Lemon and yogurt cake is a soft, moist loaf-style cake made with a quarter cup of fresh lemon zest, Greek yogurt, and a light dusting of powdered sugar. One bowl. No mixer. The yogurt keeps it tender for days.
I make this cake when I want something bright and simple. The lemon hits first, the yogurt keeps it from being too sweet, and the powdered sugar finish means no frosting to make.
Why This Lemon and Yogurt Cake Works
A quarter cup of lemon zest, not a teaspoon. Most lemon cake recipes call for a tablespoon or two of zest. This one uses the zest of two large lemons, a full quarter cup. The zest carries the lemon oils. That is where the flavor lives. The juice adds tang, but the zest makes it taste like a real lemon, not lemon extract.
Greek yogurt replaces butter or milk. It adds moisture without making the cake heavy. It also brings a slight tang that balances the sugar. The result is a cake that is light but not dry, rich but not dense.
Vegetable oil instead of butter. Oil keeps the crumb soft even after the cake cools. Butter firms up at room temperature and makes a cold slice taste dry. Oil stays liquid. A slice from the fridge still tastes tender.
One bowl from start to finish. Wet ingredients go in. Dry ingredients go in on top. Stir until combined and pour. Fewer dishes. Faster cleanup. No mixer required.
The batter is supposed to be thick. Do not panic when you spoon it into the pan. It is closer to a dough than a pourable batter. That thickness gives the cake structure so it rises tall and slices clean.
How to Make Lemon and Yogurt Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan or cake pan. Greasing and flouring both the bottom and sides helps the cake release cleanly.
Zest two large lemons. You need a quarter cup of zest. A lemon zester makes this fast. Juice the same lemons until you have three teaspoons of juice. A lemon juicer helps get every drop.
In a large bowl, stir together the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil until well combined.
Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt directly to the same bowl. Add the Greek yogurt on top. Stir until all the ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it even.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing it. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Quick Tips
- Use a full quarter cup of lemon zest. The zest carries the lemon flavor. Do not cut it short.
- Do not overmix. Stir until just combined. Overmixing makes the cake tough.
- The batter is thick. That is normal. Spoon it into the pan. It will not pour.
- Grease and flour the pan well. The cake releases clean with no tearing.
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving. If you dust it ahead of time, the sugar dissolves into the cake.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to three days. The yogurt keeps it moist.
The cake also freezes well. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to two months. Thaw on the counter and dust with fresh powdered sugar before slicing.
More Lemon Recipes
For more lemon baking, try my lemon curd cake with layers of tangy lemon curd. My lemon poke cake is another easy one with lemon pudding soaked into every bite.
📖 Recipe
Lemon and Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup lemon zest - approximately the zest of 2 large lemons
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar - for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease and dust the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan or cake pan with flour.
- Zest 2 large lemons and extract the juice from them. Measure out the zest and juice and place them in a large bowl.
- Mix in the granulated sugar, eggs, and oil and stir until well combined.
- In the same bowl, mix in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and lastly the Greek Yogurt.
- Stir until all ingredients are moistened.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared cake pan or springform pan. The cake batter will be very thick.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes in the preheated oven. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick to make sure the toothpick comes out clean before removing it from the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.
- Cool completely before dusting the cake with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Use a full quarter cup of lemon zest. The zest carries the lemon flavor.
- Do not overmix. Stir until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Grease and flour both the bottom and sides of the pan for easy release.
- Cool at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving so it does not dissolve.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freezes well for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
It looks like you left out the flour in mix.
I'm sure you didn't mean to flour the pan with two cups of flour!
Or did I miss it?
You are correct 😆 I have fixed the instructions. Lightly dusting the pan is pan is all you need to do.
This cake looks so delicious! I love lemon flavored desserts, so this sounds like a great recipe to try!
Absolutely amazing recipe!
Love it!
My Family loved it!