French Yogurt Cake – Light and airy, moist and just slightly tangy, this humble yet homey sweet treat is sure to become a household favorite. Topped off with a delightful citrus-glazed crust, this is the perfect cake recipe that never fails.
I remember the first time I made a French Yogurt Cake. I was 12, and my neighbor Mrs. Midi taught my friends and me how to make it. Then she said it was the first dessert children learn to make in her home country of France. So I served it to my aunt at teatime, and it created quite the impression!
Since then, I have served this cake countless times. It makes the ideal dessert, breakfast, or afternoon tea or coffee break. It always comes out perfectly, and my guests invariably ask for seconds! You’ll never reach for the cake mix box again once you try this recipe.
How Did French Yogurt Cake Start?
As the story goes, French grandmothers have made this cake and taught their granddaughters to do the same since before anyone can remember. I love part of the story of how these French grandmothers measure the ingredients – with yogurt jars!
French merchants traditionally sold yogurt in small, round glass jars. Granny started the recipe with one jar of yogurt. Then she measured the rest of the ingredients in that same jar: two jars of sugar, three jars of flour, one jar of oil, etc. But don’t worry; you don’t need the perfect yogurt jar to make this cake. I’ve translated the recipe into more classic cooking measurements.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. But you can replace it with an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix for a gluten-free version.
- Sugar – I usually make this recipe with one cup of sugar. But feel free to cut the sugar down to ¾ of a cup if you want less sweetness. White and brown sugar work equally well.
- Grated Zest and Citrus Juice – The zest imparts a fresh, vibrant flavor to the cake. I recommend zesting the fruit before squeezing for the juice.
- Yogurt – I often use Greek yogurt in baking. It makes baked goods extra moist and adds nutrition since it’s protein-rich. However, you can use any regular yogurt or sour cream.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is the traditional flavoring used in the French Yogurt Cake, and homemade vanilla extract is even better.
- Oil or Melted Butter – Any neutral-flavored oil works well in this recipe. I have made it with sunflower, grapeseed, canola, and avocado oil.
How to Make French Yogurt Cake
Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients
- Prepare the Cake Pan – Heat the oven to 350°F/177℃. Grease a 9-inch springform pan or a loaf pan lightly with baking spray or oil.
- Dry Ingredients – Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, tangerine zest, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside. (Photos 1-2)
- Wet Ingredients – Whisk the eggs, vanilla, and yogurt in another medium bowl. (Photo 3)
- Mix the Wet and Dry Ingredients – Gradually incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. (Photo 4)
- Add the Butter (or oil) – Then, fold in the melted butter until it is thoroughly mixed – it will take a minute or so. (Photos 5-6)
Bake the Cake
- Bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of cake. About 50-55 mins.
- Glaze – Whisk together the powdered sugar and tangerine juice in a medium bowl for the glaze. Adjust the thickness by adding more juice if it is too thick and adding more sugar if it is too runny.
- Cool and Glaze – Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.
Recipe Variations
- You can remove the eggs from the recipe and replace them with ½ cup of yogurt. Or replace them with flaxseed eggs for a vegan variation.
- Almond, orange, or lemon extract adds an extra flavor punch.
- Feel free to add your own twist to the recipe. Chocolate chips in the batter or chocolate frosting instead of the citrus glaze are awesome. I like to pile on whipped cream and fresh berries if I’m serving it to guests.
Tips and Tricks
- This recipe calls for lemon zest and lemon juice. Always zest your fruit before squeezing for the juice.
- I recommend mixing the ingredients for this cake by hand instead of with an electric mixer. Mixing by hand keeps the cake from becoming tough and chewy.
- Don’t over-mix the cake batter! I usually whisk for 5-10 seconds at every step until just combined. Never stir the batter more than necessary.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You likely have all the ingredients to whip up this cake right now. That’s what makes this recipe so fantastic; it uses ingredients you most likely have in your pantry.
