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This crazy delicious French Grandmother's Lemon Yogurt Cake has a moist, tender crumb, takes minutes to make and has a delightful history!
I made this delicious Lemon Yogurt Cake a few weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about it. The problem is that I'm not in my own kitchen right now and can't make another one for a while...sad!
Greetings from London Paris!
Are you having a hard time keeping up with us? Yes, I'm feeling a bit like that myself!
A few days ago we were in London visiting our daughter and her family. But Scott and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year, and we were busy this spring, planning a week together in Paris. We bid adieu to our family in London on Tuesday and headed to France on the Eurostar.
We've been here for two days now, and are having the time of our lives in a delightful little (very little) flat that we rented in the heart of the Paris Latin District.
You're going to laugh when you hear one of the things that I couldn't wait to see when I got to Paris.
These adorable little yogurt jars.
A super charming history
I know, I know, that sounds a bit strange, right? But I read about this wonderful Lemon Yogurt Cake a few weeks before we left for our London/Paris trip. I was so intrigued by its charming history that, not only could I hardly wait to make the cake, I was also dying to see these fun little jars in person.
What's the history of this French Grandmother's Lemon Yogurt Cake? The story's told, that this humble, simple recipe is one that grandmothers (and lots of other people too, I'm quite sure) all over France are renowned for. In French, this cake is called Gâteaux de Mamie, which translated is: Granny Cake. The part of the story I love is the way these French grandmothers measure the cake ingredients - with yogurt jars!
Yogurt in France has been traditionally sold in small, round glass jars (these days you can find it in all kinds of containers; but in the past, it was mostly sold in little jars). The recipe starts out with one jar of yogurt. The rest of the ingredients are measured in that same jar: two jars of sugar, 3 jars of flour, one jar of oil...
Don't worry though, you don't need to have French yogurt available to make the cake. It turns out that each jar holds one-half cup (120 milliliters), so it's easy to translate the recipe into more classic cooking measurements.
I tried out the cake before we left on our trip and it truly is fantastic! Definitely a keeper recipe! The cake is super moist and a simple lemon syrup that's brushed on while still warm yields an amazingly delicious, crisp, citrus glazed crust. It doesn't really need any embellishment, but a dusting of powdered sugar is a lovely finishing touch.
And it's one of the easiest cakes I've ever made! How easy? Check out the video below and you'll see for yourself!
Score!
The first day Scott and I were in Paris, we stopped at a small grocery store near our little apartment. The dairy case was the first place I checked and, sure enough, there were the famous little jars used to make the lemon yogurt cake. I served the yogurt the next morning for breakfast and discovered that, not only are the jars quite charming (I'm taking a bunch of them home!), the yogurt is smooth, creamy and incredibly delicious; definitely a win-win-win!
So there you have it, French Grandmother's Lemon Yogurt Cake. I love the name, especially when you know the story behind it. Whatever you decide to call it, make it! I know you're going to love it!
Café Tips for making this Lemon Yogurt Cake
- I often use Greek yogurt for this cake but you can also use regular yogurt. In fact, in a pinch, you could also use buttermilk or sour cream. They'll all work! (You just might need to give the cake a new name if you're not using yogurt.)
- I'm a big fan of butter in cake recipes. This cake calls for oil (no butter) and I was a bit skeptical until I actually tasted the cake. Don't be tempted to substitute butter as the oil keeps the cake light yet moist at the same time. And the flavor is wonderful!
- Any type of neutral-flavored oil works well in this recipe. I have made it with sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil and avocado oil. They all work well.
- This recipe calls for lemon zest and lemon juice. Always zest your fruit before squeezing for the juice. The best way to zest a citrus fruit is with one of these microplane zesters. They're not expensive and can be used for many years before having to replace.
P.S. Wondering what our tiny, but charming Paris abode looks like? We'll be sharing a post tomorrow titled "Our Little Paris (very little) Apartment" with lots of pictures.
- ½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- grated lemon zest from 1 medium-size lemon
- ½ cup sunflower grape seed or canola oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup of powdered sugar
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Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray, rub inside surface of pan with a paper towel to cover evenly with the spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper lightly. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs - stirring until well blended.
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Add the flour, baking powder, salt and zest, mixing to just combine.
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Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth.
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Pour the batter into prepared pan.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (every oven is different, so check with the toothpick test rather than the time). Be careful not to overbake though.
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Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
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Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth. With a pastry brush, gently pat the glaze all over the cake. Just keep going over the cake till the glaze is gone. Some of it will drip off, but most of it will soak in. Allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve.
