Who doesn’t love a simple and delicious yogurt cake that’s so easy to prepare and involves hardly any cleaning up?
All you have to do is mix a few cheap ingredients, all in one bowl, and bake.
The result? A moist and mouth-watering cake loaded with yogurt and with hints of lemon and fruit jam.
This cake is a must, not only is it good, low sugar and packed with nutrients, but it’s also inexpensive and super easy to make.
Friends, this is a foolproof recipe to keep in your back pocket and perfect for any occasion. I baked it thousands of times and it always turns out lovely.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED?
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour or spelt flour
- Baking powder
- Unrefined cane or regular sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
- Vanilla essence
- Apricot or orange jam (optional)
HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY YOGURT CAKE:
(Full recipe at the bottom of the page)
- Mix eggs and sugar in one bowl
- Stir in vegetable oil, yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla essence
- Whisk flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and add to the bowl
- Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients until just combined
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes.
- Brush with warm apricot or orange jam
- Enjoy!
WHY CLEVER?
It’s one of the simplest healthy cake you can bake for the whole family, in no time and inexpensive: less than $ 4 (8 servings)!
Added bonus?
It’s low sugar. I usually choose unrefined cane sugar, less processed than white sugar, but you can use any sugar you have on hand. However, the healthiest tip is reducing the amount of added sugar, whatever it is.
When it comes to cakes, expeller-pressed canola oil (or cold-pressed olive oil) is my choice. This oil is naturally produced by mechanically squeezing (pressing) the canola seeds and it doesn’t go through an insane amount of processing with chemical solvents.
RECIPE TIPS & FREQUENT ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT KIND OF YOGURT CAN I USE?
Plain, low-fat, or flavored yogurt with a “pourable” consistency works well in this recipe. However, I find the real Greek yogurt is too thick and gives a denser texture.
CAN I USE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR INSTEAD OR REGULAR FLOUR?
Yes, I tested the recipe using only rice flour and it turned out well. See notes on the recipe card.
Eggs: possibly use eggs at room temperature and make sure the yogurt is not too cold. The ingredients should be more or less at the same temperature, this is a way to avoid a curdling batter. But if that happens, don’t worry too much and bake it anyway.
Do not overmix the batter because working flour too much can produce gluten, which creates a dense and rubbery cake.
Flavor: I love the refreshing and zesty lemons, they are always in my fridge alongside my yogurt, hence if I run out of creativity or ingredients, a lemon yogurt cake is what I happily end up with. But this yogurt cake is actually a blank canvas for many other delicious ingredients. You can add to this recipe dark chocolate chips, spices, orange zest or whatever you like most.
Glaze: it’s totally optional, but it’s so simple to make and I love it.
I put some apricot or orange jam into a small saucepan. I heat gently over low heat until the jam has melted, and if it looks too thick I adjust the consistency with a tiny bit of warm water. When the glaze is the consistency of runny honey, I brush the yogurt cake straight away. Easy peasy.
Leftovers: it keeps well for up 3-4 days at room temperature, in an airtight container. But do not refrigerate: refrigeration dries this cake out! It’s also freezable: wrap the cake, or slices of cake, in plastic wrap (clingfilm), store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
MORE EASY HEALTHY CAKES?
If you make this delicious and easy yogurt cake, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
HEALTHY YOGURT CAKE
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250gr) plain yogurt
- 2 cups (250gr) all-purpose flour or light spelt flour (I mixed both)
- 1/2 cup (100gr) white or unrefined cane sugar
- 1/2 scant cup (approx 80gr) vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla essence
- 1 Lemon, zest
- 1 pinch salt
JAM GLAZE
- 3 Tbsp apricot or orange jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F°/180C° and place the rack in the middle position.
- Grease a 9x5x2.5 inch loaf pan with butter, cooking spray, or simply line the pan with parchment paper (in this case there's no need to grease the pan).
- Mix eggs and sugar, then add oil, lemon zest, vanilla essence and mix again. Add yogurt (not very cold) and mix it into a smooth consistency. All in one bowl.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together and add to the wet batter until just combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- You can serve it plain or brushed with some quick and easy jam glaze which adds a lovely shine and flavor.I glazed this cake brushing some warm orange jam on top (see notes)*.
