French Yogurt Cake, or Gateau au Yaourt, the easiest cake you can bake without kitchen scales, fancy equipment or complicated techniques. The recipe follows the simple 1-2-3 method which means you use an empty pot of yogurt to measure your ingredients, and the result is a spectacularly moist and soft cake, with a lovely lemon and vanilla flavour. Simple, failproof and absolutely delicious!
This cake really is one of the easiest cakes you can bake even if you are a complete beginner in the kitchen. It's one of these desserts that you can bake together with your kids, or perhaps when you are not prepared for a lengthy baking session, but you still want to enjoy a lovely home baked cake.
What I love the most about this French cake is how uncomplicated it is, no need for an electric mixer, kitchen air, just a good old whisk, and a pot of yogurt. You even don't need to worry about the imperial or metric system, converting from grams to cups or ounces.
As long as you use the same pot to measure your ingredients, you are good to go. And if you use smaller pot of yogurt than the one I used, that's still ok. You will just have a slighted smaller cake, but it will still be as delicious and perfectly baked.
Once you remember the 1-2-3, that's your basic recipe you can use every single time. So 1 pot of yogurt, 1 pot of oil, 2 pots of sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 3 pots of flour and 3 eggs. To that I added lemon zest and vanilla extract for flavour.
But from here, you can tweak the recipe to your own liking, you can add any other flavourings you like, orange, rum, almond, and so on. You can bake it in a loaf tin, like I did, or a round cake tin, you can have it bigger or smaller, it's all up to you!
It's a lovely sponge cake that has a similar texture to my Irish Tea Cake or Lemon Drizzle Cake, except that these use butter instead of oil, and require kitchen equipment.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- yogurt - use a plain yogurt rather than Greek yogurt, as the plain one has a higher moisture content and will give you a softer crumb
- flour + baking powder- I used plain, everyday flour to which I added baking powder, it works even better than self-raising flour, as this can very between countries and brands
- oil - use odourless oil for this cake, I used sunflower oil, but vegetable oil also works fine
- sugar - as long as you use the same pot of yogurt to measure the sugar, it does not matter the type, I had granulated sugar, but caster, light or dark brown sugar are also ok, you will just get different amounts of sweetness and colour
- eggs - I used large eggs for this recipe, small eggs will not give you the necessary amount of liquid to the dry ingredient ratio
- lemon zest and vanilla extract - a lovely combo that adds lots of flavour
Step-by-Step photos and instructions
- add the yogurt and eggs to a large mixing bow, and use a whisk to mix them well
- add the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix again
- pour in the oil, beat well, then sift in the flour and baking powder
- use a silicone spatula to combine all the ingredients without overmixing
- grease and flour a 2lb loaf tin and add the batter to it
- bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
- allow the cake to cool down completely before slicing
Expert tips
I tested the recipe with the traditional 2 pots of sugar and found the sweetness just right, especially with the lemon zest and vanilla extract. However, if you feel that less sugar could go in, you can test it with 1 ½ pots of sugar instead.
You have to bear in mind though that sugar isn't just used for sweetness, it also gives the right texture and structure to the cake, so less sugar might compromise its texture.
Baking time can vary greatly depending on the oven, and the size of the yogurt pot used. The best way to know if the cake it done is to check if it's golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes our clean with just a few wet crumbs.
Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days, the cake stays moist and lovely, and does not dry out at all. You can also wrap it and freeze up to 3 months.
How to serve the cake
I absolutely loved the cake as it was, and served it with a nice cup of tea, but you can also turn it into a sandwich cake, and serve it with cream/buttercream and jam, or spread some nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread over.
The cake would also be lovely with fresh or whipped cream and berries or with a nice glaze on, be it a simple vanilla or lemon glaze.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, just use the same container throughout the measure the rest of the ingredients. A smaller pot with yield less batter, so you will get a smaller cake that will take less time to bake, so keep an eye of the time.
If the yogurt feels dry and dense, it's because too much flour was added. Don't pack the flour into the pot, just fill the pot loosely and level it off. The recipe relies on volume rather than weight.
Other sponge cakes you might like
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French Yogurt Cake (Gateau au Yaourt)
Ingredients
- 1 pot plain yogurt (150 g, 5 oz)
- 1 pot sunflower oil (use the same yogurt pot to measure)
- 2 pots granulates sugar (use the same yogurt pot to measure)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 pots plain flour (lighted packed, levelled, use the same yogurt pot to measure)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest from one lemon
- a pinch of salt
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- Add the yogurt to a large mixing bowl, crack in the eggs, and use a whisk to beat them together.
- Wash and dry the yogurt pot and use it to measure the oil, and add it to the bowl.
- Whisk again, then add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and sugar, and whisk to combine.
- Sift in the 3 pots of flour and baking powder, and use a silicone spatula to bring all the ingredients together.
- Oil and flour a 2lb loaf tin, and transfer the batter over.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool down completely.
- Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake to remove it from the tin.
Video
Notes
- I tested the recipe with the traditional 2 pots of sugar and found the sweetness just right, especially with the lemon zest and vanilla extract. However, if you feel that less sugar could go in, you can test it with 1 ½ pots of sugar instead.
- You have to bear in mind though that sugar isn't just used for sweetness, it also gives the right texture and structure to the cake, so less sugar might compromise its texture.
- Baking time can vary greatly depending on the oven, and the size of the yogurt pot used. The best way to know if the cake it done is to check if it's golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes our clean with just a few wet crumbs.
- Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days, the cake stays moist and lovely, and does not dry out at all. You can also wrap it and freeze up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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