Lemon Yogurt Cake

I'm so excited to share this Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe with you this week! I don't do a lot of baking but this recipe turned out so good, it seems to have ignited a little spark inside me. The flavors of this cake are pure and simple with clean notes of lemon, vanilla and almond shining through. The addition of Greek yogurt gives the cake an airy and light texture. Just a little powdered sugar is all you need on top. I think it's the perfect springtime treat to enjoy with tea or coffee, at breakfast, as a snack or for dessert.

The Inspiration

Tulips, forsythia bushes and daffodils are popping up all over my neighborhood. So, yellow hues and bright spring flavors like citrus and lemon have been on my mind. Because of that, citrus olive-oil cakes are always my favorite to bake this time of year.   The idea of adding yogurt into the cake popped into my head as I was searching through recipes. I thought it would be an interesting way to keep the cake moist without using too much oil or butter. Turns out, the yogurt worked beautifully. I couldn't have been more happy with the results. Also, replacing about half of the all-purpose flour for a healthier almond flour gave the cake great texture and mild nutty finish.

Ingredients You'll Need For Lemon Yogurt Cake

• Regular All-Purpose Flour + Blanched Almond Flour- I loved using a combination of the two because it gave the cake great texture and a mild nutty almond flavor that went really well with the lemon.
• Non -Fat Plain Greek Yogurt- It kept the cake moist while allowing it to have good body and texture.
• Lemon Juice & Zest- The lemon really shines through in this cake and is the star ingredient in my opinion.
• Baking Powder & Soda- For leavening and to give the cake just the right amount of rise.
• Vanilla- I can't bake without it. It's my favorite scent/flavor of all the spices!
• Salt- enhances the almond and lemon flavors in the cake and help to balance out the sweetness.
• Cane Sugar + Powdered Sugar- I used one cup of regular cane sugar for this recipe which gave the cake the perfect amount of sweetness. Only a dusting of powdered sugar was needed for the top but you can omit this if you want.
• Eggs- helped to bind the cake. I found many recipes for this type of cake use egg whites to help create lift, but since I added yogurt, I didn't need the extra whites.
• Butter- Half a stick of butter was all that was needed for this recipe.

(side note* I plan to test this recipe in the near future using non-dairy yogurt and butter and I will let you know the results in the notes section when I do).

If you give this recipe a try I'd love to hear from you! Remember to leave a "star" rating and comment below! Thank you!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Donna Castellano, MS, RDN

5 from 1 vote

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Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Baking/Dessert

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ¼ cups regular all-purpose flour sifted + more for pan
• 1 cup blanched almond flour sifted *see notes below
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature, plus more for pan

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325° F.
• Butter a 9 inch cake pan. Cut and fit parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and then butter. Dust with all purpose flour and tap out any excess.
• In a small bowl combine yogurt, vanilla, zest and juice.
• In a seaparate larger bowl whisk to combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Then, begin to add eggs in one at a time, mixing well in between each one. Next, beat in the yogurt mixture. Reduce speed to low, then carefully beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Transfer to cake pan and level out the mixture.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to to rack to cool completely.
• Once the cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

*Notes about almond flour:

It's important to use blanched almond flour for this recipe. It is lighter and fluffier and better suited for cake recipes such as this one.

Sifting almond flour takes a little bit more time since it is not as fine. I give it a little help by pressing it with my fingers or a spoon. You can break up any lumps this way to help it through.

*Make this cake gluten-free by substituting gluten-free all purpose flour for the regular flour.

This recipe was slightly adapted from Martha Stewarts Lemon Cake recipe.

I prefer to focus on quality ingredients from a variety of sources that work in tandem to promote optimal health. Nutrition calculations may not reflect these valuable interactions. However, I understand certain values can be helpful to some. Please note these calculations are merely estimates. Values will vary depending on modifications, brands used, and portion size. Should you require specific information, it's best to consult with a dietitian or qualified healthcare provider.

Keyword cake, dessert, lemon, spring, yogurt

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