Notes
- Flour: you can use white whole wheat, spelt, rice flour or all-purpose flour. Personally, I prefer mixing light spelt flour and all-purpose flour.
- Gluten-free flour: I tested the recipe using rice flour and it turned out well. I stirred the four into the batter and mixed well until smooth, then I baked it 5 minutes longer. It had a good rise and lovely flavor. However, it might be a bit less moist than its regular version, but perfectly enjoyable and not dry.
- Fruit glaze: put 3 tablespoons of apricot or orange jam into a small saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until the jam has melted and If it looks too thick adjust the consistency with a tiny bit of warm water. When the glaze is the consistency of runny honey, brush the yogurt cake straight away.
- Baking the cake in a round pan rather than a loaf pan reduces the baking time (approx 30-35 minutes).
- Keeps well for 4 days at room temperature, in an airtight container.
- Do not refrigerate (refrigeration dries this cake out!)
- Freezable.
I love simple recipes, make life easier, and this cake is easy and good (kids love it)..
Hi Laura, I’m very happy you guys love this easy and simple cake, this is a hit for us… simple things are best! x
Just made this for my husband who loves cake but has cut sugar from his diet. I added the juice from half the lemon for added tang. Lovely loaf/cake with good flavour and texture. Next time I will add blueberries. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Thanks so much for your feedback Beverly, I’m glad you guys loved it! 🙂
I was looking for a low fat cake recipe, and I found yours. I actually made some twists: left out the oil totally, instead I added a little more yoghurt (350 g), and since I have to keep a gluten free diet, I made it with gluten free flour (a combination of white and brown rice, corn flour and some corn starch). I used glucose (grape sugar) and I still got a very good texture and delicious cake. Thank you for the recipe! I will definitely make it again 🙂
Thank you Alexa, your feedback is very helpful! I’ve never used gluten free flour in this recipe, but since you say it turned out delicious, I’m going to test a gluten free version myself :). I would be happy to offer new recipe notes and gluten free options x
This was an amazing cake! Nobody realized it was so much more healthful than a regular one, and when I told them that they didn’t have to run 5 miles to burn it off there were lots of cheers and demands for the recipe. I used rice flour to make it gluten free and it came out delicious!
All in all, great cake and great recipe! Fully deserving 5 stars!
I love this recipe too and I love even more your feedback, Eliana! You’ve made my day ?
in your video it says two cups of yogurt but the description says one- which one is correct:-)?
Thanks so much for your comment, Ewa! Gosh, I’ve realized only now that there’s a typo in my video: it’s 1 cup of yogurt as stated in the recipe card.
I’m making the correction straight away x
Can you use plain Greek yogurt in place of the plain yogurt? Thanks!
Yes, you can, Rana ?? x
Hi there! I made this yogurt cake as our breakfast and it was delicious!
I wanna make it again, however. I ran out of regular flour. Can u use almond flour or cake flour?
Thanks so much, Siena, I’m so glad you liked it! I think cake flour will work just fine in this recipe since it’s very similar to all-purpose flour. However, I wouldn’t use almond flour. x
If I wanted to make this a chocolate cake, what alterations would you recommend?
Hi Madison, I’ve never made a chocolate version of this yogurt cake, but considering the amount of flour I would add 2-3 Tbsps of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients (mix well), maybe 1/3 or 1/2 cup chocolate chips (stir into the batter at the end), and what about some melted chocolate like in this cake? https://theclevermeal.com/beetroot-and-chocolate-cake/
You know what? I’m gonna try it myself next week, as soon as I manage to get some yogurt 🙂
I made my first scratch cake using this recipe and it was great success. My hubby and kids loved it. I saw that you added apples on top of this cake in another recipe. Could I add diced pears into the batter instead of apples on top? Do I need to adjust the liquid in the batter? With the added pears, should I use a 9″×5″ loaf pan with extra baking time? Thanks
I’m so glad you all enjoyed this cake, it’s a real hit in our family! 🙂 Diced pears sound nice to me, as long as they’re not too juicy otherwise they will release extra moisture to the batter. I would advise baking it in a round pan if you can. A round pan (like the one I used for the apple cake) gives you more control of the baking time (30 mins should be enough) and you can check easily if the cake is done. Hope this helps xx
Can I add a whole lemon juice? I want a more lemony flavour, a lemon yogurt cake! Can i also cut down on the sugar by half?
