This lemon yogurt cake is my ideal dessert. It's a breeze to make, and it's moist, tender, and full of zesty flavor. A simple glaze takes it over the top.
Here’s a little something to brighten up your week: an easy, zesty lemon yogurt cake recipe!
This style of yogurt cake has its roots in France, and the beauty of it is its simplicity. The ingredient list is short and sweet, and you don’t need any special equipment to make it – a couple bowls, a loaf pan, a whisk. You’ll also need measuring cups to make this recipe, but – fun fact! – in France, home bakers might measure the cake ingredients in a yogurt container, making it even simpler still.
Because I love anything lemony (anyone surprised?), I spike my yogurt cake with lemon zest and top it with a quick lemon glaze. The result is a cake that’s moist, rich, and tender, with a subtle tang from the yogurt and a citrusy zing from the lemon. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be reaching for a second slice as soon as you’ve finished your first.
Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon yogurt cake recipe:
- Lemons, of course! You’ll whisk lemon zest into the cake batter and use lemon juice to make the glaze. I also like to sprinkle more zest on top!
- Greek yogurt – Stonyfield Greek Yogurt is my favorite brand to use in this cake. It has a looser consistency than some very thick Greek yogurts, but it’s creamier and tangier than regular plain yogurt.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
- Almond flour – It makes this yogurt cake extra-moist and tender.
- Baking powder and eggs – They help the cake puff up as it bakes.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – It add richness and gives the cake fruity depth of flavor.
- Cane sugar – It makes the cake lightly sweet.
- Vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
- My quick lemon glaze – Make it by stirring together powdered sugar and lemon juice. So easy!
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Lemon Yogurt Cake
This yogurt cake recipe is SO simple to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, make the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cane sugar and lemon zest.
Add the remaining wet ingredients, and whisk until combined.
In another large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Careful not to overmix!
Then, bake. Pour the batter into the a greased loaf pan, and transfer it to a 350° oven.
Bake until the cake is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
Finally, add the glaze. When the cake has cooled to room temperature, remove it from the pan, and mix up the quick lemon glaze.
Pour the glaze over the cake…
… and sprinkle it with lemon zest. Then, slice and serve!
Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe Tips
- Use whole milk Greek yogurt. Skip the low- or non-fat stuff for this recipe, please! The whole milk yogurt adds essential moisture and richness to the cake.
- Don’t overmix. We want this cake to be moist and tender, not dense. Overmixing the batter starts to develop the gluten in the flour, which results in denser, heavier baked goods. To achieve a perfect light texture, mix the batter until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.
- Allow the cake to cool completely. If you pour the glaze over the warm cake, it will melt! Plus, allowing the cake to cool completely improves its moist texture and lemony flavor.
- Do your future self a favor. This lemon yogurt cake keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It also freezes well! I like to freeze individual slices so that I can thaw one for a quick treat down the road. Do the same, and your future self will thank you!
More Favorite Easy Desserts
If you love this lemon yogurt cake, try one of these easy treats next:
- Best Carrot Cake
- Applesauce Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Best Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Homemade Brownies
- Or any of these 25 Super Fun Baking Recipes!
Lemon Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup almond flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus more for sprinkling
- ¾ cup whole milk Greek yogurt*
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lemon Glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and oil an 8x4-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the cane sugar and lemon zest. Then add the yogurt, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.
- Make the lemon glaze according to this recipe and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with lemon zest, slice, and serve.
hi jeanine! very excited to try this recipe out!!
could i substitute the all purpose flour here for whole wheat pastry flour?
Hi, we haven’t tried using whole wheat pastry flour here, but I think it would work fine. Hope you enjoy!
Sam
Stupidly delicious. Easy and fun to make. I added lemon juice and a touch of baking soda. Cake was on the dense side made some mistakes- adding sugar to dry. Sandwiched with orange marmalade, plum reduction with lemon , sugar and cinammon and redi whip. Ty . Delicious receipe
Very, very good! It looked beautiful too. I skipped the lemon glaze. Instead, we poured some limoncello on top of every slice.. Awesome! I didn’t have a full tablespoon of lemon zest which I’ll make sure I have it when making another one.
