Lemon Yogurt Cake

My super easy Lemon Yogurt Cake is so soft and moist with bright lemon flavor and a tart and sweet lemon yogurt glaze. It is simple to make with basic ingredients and it all comes together in one bowl with a whisk and a spatula. You can have this cake ready in less than 30 minutes without any specialty ingredients, special equipment or skilled technique, so it is a great recipe to have for when you have guests coming on short notice. I don't know anyone who doesn't like lemon-flavored desserts, so this is sure to please! If you love baking with lemon, check out my popular Lemon Curd Crumb Cake and my Lemon Sugar Cookies.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Moist lemon cake - this cake is so moist and it will stay moist for days even when refrigerated (not that you will need it to store it for very long).
• Soft yogurt cake - yogurt and oil creates a very soft texture that makes this cake so easy to eat.
• Not too sweet - lemon juice and plain yogurt adds tanginess so that this cake isn't too sweet.
• Lemon yogurt glaze - the cooled cake is finished with a simple lemon glaze made with yogurt and that's all it needs! It is so moist that it doesn't need any fancy frosting.

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON YOGURT CAKE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make wonderful cakes. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean so the lemon shines.
• Pure vanilla extract - I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Oil - although butter is delicious, oil makes very soft cakes. Since there is so much lemon flavor, oil is a great option here and it incorporates easily to make a smooth batter. Oil is liquid at room temperature while butter has more solid fats. That means if I were to use all butter, the cupcakes would have a firmer texture. Oil will help bring down the fat melting profile so that the cake layers stay soft. You can use any neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil.
• Egg - one whole egg will provide structure, lift and of course flavor to this cake. The egg yolk with the lemon zest create the natural yellow color of the crumb.
• Milk - you can use whole milk at 3.25% or 2% milk. I would avoid anything with less fat content than that (i.e. avoid skim milk).
• Yogurt - it pairs so well with lemon and adds rich dairy notes, body and tanginess. I use plain full fat Balkan-style yogurt with 6% milk fat.
• Lemon juice - there's lemon juice in the cake batter and the icing.
• Lemon zest - this is where most of the lemon flavor comes from. Use as much as you want if you want even more lemon flavor.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEMON YOGURT CAKE

• STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Place sugar in a large bowl. Add lemon zest and rub it between your fingers until very fragrant and pale yellow-colored. This will extract all of the delicious lemon oils to flavor the cake. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the lemon sugar and whisk until evenly blended.
• STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine oil, egg, yogurt, milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
• STEP 3). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold it all together being sure to get down to the bottom and bring up any dry pockets. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix.
• STEP 4). Bake. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan using a small offset spatula and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan and then transfer cake to a cooling rack.
• STEP 5). Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, yogurt and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Place the cake on a wire rack and set the rack over parchment-lined tray. Pour the glaze over the cake letting it drip over the edges. Scrape up the glaze that drips off the cake onto the parchment and spoon it back over the cake. If you want, you can also add more powdered sugar to make a thicker icing, but I like this donut-glazed effect. Grate some more lemon zest over top while the icing is wet and serve immediately or store covered to serve later.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Do not over-bake. The cake is ready when it springs back when pressed gently and a skewer comes out clean. It will not get very brown on the top, just lightly golden so don't wait for browning.
• Use fresh oil. Rancid oil can ruin a cake, so ensure your oil is fresh and store it in a cool, dark and dry place.
• Have eggs at room temperature. Take your eggs out of the fridge 2 hours before baking, or place them in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes.
• Sift the dry ingredients. This is a simple recipe that doesn't require a mixer, so to ensure you get a smooth batter that is homogeneous, it is important to sift the flour. This will help it incorporate evenly.

RECIPE FAQ

STORING AND FREEZING

Baking with lemon

Looking for other recipes with lemon? Try these:

More easy cakes

Here are more cake recipes to try:

If you love cakes, check out these recipes!

Video

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Super simple and very moist Lemon Yogurt Cake made with lemon juice and lemon zest. It's so bright with lemon flavor and perfectly sweet with a tangy lemon glaze. You will love this cake for any time of the week and any time of the year!

5 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

Lemon Cake Batter:

• 1 ¼ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (60ml) sunflower oil or you can also use vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• ½ cup (120ml) full fat plain yogurt, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest from one large lemon
• ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

Lemon yogurt glaze:

• 1 cup (120g) powdered confectioner's sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) full fat plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the sides of an 8-inch round cake pan and line the base with a round of parchment paper.
• Make the cake batter. Place sugar in a large bowl. Add lemon zest and rub it between your fingers until very fragrant and pale yellow-colored. This will extract all of the delicious lemon oils to flavor the cake. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the lemon sugar and whisk until evenly blended.
• Combine oil, egg, yogurt, milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold it all together being sure to get down to the bottom and bring up any dry pockets. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix.
• Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan using a small offset spatula and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan and then transfer cake to a cooling rack.
• Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, yogurt and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Place the cake on a wire rack and set the rack over parchment-lined tray. Pour the glaze over the cake letting it drip over the edges. Scrape up the glaze that drips off the cake onto the parchment and spoon it back over the cake. If you want, you can also add more powdered sugar to make a thicker icing, but I like this donut-glazed effect. Grate some more lemon zest over top while the icing is wet and serve immediately or store covered to serve later.