If you love the lemon flavor as I do, I would add more lemon zest rather than juice. The aroma from the lemon zest is more intense, it gives you a lemon yogurt cake and it doesn’t add water to the batter. Plus, you can reduce the sugar, sometimes I use only 80 grams (however, I’ve never tried with only 50 grams) x
Is it possible to replace the oil with more yogurt
Can i also use honey instead of sugar
thanks
Hi Christine, I wouldn’t add more yogurt to the batter, but you can slightly reduce the amount of oil if you want to cut down on fat. I’ve never used honey in this recipe, sorry if I can’t be more helpful x
I’m looking forward to trying your recipe, looks really good. Just wondering if I can use vanilla yogurt instead of plain yogurt, I have lots of vanilla yogurt in the fridge, but no plain yogurt.
Yes, you can use it, Sally 🙂 Let me know how it turns out x
This cake is really delicious, it tastes like a really good yogourt cake. Personally, I use 2 tablespoons of honey instead of using sugar. Be careful if you are French because you have to convert the temperature to degrees Celsius. Thank you so much for this recipe ! I keep it in my notebook ? (Please continue to express quantities in grams)
Merci beaucoup pour ton comment, Elise! I’m so glad you liked it, and I’ll keep writing my recipes including the metric system 🙂
Hi Katia, thank you for this recipe- I baked this recently and it was the best tasting cake I’ve made! It was also not too sweet which I liked. However, I used Greek yoghurt and my batter was so thick that I couldn’t smooth it in the loaf tin, so it was uneven looking in the end. I want to remake the cake this week, but again with Greek yoghurt because it tastes delicious- do you suggest I reduce the amount of greek yoghurt and add some milk to make my batter runnier? If so, how much milk and yoghurt do you suggest I use?
Hi Noor, I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, thanks so much for your rating! You’re right, the batter is not supposed to be that thick. I would thin the Greek yogurt with some milk rather than adding milk to the batter. I’m not sure about the ratio, but I think it’s fine if you start mixing a small amount of yogurt and milk until you reach the consistency of the yogurt I use in the video (as an example). Add both ingredients a little at a time until you make 1 cup 🙂 I hope this helps x
Thank you so much for your help – I will definitely be trying this! Xxx
Hi there,
I triple the recipe and used orange rind instead of lemon rind and replace 1/3 of the oil with applesauce..
By the end of the cooking time, cake was still too light and undercooked. I cooked it for an additional 15 minutes. Not sure if it mattered that I used a glass baking mold. It was amazing! Thank you
When you double or triple the cake’s size the cake will take longer to bake, that’s normal, but I’m so glad it turned out amazing and you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment, Adriana! x
I’m excited to try this recipe but was wondering if there is anything I could replace the oil with?
Hi! Since many people asked me your same question, today I decided to bake this cake skipping the oil (glad I had all the ingredients for the test!).
Basically, I replaced the vegetable oil with 2/3 cup (about 160 grams) of sweetened applesauce.
I reduced the amount of sugar by 50% since the applesauce was pretty sweet.
I baked it for about 45 minutes (loaf pan), but if you use a larger round pan I’m sure it will take less.
My verdict? It’s a bit different than its counterpart, but it turned out pretty good. The texture is slightly dense with some bits of apples, but very nice.
I don’t know yet if it keeps moist after 3 days, it’s nearly gone :), but I’m going to do other tests to be more precise and to update the recipe with new notes.
Let me know if you try it! Hope this helps x
(I’ll add the nutritional values soon!)
Would love to try this. Can you use zero fat yoghurt?
I’ve never used zero fat yogurt in the recipe, but I think it should be fine x
I’ll let you know if it works ?
Brilliant! Thank you 🙂
Brilliant worked really well with the 0 fat yoghurt. Light and moist with a lovely lemony tang.
Followed the recipe pretty much as stated, although I used rapeseed oil as canola oil is not easy to get in the uk. Definitely a keeper!
I’m so pleased it worked well, Rebecca! Many thanks for your lovely feedback 🙂
Sorry for repeating myself – it looked as if my comment hadn’t been received. I’ll be trying out some of your other recipes.