You can make this French yogurt cake a day or two before a party for stress-free prep. You can even glaze it ahead and keep it in an airtight cake container. I don’t like a bunch of gadgets, but I love my covered cake plate for just such occasions.
Serving and Storage Instructions
The cake will store well for a few days and tastes even better on the second day (if you can wait that long!). You can put it in a cake container or cover it with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature or in the fridge. This last option is the best way to keep it fresh and moist for longer.
To prevent the cake from drying out, slice it when serving it, not in advance. The cake retains more moisture when it remains whole. Believe me; your guests will thank you!
FAQs
Of course, you can. First, wrap it airtight and freeze it for up to two months. If you can wait to glaze it, that’s best. But if it’s already glazed, thaw it overnight in the fridge without removing it from the airtight container. That keeps moisture from condensing and ruining your glaze.
Yogurt adds moisture and fat for a melt-in-your-mouth cake. A yogurt cake is rarely dry; instead, it’s soft, moist, and absolutely delicious.
You can opt for an equal amount of soy or coconut milk yogurt, and I doubt anyone will notice the difference. You can also replace the butter with ghee or vegetable oil.
What to Serve with French Yogurt Cake
If you’re serving this cake at teatime, why not pair it with an elegant beverage? For a refreshing treat on a hot day, I recommend a thirst-quenching Southern Sweet Tea or a citrusy Passion Fruit Juice. But if you’re looking for something warmer, try it with some hot Peach Tea (yes, you can serve it hot or cold)!
And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, homemade whipped cream can be made with just a handful of ingredients and tastes much better than store-bought!
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for more teatime desserts? May I suggest…
Conclusion
This is, without doubt, the perfect “anytime, anywhere” cake. It can be made quickly and adapts well to any situation, be it teatime, dessert, or breakfast on the run. How do you plan on serving your French Yogurt Cake? Leave us a comment below with your twist on this classic recipe!
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in December 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
French Yogurt Cake (Gâteau au Yaourt)
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- 4-5 ounces (140-150g) yogurt, I used vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 2-3 teaspoons grated tangerine zest (orange or lemon also work)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- ½ cup (112g) oil (or melted butter)
Citrus Glaze (Optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed tangerine juice (lemon or orange also work)
Instructions
French Yogurt Cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F/177℃. Grease a 9-inch springform pan or a loaf pan lightly with baking spray or oil.
- Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, tangerine zest, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, vanilla, and yogurt in another medium bowl.
- Gradually incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.
- Then, fold in the oil until it is thoroughly mixed – it will take a minute or so.
- Bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out free of cake. About 50-55 mins.
The Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and tangerine juice in a medium bowl for the glaze. Adjust the thickness by adding more juice if it is too thick and adding more sugar if it is too runny.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake.
Tips & Notes:
- This recipe calls for lemon zest and lemon juice. Always zest your fruit before squeezing for the juice.
- I recommend mixing the ingredients for this cake by hand instead of with an electric mixer. Mixing by hand keeps the cake from becoming tough and chewy.
- Don’t over-mix the cake batter! I usually whisk for 5-10 seconds at every step until just combined. Never stir the batter more than necessary.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Nikita Taylor says
I usually make this with leftover apricot yoghurt and oranges. It’s always great. Today I’ve got the same apricot yoghurt but have a lot of lemons to use up. It’s in the oven now and smells great as usual. Don’t be scared to use flavoured yoghurt!
Jin says
Hi Imma. I made a yogurt orange cake inspired by this cake some time ago and it came out beautifully! Thank you for sharing this recipe. (I also posted my version that contains a link to this page). Stay safe and healthy.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Jin. Thanks for sharing! Stay safe too!
Paula says
Can you use plain Greek yogurt ?
Immaculate Bites says
Yes you can, Paula 🙂
Wendy says
Hi Imma! Thank you so much for your recipe! Someone gave me 2 huge containers of nonfat plain yogurt and I was wondering what to do with them. I have now made 4 of these loaves and am barely through one container. I have been giving them to friends and neighbors and they are a huge hit!
