluid measuring cup to spoon 8 oz out of a large tub of Fage i had on hand), and if something like that would cause it to be thicker. I put it in an 8 inch round springform pan (no hole in the center, just round). I guess I’ll see how it turns out but just curious as to how you measure your yogurt? Fingers crossed! Thanks!
I think I’m also having a similar issue with it not cooking all the way through in the center too – but I don’t want to leave it in much longer because the top is getting very dark (and shiny – should it look shiny)? Sorry for so many questions! I’m not a total novice when it comes to baking but scratching my head a bit on this one. Would a 9″ have been better so it’s not as thick? Strange the 8″ works for most! Thanks again for your advice 🙂
Hi Marissa, sorry to hear you are having problems with the cake, but the amount of the yogurt is correct, the batter really isn’t overly thick and an 8 inch pan should work. It is a little shiny on top. Did you check the temperature of your oven? Let me know.