Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe

Summer isn’t over yet, so I decided to make at least one more lusciously lemon creation while I could.

And I chose this delightfully light lemon yogurt cake. 

Wonderfully moist and tender, it’s chock-full of fresh citrus flavor. It’s tremendously tart and tangy, with just enough sweetness to satisfy a sugar craving. 

If you want to get the most out of summer, you should whip one up, too. Especially if you’re a lemon lover. Happy baking! 

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Yogurt Cake

Lemony Trifecta: You won’t just find lemon in the cake. It’s also in the syrup and the glaze! It’s a lemon triple threat that couldn’t be more summery if it tried. 

Marvelously Moist: This recipe has two ingredients you don’t always find in cakes: plain yogurt and olive oil. They’re the secret weapons that fill the cake with moisture, allowing it to remain fresh and delectable for days. 

Quick & Easy: You don’t even need a mixer to whip this up. Just a whisk, spatula, and about 20 minutes of hands-on prep.

Ingredients

• Lemon Zest & Juice: Absolutely essential to every part of this cake. Zest the lemons before juicing them for the best results. 

• Plain Yogurt: It keeps the cake moist and tender and also adds extra tanginess. It’s a good source of protein, too!

• All-Purpose Flour: For stability and structure – the cake’s foundation. 

• Baking Powder: To help the lemon yogurt cake rise. 

• Salt & Vanilla: For balancing the sweetness and bringing out the other ingredients. 

• Granulated & Powdered Sugar: For sweetness, of course! Granulated in the cake and powdered in the glaze.

• Large Eggs: An easy way to hold the batter together. They also add extra moisture and lift.

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This heart-healthy fat is another key ingredient for adding moisture.

How to Make Lemon Yogurt Cake

Of all the lemon desserts I’ve made over the years, this one is probably my mom’s favorite.

I like it, too, primarily because it isn’t difficult to prepare! 

Here’s what you’ll do: 

1. PREP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment.

2. MIX: In separate bowls, combine the dry and wet ingredients. Then, stir gently to combine.

3. BAKE: Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.

4. SYRUP: Simmer the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves.

5. COOL: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Lift out with the parchment, poke holes, and brush with the syrup. Cool completely.

6. GLAZE: Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust consistency with more lemon juice if needed.

7. DRIZZLE: Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let set for 15 minutes. Then slice, serve, and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Lemon Yogurt Cake

Besides zesting the lemons before juicing them, I only have a few more tips. 

• Use room-temperature ingredients. This is especially important for the eggs and yogurt. They won’t mix as easily if they’re cold, which could result in overmixing the batter. 

• Avoid low-fat yogurt. Stick to full-fat, whole milk yogurt for the best taste and texture. Low-fat and fat-free versions just don’t have the same oomph.

• Remember to rub. This tip is actually in the recipe steps, but it’s important not to skip it. Rubbing the zest with the sugar will help release the essential oils. It will give the cake a bolder, brighter, more lemony taste. 

• Use foil if needed. If you notice the top of your cake is browning too quickly, cover it with foil. You shouldn’t need to do this until the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking.

• Have a different pan? That’s okay! You can use a 9-inch round cake pan or 10-cup Bundt pan if you prefer. Bundt pans take about the same amount of time, while round cake pans should bake slightly quicker.

• Try different citrus fruits. You can use this same recipe for an orange or lime yogurt cake. 

• Experiment with add-ins. I’ve tried poppy seeds, lavender, rosemary, and blueberries. My favorite is the lemon blueberry yogurt cake. 

How to Store

If you have more than two people in your family, chances are you won’t have many leftovers.

This cake goes quickly among tart dessert lovers. Still, just in case…

To Store: Pop leftover lemon yogurt cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge. 

To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this cake once it’s fully complete. However, you can freeze it before glazing it. Simply wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then glaze.

More Lemon Desserts You’ll Love

Lemon Icebox Pie
Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Lemon Brownies

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Course: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

8

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servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Calories

342

kcal

This lemon yogurt cake is moist, tender, and full of fresh citrus flavor. It’s tremendously tart and tangy, with just enough sweetness to satisfy a sugar craving.

Ingredients

• For the Cake

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 lemons, zested

• 1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• For the Lemon Syrup

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• For the Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
• Make the loaf cake: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers until fragrant. Whisk in yogurt, eggs, olive oil, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir gently by hand with a spatula until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Make the lemon syrup: While the cake bakes, combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• When the cake is done, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and place it on a wire rack. Poke holes all over the top with a toothpick, then slowly brush the lemon syrup evenly over the warm cake. Let cool completely.
• Make the glaze: When the cake is cool, whisk the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth. Add more lemon juice as needed to reach a pourable consistency.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for about 15 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the cake into even pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

• Avoid low-fat and fat-free varieties of yogurt. 
• If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil during the last 10-15 minutes.
• Use room-temperature ingredients for the best results. 

NaTaya Hastings

NaTaya Hastings is a food and recipe writer for Beauty Eval. She’s an educator, boy mom, dog mom, and whatever-stray-enters-the-yard mom. As a result, she's constantly cooking for both humans and animals.

Luckily, she enjoys it!

Though born, raised, and still living in Alabama, her specialty is NOT down-home Southern cooking. Instead, she loves to experiment with Asian, Mexican, Italian, and other ethnic cuisines. She has two mottos when it comes to cooking. “The more spice, the better!” and “There’s no such thing as too much garlic!”

She’s also pretty good with desserts. Especially the easy, no-bake ones.

Her favorite things are cuddling with her four giant dogs, traveling, reading, writing, and hanging out in nature. She’s also pretty excellent at Dominoes.

See Full Bio

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