Oh my gosh, if you need a cake, like *right now*, but you want something that tastes like sunshine and isn’t fussy? Stop searching! This **Lemon Yogurt Cake** is honestly my secret weapon when company drops by unexpectedly or I just need a serious citrus hit. I swear, the yogurt keeps it so incredibly moist—it’s unbelievable how simple the ingredients are.
I’m talking pantry staples here, folks. No weird errands required! I remember one time my car totally died the day before my book club met, and I was convinced I had to cancel. Then I remembered this recipe. Everything was already home. Fifteen minutes of mixing, thirty minutes of baking, and boom—the best, brightest **Lemon Yogurt Cake** you’ve ever had. It’s legitimately foolproof, and I’m going to make sure yours turns out perfect too!
Why This Simple Lemon Yogurt Cake is Your New Favorite Dessert
Honestly, I keep this recipe taped inside my pantry door because I get asked for it so often. It’s the kind of cake that requires zero fancy techniques but delivers absolute perfection every single time. It’s just bright, happy baking!
When you pull this out of the oven, the scent alone will make you feel better, I promise. It’s the perfect weeknight treat or emergency dessert. You’ll want to make this because:
- It is ridiculously moist thanks to the yogurt—it stays soft for days!
- You probably have every single ingredient sitting in your kitchen right now.
- Prep time is under 15 minutes. Seriously, I’ve timed it.
- That sharp, clean citrus flavor cuts through the sweetness perfectly.
If you’re looking for other easy, flavorful recipes that use lemon, check out my favorite way to make lemon chicken with lemon butter sauce. It’s that same bright flavor profile, just savory!
Essential Ingredients for Your Lemon Yogurt Cake
When I say this is simple, I truly mean it. You aren’t going to need truffle oil or anything crazy! We are sticking to the basics here, which is why this **Lemon Yogurt Cake** comes together so fast. The structure relies on a wet/dry method, so make sure you have two bowls ready to go.
Here is the absolute lineup of what you need:
- One cup of all-purpose flour.
- A teaspoon of baking powder and half a teaspoon of baking soda.
- Just a tiny pinch—a quarter teaspoon—of salt.
- Half a cup of standard granulated sugar.
- The star! Half a cup of plain yogurt.
- A quarter cup of vegetable oil—any neutral oil works fine here.
- Two large eggs.
- One teaspoon of bright lemon zest—don’t skip grating this!
- And finally, about two tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
Trust me on the lemon zest and juice. That’s where all the *zing* comes from, and it makes this cake taste gourmet even though it took you like zero effort!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Lemon Yogurt Cake
A couple of quick notes before you start measuring! For the yogurt, please splurge on the full-fat variety if you can. That richness really translates into a better texture and keeps the whole cake from feeling flimsy. If you only have low-fat, it will work, but it won’t be quite as decadent.
Also, stick to all-purpose flour unless you are an experienced baker who wants to experiment. This recipe relies on the standard protein content. We aren’t adding any complicated almond or coconut flour here, keeping things fast and simple!
Equipment Needed to Bake Your Lemon Yogurt Cake
You don’t need a stand mixer for this dessert, which is part of why I love it so much! Having your tools ready makes the mixing process smooth, and trust me, smooth mixing is key for a tender cake.
Make sure you have these things handy before you start whisking:
- Two good mixing bowls—one medium and one large.
- A reliable whisk. You’ll use this a lot in the first part!
- An 8-inch round cake pan.
- A rubber spatula for scraping down the sides.
- And, of course, a toothpick for checking doneness at the end.
Step-by-Step Instructions for the Best Lemon Yogurt Cake
Get your oven fired up first! We need to preheat to 350 degrees F (that’s 175 degrees C). While it’s heating, take your 8-inch round cake pan and give it a good grease and flour treatment. Don’t be shy here; we want this cake to practically jump out on its own later!
Step One: The Dry Stuff. Grab your medium bowl and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking dry ingredients is important because it makes sure those little leaveners get totally distributed. If they clump up, you get weird tunnels in your cake, and we absolutely don’t want that disaster!
Step Two: The Wet Stuff. Now for the big bowl. We’re going to whisk the sugar, the yogurt, our oil, and those two eggs together until they look smooth and creamy. It should be well combined before we move on to the citrus. This is what locks in the moisture for our **Lemon Yogurt Cake**.
Step Three: The Flavor Bomb. Add your teaspoon of lemon zest and your lemon juice right into that wet mixture and give it a quick stir to mingle. The smell starts getting amazing right around here, trust me.
Step Four: The Gentle Mix. This is maybe the most important moment if you want a tender cake. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix it—and I mean *mix it*—until it’s *just* combined. Stop as soon as you don’t see any more streaks of dry flour floating around. If you overmix, you start forming gluten, and that makes a tough, chewy cake instead of this dreamy, soft dessert we are aiming for. Do not overmix!
Step Five: Bake Time! Pour that beautiful batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top off gently. It goes into the preheated oven.
When testing your cake, the toothpick test is good, but I always use one of my favorite tricks I learned from my aunt. I gently press the very center of the cake with one finger. If it springs right back up, it’s done. If it leaves a dent, give it five more minutes. That way you know it’s baked through but still super moist!
Baking and Cooling Tips for Your Lemon Yogurt Cake
Precision on temperature is your friend here. Make sure your oven is truly holding that 350°F. Since this cake isn’t super thick, those 30 to 35 minutes are pretty strict.
