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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Lovely tasting cake. I made it with Soya yogurt. I finished it off with some runny icing on top.
Only problem I had was the texture at the bottom of cake in some places it didn’t look cooked. It took about an extra 10mins to cook through. I checked it with a skewer all over.
I’ve not made a cake using yogurt before, so maybe it’s mean’t to be like that.
Hi Clare, it should bake through, maybe it was the type of yogurt. Glad you enjoyed it though.
This is an excellent cotton like cake, done it many times but I mix it differently. I beat the eggs and sugar for 7 min with electric mixer then put the mixer away and fold rest of ingredients gently with a wooden spoon
The cake is really good even if there’s something I did wrong..
I did the recipe two times and both times the cake deflated.. the taste is there but the look no so much..
The first time I used Greek yogourt so I thought it might be that. The second time I used “regular” yogourt I and bake it longer and it still did the same thing! I bake it in a 9” circle (the thing you use to make mousse because I didn’t have any springform at home).
If you have an idea of what I did wrong, let me know!
I did mine with vanilla yogourt and a little bit of lemon zest to air it well with the blueberries sauce! It doesn’t have the same texture as the picture, but it sure is delicious!! 🙂
Hi Laurence, your oven temperature could be off, or your baking powder is expired or most likely you beat it too much. Glad the taste was good at least. Happy New Year.
Hello,
Could I bake this cake with peach slices on the top? And then glaze before serving?
Or best to bake on its own and serve the peaches on the side?
Hi Odette, I don’t know if I would do that, the peaches might be too heavy for the cake or they may burn. I would serve them on the side maybe with some lightly sweetened whipped cream. Have a great Sunday.
Really excellent cake! Moist and delicious. I used mixed berries for the sauce, and that worked really well.
Hi Rose, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it.
I am so pleased to find this recipe. I, too, was given it in Italy but by a teenage lad who said it wa his donna’s legacy. I have also worried about how much baking powder wad in those convenient little bags. I don’t live in Italy now but when I visit I bring some back… risking the custom’s suspicion. Thank you. I’m making the cake today for my grand-daughter and using coconut yogurt. Ci vediamo!
Hi Kate, thanks so much, so glad you re found the recipe. Let me know how it went. Have a great week.
If we use muffin tins, how long should we bake?
Hi Jess, I would say 15-20 minutes, check for to see at 15 with a toothpick and go longer if necessary. Hope that helps.
I made plain yogurt in my instant pot. I had too much so I used your recipe and I can honestly say it’s delicious. No added flavor and also used less sugar as suggested by another reviewer. After it was cooled I sprinkled powdered sugar. I can see fruit topping would add some deliciousness but I didn’t have any. Thank you so much for the recipe 😁
Forgot to rate it as a 5 star
Hi Nancy, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
I made this yogurt cake with my young grandson this a.m. He loves helping his Grammy bake. I like to find quick and easy things to bake when he Is “helping” me.
I was shocked at how good the flavor of this cake is. And the texture is just lovely.
I made a sauce from frozen blueberries, cherries, strawberries & kale, lol! It was a fruit medley for smoothies… It almost tasted like a cheesecake with the fruit over it. I will keep this recipe and make it again for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Debby, thanks so much. Baking with kids is so fun and I love that your grandson loves to help, and I am glad you both enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Sunday.
MY family loved it & we had none left over. Yum!
Hi Jessica, thanks so much, so glad everyone loved it. 🙂
What size of eggs to use please? Medium or large (UK) ?
Sorry, also,
plain flour or self-raising?
Natural yoghurt or greek (as it’s thicker) ?
Want it to be perfect 🙂
Hi Lou, I use large eggs, all purpose flour (plain) and natural yogurt. Some have used greek and it works also. Thanks I adjusted the recipe. I hope you like it. Let me know.
This recipe looks amazing! Would this work the same in a bundt cake pan?
Hi Meagan, I have made it in a bundt cake pan. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Let me know how it goes.
So unbelievably delicious, light, and moist! I always have a slice with some berries on my plate. I toned down the sugar by a 1/3 (which I always do if I find a recipe), and while it seemed like a step too far on the day of baking, it was perfect on the second day! It keeps very nicely also, thank you!!
Hi Aisling, thanks so much, so glad you like the cake. It’s one of our favourites too. 🙂
This is the best cake ever!! I have made this so many times and have tried it with multiple flavours of Greek Yoghurt. Strawberry is by far my favorite. A slice of this, with a few fresh sliced strawberries on the side, and a cup of coffee and it is the perfect breakfast <3
Do you think this recipe would work in a loaf pan? Like maybe a typical 9×5 loaf?
Hi Sanne, thanks so glad you like it. My daughter’s favourite is with strawberry yogurt too. Have a great weekend.
Hi,
I tried out this recipe today but I’m looking for your help about the resultant cake. Mine was golden brown on top with a few cracks, n the crust was crispy. All good till here.. but the underneath was wet looking. N when i sliced it, it was like a dough that had cooked through, without a single air pocket.. it was dense beyond belief.. i baked with the same baking powder (and the same oven) 4 days ago so im sure it’s not the baking powder (or the oven) that’s the problem. I measured everything in cups rather than grams, presuming that since the cup option is given, it must be accurate.
Interestingly, I put a tablespoon of the batter in a small bowl n microwaved it to check sugar before etc, n it rose beautifully in under a minute.
Hi Mahima, well if you are sure your oven is at the correct temperature and your baking powder is good, then it could be that you are beating for too long and at too high a speed. Hope this helps.