Now, I’d like to try one with orange. I suppose everything will be the same, except for the orange. What do you think ?
Thank you !
Hi Marcelle, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I think you could keep everything the same and just sub orange.
I made this lush lemon cake…easy and delicious! Can I make it in 2 smaller cake pans (for gift giving)?
Hi Maggie, I’m so glad you loved it! Yes, but they’ll bake for less time – I might start checking around the 30 minute mark.
Im having trouble with my cake rising. Im Careful in not over mixing, use all ingredients listed and my cake still doesn’t maintain the initial rise in baking but turns out half the height of your cake. I have tried several times in perfecting this cake. What should I do?
The flavor is excellent. Love the icing. I’m disappointed that the cake have a nice rise.
Hi Ann, it might be your baking powder, which can lose its potency over time. If you’ve had yours for a while, I’d try again with a fresh tin!
I am another lemon fan and this cake was so moist and lemony!! This will be going in my rotation for sure! Thank you for sharing your gifts and I love your recipes and make them all the time. Your cookbooks are wonderful too! Happy creating!
Hi Catherine, I’m so glad you love the recipes and that the cake was a hit!
I’ve baked this cake for two occasions now. Your recipe is a hit! Thanks so much for sharing it.☺️
Hi Sandi, I’m so glad you loved it!
Live your recipes. Looking forward to trying a few more.
With the lemon yogurt loaf would sour cream work. You mention the greek yogurt you used was a thiner consistency which makes me think sour cream should not be a problem
Hi, we haven’t tested this, so I’m not 100% sure, but I think sour cream would work fine here.
Any ideas to make this recipe gluten-free
Hi Melanie, we haven’t tried this, but replacing the all-purpose flour with a 1-for-1 gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill, might work here. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
This was such a hit! I subbed the cup of flour for gluten free 1:1 flour and it came out perfectly!
Could I use avocado oil instead of olive oil?
Yep!
Hello! We are excited to try this but would appreciate a nut-free option. (son has nut allergy) Is it the alternative an additional 1/2 cup all-purpose? Thank you!
Hi, we haven’t tried this recipe without the almond flour, so I’m not sure how it would work. 1/2 cup AP flour might work instead. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
This lemon yogurt cake is SO DELICIOUS! It is moist, lemony and full of flavor. I love the texture the almond flour brings and the whole milk yogurt adds extra deliciousness. This is a go-to recipe in our house! Yum!
Moist and lemony with the ample lemon zest in the batter, boosted further by the fresh lemon juice in the glaze. The yogurt and the olive oil kept it from being a heavy cake, and the almond flour provides a nicely noticed texture.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
it says to make the glaze according to this recipe yet i don’t see it. i can’t wait to make this, thanks from a fellow lemon lover!
Good catch! Here’s the glaze recipe: https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-glaze/
Have you ever tried this with limes instead of lemons?
Thanks and I look forward to making this!
Hi Andrea, I haven’t but that sounds like a delicious variation!
Hi Jeanine, I can’t wait to make this cake as I am a lemon tragic. I’m in Australia and our measuring cups and spoons are different from yours. Have you thought of having your measurements in grams as well as cups?
Jasmine
Hi Jeanine,
Have you tried adding blueberries to this recipe? I have successfully made this twice now, but being summer I’m thinking of adding some fresh berries but wasn’t sure if it would comprise the bake?
Lainey
Delicious! Like Starbucks’ lemon loaf, but better. Will make it again!
My cake did not rise like it is shown in the picture. However it was a great cake I made it for Fourth of July and everyone loved it but I did put in about a tablespoon of lemon juice In the batter and definitely used a lot of Zest to make it more lemony
Hi Linda, did you change anything else in the ingredients? The flour, the egg, the yogurt?