Adapted by Chris Scheuer from Orangette.
Susy says
I wanna try it but were wondering if it can be cut in half to add a filling? Or does it crumble?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susy, this should be fine with a filling.
Barb says
I used Vanilla bean flavored Greek Yogurt as that was on hand. My friends and family raved. Our daughter who is an expert baker said it was Perfect and gave me a Paul Hollywood handshake. And even more special is I can think of my French grandmother while baking.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That's great, Barb! Thank you for letting us know!
RM says
Made this tonight to make good use of the yogurt and lemons we have on hand. It's absolutely lovely! Simple but special at the same time. Thank you so much. 🙂
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So glad to hear that, RM!
Janet says
Chris,
I was noodling around the internet looking for a relatively simple lemon cake recipe to serve for dessert to the young moms in bible study at our end of year celebration and came across your recipe. I loved reading the backstory - including your 40th anniversary trip to Paris (happy 48th this year!). I knew when I read that this was called "Gateau de Mamie" that this recipe was the one...my great-grandmother was called "Mamie" and my grandkids call me "Mamie." I served the cake, made exactly as printed, with powdered sugar and a pitcher of raspberry coulis (from your site) and to say it was a big hit with "my moms" is a gross understatement!!! THANK-YOU and blessings.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Janet, thanks so much for your kind wishes and for taking the time to leave such a delightful review!
Nicky from canada says
I have made this cake countless times, and it's always a hit. Gets ravished very fast. Thanks alot. And the easiest recipe ever, yet so very delicious.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks for your review, Nicky!
Adrienne says
My picky 7 yr old granddaughter loves these. I baked them in 8” sq pans as that’s what I had and baked for 30 minutes. It’s a little dry so I’d try 25 mins if I made them again. Very easy recipe.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Adrienne!
Irma says
This cake is so delicious! Have made it a couple of times, almost exactly as written -- except I used coconut oil (liquid) instead of the neutral oils suggested in the recipe, because my family loves coconut. Wondering if you think this would work as cupcakes? Has anyone tried it?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Irma, I love the idea of coconut oil, yum!
Regarding your question, I haven't tried this recipe for cupcakes but I think it should work fine!
Patti from Canada says
Made this wonderful cake for Easter and it was a big hit. As we were all seniors there were leftovers which I stored in the fridge. Just finished it last night and I think it was even more delicious - so moist and full of lemon flavour. Thank you for another great recipe, Chris.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Patti!
Andrea says
Just made this wonderful cake this afternoon. Since just two of us in house I love single layer cakes. I added a handful of blueberries to top of batter in pan and lightly pressed into batter prior to baking. Just delicious, not too sweet and perfect texture.
Can’t wait till tomorrow to eat another slice with coffee.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Andrea!
Lis Baugh says
I have been making the yogurt cake for years, and often top it with fresh fruit before I bake it. Fresh thinly sliced plums are wonderful! You can get lids for those little jars in North America - I ordered them and now I can keep spices and all kinds of kitchen supplies in the ones I brought home. I ordered from https://rivierapetitpot-boutique.com/en/produit/plastic-lid-black/
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Lis! Love your idea for the fruit! And thanks for the link too.
Tereza says
This is exactly what I wanted. Simple a deliciously moist. I only subbed half of the sugar with chicory fiber syrup, used wholemeal flour and added two teaspoons of poppy seeds. Saving this one! Thanks 🙂
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks for letting us know, Tereza!
kellee says
How do you keep the leftovers? in the fridge? thank you!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Kellee, you can keep them covered at room temperature for a couple of days, any longer you can store it in the freezer.
Hope says
I love this recipe, simple and elegant recipes are my favorite! My 4 year old and I enjoy making this together! Thank you for sharing!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So happy to hear that, Hope! Thanks for letting us know.
Robynn L. says
Hi, thanks for sharing this recipe! So I made the recipe with 0% Fage Greek yogurt, swapped 1/2 cup of the all purpose flour for 1/2 cup almond flour and used a loaf pan instead. While the cake is good and moist, it is actually quite a bit denser and moist for my liking. Any ideas as to how I could lighten and fluff it a bit more? Maybe an extra teaspoon of baking powder, less sunflower oil, etc? Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Robynn, I would omit the almond flour if you prefer a lighter cake.
Pumpkin says
Maybe follow the recipe as written first, and see how it turns out.
Why a negative comment on her recipe that you changed?