ImmaculateBites says
Lucky friends and neighbors!! I am so glad it was a hit. Since you still have some leftover yogurt, you could try out these other recipes;
Almond yogurt cake https://www.africanbites.com/lemon-almond-yogurt-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-570718
Shaved Brussel sprouts https://www.africanbites.com/shaved-brussel-sprouts-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-597281
Chef Salad https://www.africanbites.com/chef-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-597682
Grape Salad https://www.africanbites.com/grape-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-590106
Cinnamon Apple cake https://www.africanbites.com/cinnamon-apple-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-593610
Homemade ranch dressing https://www.africanbites.com/homemade-ranch-dressing/#wprm-recipe-container-590244
Fruit dip https://www.africanbites.com/fruit-dip/#wprm-recipe-container-588654
Homemade buttermilk for your pancakes or waffles https://www.africanbites.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/#wprm-recipe-container-597083
Stanley Weinberg says
I waited one hour after baking. So delicious with blueberry preserves slathered on top.
A.W says
Can I use self rising flour
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can!
Jojoyuen says
I am confuse can I use all yougurt instead of flour and what kind of yougurt to buy such as flavor and instead on sugar what yougurt to put in ?
ImmaculateBites says
I have updated recipe to make it clearer. Plain or vanilla yogurt works just fine.
Kai says
Hi, I just made this cake but it turned out very dense no where near fluffy. Its such a simple recipe and I don’t understand what went wrong…please help! I followed all measurement and steps EXCEPT I used wholemeal plain flour and raw sugar instead. Every steps are looked exactly same as your pics and looks great from outside just very dense inside but flavour is good. So disappointed myself and I would love to try again so please help me solve the problem. Thank you.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi kai,
Using wholemeal flour would definitely alter the texture of this cake. For best results, use all purpose flour and granulated sugar for a less dense cake.
Susan says
Got it!! Thanks a lot Imma:)
Sue says
Hi Imma,
I just happened by this,so excited.
Could you help out with measurement for a 10inch size of this cake?please see?and is there any particular brand of yoghurt you think I could use?and it’s not Greek yoghurt right?
Thanks so much.You’re the bestest.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Sue,
A 10 inch size pan 1 and a 1/2 times of this recipe . And no particular brand of yogurt used here any variety works just fine. I have tried several ones .
Hope this helps
Chef Nnedi says
I just love watching everything you make. Keep up the good work. Thank you for sharing..
Carol says
Hi I am confused on how much yogurt to use
imma africanbites says
Hi. It’s 1 cup or 4 ounce whole-milk yogurt (6-ounce yogurt works fine, too). I used the vanilla one. That yogurt cup in the list means you may use the same yogurt cup to measure the rest of the ingredients (like flour, sugar, oil) instead of using regular measuring cups. Hope this helps.
PAMELA OJUKWU says
Just trying to make it now hope it gives me the size I can cover for a friend’s emergency birthday cake
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Nikita Taylor says
Hi, I love this cake and have already made 3 this week! But I have a friend who is on a gluten free diet. Will this work with gluten free flour, are there any other adjustments that I should make? Thanks!
imma africanbites says
Hi, Nikita. I can’t give you an answer to that since I haven’t tried making this one gluten-free.
Kristin says
I tried so many recipes of you now. Love this Blog… The cake turned out great. Since i had no Tangernine at home and i love Coconut, i added some grated one… Have a nice weekend.
Greetings from Germany
Sonja says
Hi
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but have one just like it and it’s amazing with lime zest as well.
I must say that your Nutritional info is way off though…there’s no way that there can only be 3 grams of carbs per serve with all that flour and sugar….I’m thinking maybe 30gms??
Evie says
Hi!
I’ve read and re-read and can’t find the syrup ingredients, which I’m supposed to pour whilst the cake is hot. Then when it’s cool, drizzle the glaze. Am I correct? Thank you. I’m waiting to make this recipe, it sounds delicious : ) thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry about that. No syrup needed . Retested recipe and is just fine without it. Updated. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.