This traditional French Yogurt Cake ("Gâteau au Yaourt" in French) is one of the quickest and easiest cake recipe, ever! The yogurt cake is incredibly flavourful with a rich and moist crumb. A perfect dessert for afternoon tea!
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Why we love this recipe
It does not get more traditional than this French "Gâteau au Yaourt", aka the ultimate "gâteau de grand-mère" (grandma's cake)! It is put together with a handful of ingredients and ready to be put in the oven within minutes.
It is a super classic cake in France that families often make during the weekend or when after a quick and easy little treat. The traditional French yogurt cake recipe does not even require proper measurements. Instead, it uses a yogurt pot or jar (yes, the ones you buy from the supermarket) as a base to measure all the ingredients!
For a cake made in one bowl with only a few ingredients and a whisk, you get the most delicious, flavourful, soft and moist dessert.
More yogurt cake recipes to try: Yogurt Plum Cake | Lemon Yogurt Cake.
Ingredients
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities
What is French Yogurt Cake made of:
- Yogurt: natural, plain yogurt - though greek yogurt will work fine here too. Only use full-fat yogurt for the best texture and flavours - not fat-reduced or light yogurt.
- Eggs: large eggs, at room temperature.
- Sugar: Caster Sugar or fine white granulated sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: optional, but a great way to boost the flavours of the cake.
- Lemon Zest: again, optional but highly recommended as it complement the flavours of the yogurt perfectly and adds a bit of a 'kick' to the cake.
- Oil: use a neutral flavoured oil such as canola oil (what I used here), sunflower oil, grapeseed oil or other vegetable oil. This cake is not traditionally made with butter.
- Dry ingredients: a mix of plain / AP Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. You can use self-rising flour instead (just add a bit of salt) if preferred.
Variation
Because it is such a simple cake, it is perfect to use as a base to create more complex desserts. Here are a few ideas on how you can customise the yogurt loaf:
- Replace the lemon zest with other citrus such as orange zest or lime zest.
- Add chocolate chips or top the cake with a chocolate ganache.
- Fold fresh berries into the cake batter before baking it. To avoid sinking, toss them in a bit of flour before folding them in.
- Flavour the cake with other extract such as almond extract, rosewater extract, orange blossom water,...
- Slice the cake in half horizontally and fill it with jam, Chantilly cream and fresh fruits, fruit compote,...
Traditional French Yogurt Cake Ratios
As explained above, the traditional recipe is not made with a scale or measuring cups. It simply uses a yogurt pot / jar / container as a base for all measurements, following this simple ratio:
- 1 pot yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 2 pots sugar
- 1/2 pot oil
- 3 Pots Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- optionally, some vanilla extract and/or lemon zest.
To make the recipe, you simply tip one pot of yogurt in your mixing bowl then wash it, dry it and use it as a container to measure the rest of the ingredients.
In France, pots of yogurt are usually equivalent to 120 ml or 1/2 cup - 4 oz. So even without an actually jar of French yogurt, you could simply use a 1/2 cup measuring cup and make this recipe!
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The only difference between the traditional ratios and the ones I used here is that I slightly decreased the amount of sugar from 2 yogurt pots to 1 1/2. You could even drop it to 1 pot for a less sweet dessert.
How to make French Yogurt Cake step-by-step
- Preheat your oven on 180℃ / 350 ℉. Lightly grease a 12 x 22 cm (5 x 9 inch) loaf pan and line the bottom with a piece of baking paper.
I usually just use some cooking spray to grease the pan but you could use melted butter or neutral oil with a paper towel if preferred.
- Photo 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and yogurt until smooth.
- Photo 2: Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.
- Photo 3: Sift in all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Mix until no lumps remain, but make sure to avoid over-mixing the batter.
- Photo 4: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Place on a wire rack and let the cake cool down completely before slicing or removing from the pan.
Recipe FAQs
For the best flavour and texture, use a full-fat plain yogurt (or natural yogurt). I've made this recipe with greek yogurt many times and it works just as well too! Simply make sure to use full-fat yogurt and not fat-reduced or light yogurt.
You could make this recipe dairy-free by using a dairy-free yogurt but note that an ingredient like coconut yogurt will change the flavour of the cake.
Yes, the AP flour, baking powder and baking soda can be substituted with self-rising flour. Simply use the same quantity of self-rising flour than AP flour.
I've made this cake in a 8-inch (20cm) round springform pan and it turns out just as great! I've found that in a round pan, the cake usually bakes a little bit more quickly than in a loaf pan so you might need to reduce the baking time a bit (5 to 10 minutes).
Serving Suggestion
- Glaze the cake with a simply glaze (confectioners sugar + milk) or lemon glaze (confectioners sugar + lemon juice) for extra sweetness or tanginess.
- Serve the cake with a dollop of Crème Fraiche, whipped cream, Chantilly cream, Crème Anglaise or even vanilla ice cream. Fresh berries are also always great with the cream!
- Top the yogurt loaf with your favourite frosting, whipped ganache, lemon curd or simply yogurt.
- Fruit coulis and compotes are a delicious way to finish this yogurt cake. I served this one with a homemade Peach Compote but you could also make a Mixed Berry Compote, Cherry Compote, Strawberry Coulis, Passion Fruit Coulis, Raspberry Compote, Stewed Rhubarb, ...
Storing & Freezing
This French yogurt cake can be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, either in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap or aluminium foil. You can store it in the fridge but it will dry out the crumb more quickly.
This cake also freezes quite well, either whole or pre-sliced. Simply leave at room temperature for a few hours (or in the fridge overnight) to thaw.
I am so excited to share that my debut cookbook
"Bite-Sized French Pastries for the Beginner Baker"
was released in December 2023!
Recipe
Easy French Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 120 gr Natural Plain Yogurt
- 3 large Eggs
- 150 gr Caster Sugar
- 60 ml Neutral Oil - such as canola oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract - optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest (from 1 large lemon) - optional
- 225 gr Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 pinch Fine Table Salt
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven on 180℃ / 350 ℉. Lightly grease a 12 x 22 cm (5 x 9 inch) loaf pan and line the bottom with a piece of baking paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and yogurt until smooth. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until no lumps remain, stopping as soon as combined to avoid over-mixing the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Place on a wire rack and let the cake cool down completely before slicing or removing from the pan.
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Notes
-
- 1 pot yogurt
-
- 3 eggs
-
- 1 1/2 to 2 pots sugar
-
- 1/2 pot oil
- optional: 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and/or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
- 3 Pots Flour
-
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + pinch salt
Nutrition
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