No problem at all 🙂
Hi Katia,
The zero fat yoghurt worked really well, made the cake pretty much as in your recipe except I subbed rapeseed oil for the canola. Thank you for such an easy cake with such a lovely fresh flavour. I will definitely be making it again.
I recently discovered your recipe, and I love it, I already made it twice. This kids love it too. I’m thinking of adding some dark chocolate or fresh fruit to it, just to try a variation. Thanks so much for sharing this easy healthy cake recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you all love it and thank you for your comment, Bianca! An example of yogurt cake + berries is my strawberry bread, another delicious variation 😉
It is by far the BEST cake ever, it competes even the ones full with sugar. It was the 3rd time i did this cake in 2 weeks and you need just one bowl. Nothing else. In literally 45 minutes you have a PERFECT cake. “Health to your hands” as we say in Greece.
You’ve made my day, Iliana! 🙂 I’m so glad you love it, thanks so much for your lovely comment x
Hi, looking forward to trying this recipe! Do you think I could use half a cup of oat flour and half a cup whole wheat flour instead? Thanks!
Hi! I’ve never used oat flour, however, the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour. If you add a second cup all-purpose flour it should be fine, but I’m not sure about using only whole wheat and gluten-free flour xx
Thanks for your prompt response! Will let you know how it goes when I try it!
I really want to try this as a gluten free recipe. Have you made it this way yet?
Not yet, but I think rice flour should work fine in the recipe. Btw, I’m going to try it next week 🙂
I just made this lemon loaf and it is so delicious!
I added raspberries to the mix which worked really well. I also added a lemon drizzle to the top after it was baked (lemon juice and sugar mixed).
Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it, Joss! The addition of raspberries and the lemon drizzle sound utterly delicious, thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
I thought this was good, not too sweet & moist. However I was disappointed by the appearance of the loaf. It was low & pale coloured. I baked it twice, both times following the recipe exactly using room temperature ingredients. I checked my baking powder expiry date, which still was very fresh. It could have had a stronger lemon flavour, but saw from other comments that more grated lemon peel could be used. Wondering what I am doing wrong & if others have the same problem?
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that, and to be honest this is the first time I’ve received feedback like this. Although it’s a simple recipe, the truth is that many things can go wrong when it comes to baking.
You’ve said the loaf was low and pale, and that makes me think there was something wrong with the oven temperature.
When you place your cake in the oven, you need to make sure the oven has reached the right temperature.
Plus, it’s crucial not to open the oven door during the baking time, not even for a few seconds. If you do it, the temperature drops and the cake doesn’t rise properly.
Sadly, if you open the door a few times – or if your oven doesn’t work well for some reason – the result is a flat and pale cake.
I hope this helps, and let me know if you have other questions x
Thanks for your reply Katia! I have a brand new Maytag oven, which lets me know when it reaches temperature. Not had problems with my other recipes. Oven door is never opened during baking either. I am going to try it again perhaps using different yogurt as I used 0%.🤔 It was a nice recipe, but did not remotely resemble your picture😕 Thanks again!
I was trying to figure out what went wrong 🤔 not that easy.. The fat-free yogurt might have affected the batter, you’re right, but I’ve heard from other readers that it worked just fine for them. Btw, I hope it won’t let you down again and thanks for your comments 😘
I have had this recipe saved for a while and finally got round to making it this morning, I had read all other comments first and thought the one about adding some chocolate chips to the batter at the end a good idea, so I did just that, I did lower the temp of the oven just slightly as it’s a fan oven and checked after 30 mins, the outside edges looked like they were starting to burn but after the skewer test the very middle of the cake was still a bit wet, so I turned the oven down again just a little and put it back for another 5 mins, perfect, I didn’t have any glaze to use so make a quick lemon drizzle for over the top, I was so excited to try it that it was still a little warm but OMG it’s so divine, the combo of the hint of lemon with the choc chips was soooo delicious I just had to have a 2nd piece straight away, not sure if there is going to be any left for the hubby when he gets home at the weekend, so I may just have to make another fairly quick.
I’m so pleased you liked it, Lesley 😊 , and thanks for sharing your helpful feedback! I love adding chocolate chips to the batter, it only gets better 😉 xx
Would it be okay to use lemon yogurt instead of plain yogurt? Or would it be too much flavor? I love lemon so I’m hoping it should be okay. 🙂
That’s absolutely fine 😊