Once it passes your spring test and the toothpick comes out clean, pull it out! The 10-minute resting period in the pan is crucial. This lets the structure set just enough so that when you flip it out onto that wire rack, the edges release cleanly without tearing off a chunk of your beautiful cake.
If you’re looking for a way to sweeten drinks using similar basic pantry items, check out this guide on making simple syrup! It’s another great foundational recipe.
Tips for Success When Making a Lemon Yogurt Cake
I’ve made this cake probably a hundred times now for one reason: it’s so hard to mess up! But if you want that professional, bakery-level moistness, I have a few little secrets I always follow. These aren’t in the main instructions because they are purely about technique.
First, cold ingredients are the enemy of a fluffy cake, even though this is a yogurt cake, not a butter cake. Make sure those two eggs are sitting out for at least 30 minutes before you start mixing. Room temperature eggs incorporate so much better into the batter.
Second, remember that zest! The flavor comes mainly from the oils in the rind, not the juice. Try to only get the very bright yellow part of the lemon peel; the white pith underneath is bitter, and we want pure sunshine flavor here.
And finally, when you grease your pan, I take it a step further than just flouring. After I oil and flour the pan, I take a paper towel dipped in a tiny bit of the vegetable oil and wipe the bottom corner of the pan, smoothing it all out. It gives your cake the best non-stick surface imaginable.
If you’re already in a home-baking mindset, you might want to brush up on how to avoid making terrible iced tea sometime too—check out this guide on the one fatal mistake everyone makes!
Serving Suggestions for Your Delicious Lemon Yogurt Cake
Since this **Lemon Yogurt Cake** is so delicately flavored, you don’t want to drown out that gorgeous lemon! The simplest way, which I often default to, is just a light dusting of powdered sugar once it’s completely cool. It gives it a lovely, snowy finish.
If you want to get a little fancier without adding a heavy frosting, a thin, slightly tart lemon glaze is divine. Just whisk powdered sugar with a touch of fresh lemon juice until it drizzles nicely. Or, honestly, just serve a warm slice alongside some fresh raspberries or blueberries. The tartness of the berries is just the perfect marriage with that bright citrus flavor!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Lemon Yogurt Cake
Good news! Because this cake has oil and yogurt instead of just butter, it holds up wonderfully. If you have leftovers—which I doubt, but we can hope!—just keep it tightly wrapped at room temperature for about two days. The moistness holds up really well, so don’t feel like you need to rush it into the fridge.
If you want it to last longer, seal it airtight in the fridge for up to five days. When you pull a slice out of the fridge, it might seem a little firm. Just microwave a slice for about 10 to 15 seconds. It gets that soft, fresh-from-the-oven texture right back!
Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Yogurt Cake
I know you might have a few lingering questions before diving in, because while this is a quick dessert, we want that first attempt to be absolutely flawless! Having baked this for every bake sale and family potluck for years, I’ve heard all the common concerns.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt?
This is a super common question! You absolutely *can*, but you need to adjust things because Greek yogurt is much thicker. If you use Greek yogurt, you might need to thin it out a bit. I’d start by using 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt and then adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk or water into your wet ingredients until it feels the same consistency-wise as the original recipe. We are aiming for that incredibly moist citrus cake texture!
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Sinking usually means one of two things, and it’s almost always related to temperature or mixing. Did you open the oven door too early? If you peeked before the 25-minute mark, the sudden temperature drop can cause the structure to collapse. The other reason is usually overmixing the batter after the flour goes in—that develops too much gluten, and it just can’t hold itself up. It’s best to trust the process and let it bake undisturbed!
Is it possible to double this recipe?
Yes, you can double it! But please, don’t try to bake a doubled batch in the same 8-inch round pan. You’ll get a super dense top and a raw middle. If you double it, split the batter between two 9-inch round pans or use a 9×13 inch pan. Just remember that larger, deeper pans mean you might need to add another 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time, so check it often with that toothpick!
And speaking of bright lemon flavors, if you ever need a fun grown-up drink to pair with your cake, you have to try my recipe for a classic lemon drop cocktail!
Estimated Nutritional Information for Lemon Yogurt Cake
Now, I’m not a nutritionist, so take this section with a grain of salt—or a pinch of lemon zest, if you prefer! These numbers are my best guess, based on the standard amounts of flour, oil, and sugar called for in the recipe, divided across 8 satisfying slices.
This is a wonderful, simple cake, but remember it does use oil and sugar, so it’s definitely a treat! If you’re watching your intake, I always suggest going easy on that powdered sugar dusting on top. Here’s what the standard recipe breaks down to:
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: About 220
- Sugar: 18 grams
- Fat: 11 grams total
- Saturated Fat: 2 grams
- Sodium: Roughly 150 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 28 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
This information is just a helpful guideline to see where we land on this delicious bite of sunshine. For most people, this **Lemon Yogurt Cake** fits perfectly into a balanced dessert rotation. Enjoy every bite—you earned it!
Print
Simple Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A straightforward recipe for a moist lemon yogurt cake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, yogurt, oil, and eggs until combined.
- Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- You can dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar for a simple finish.
- Use full-fat yogurt for a richer texture.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 50
Keywords: lemon yogurt cake, simple cake, quick dessert, citrus cake, moist cake