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 French Grandmother’s 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.
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!
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
- 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.
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs - stirring until well blended.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and zest, mixing to just combine.
- Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan.
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.
- Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
- 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.
Sarah B McGovern says
I made this cake and it was delicious and so easy. I also made it using oranges which was delicious as well. Limes were quite good with fresh cherries on the side. It has become a regular favorite in my cooking rotation. LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Sarah! You’ve been very creative with this recipe!
Margaret Turner says
So good just as written, and easy too!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Margaret!
Mary says
First cake I’ve ever baked! Followed your recipe exactly and produced a beautiful lemony cake. It was a big hit! Served with fresh strawberries. Thanks for sharing your lovely recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Bravo! That is awesome! Thanks for sharing your results.
Who knows, you might just become famous for your French Grandmother’s Lemon Cake! 🙂
Kristel says
Would this taste good with buttercream frosting? My daughter wants a lemon cake for her birthday.
Chris Scheuer says
I think it would be delicious with buttercream! Just be sure the cake is fully cooled before you ice it. Happy birthday to your daughter!
MARIE says
I HAVE A 10″‘ ROUND PAN THAT IS 3 INCHED HIGH . DO YOU THINK I COULD DOUBLE THIS RECIPE AND USE THIS PAN ?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marie,
I think this could work although I haven’t tried it. But you would definitely have to adjust the baking time. Let us know how it turns out!
Katy says
Love it!!!!! Easy to make. I. Dropped the sugar a little and added a little more lemon and zest as I like a strong lemon flavour. Highly recommend it
Thank you!!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Katy! I love that you love this as much as we do 🙂
Shawn Elliott says
This sounds SOOOO good! Can it be made a day ahead?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, if definitely can be!
Kessy says
Made this today and it was wonderful! I am not a baker and don’t have any cake pans but I improvised with an 8 inch cast iron skillet and had great results. The cake didn’t rise as much but I think that’s a combination of the skillet and my very old baking powder. Also found a recipe online for powdered sugar since I didn’t have any on hand. I was able to bake and glaze the cake in under an hour while the baby slept. Amazing!
Chris Scheuer says
That’s wonderful, Kessy! Sounds like you’re more of a baker than you think! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results!
Geraldine Molloy says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe ! I’ve made the cake twice. I’m gluten free/dairy free and I made it the first time with straightforward gluten free flour and coconut yoghurt. I also added two heaped tsps of baking powder instead of level tsps and it came out wonderfully light! I used avocado oil the first time .
Second time around I used half and half cassava flour and rice flour – again with 2 heaped tsps of baking powder. I used rapeseed oil this time and it came out even better! I served it to friends here in France om holiday and they didn’t realise it was gf/df! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
This is so awesome, Geraldine. Thank you so much for sharing your results. I’m sure this will be so helpful to others who need to eat GF!
Zieg says
Made this cake using the kitchen aid mixer and still came out perfect. Soft, moist, not too sweet, perfect texture, with a hint of lemon. Just delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Zieg!
Kelly says
made this today and it is wonderful! 🙂 I used Greek yogurt and a springform pan since that is what I had on hand. One large lemon was perfect. Will probably serve with raspberries. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
You’re welcome, Kelly! Thanks so much for sharing your results! Raspberries sound wonderful!
Hayesbiz says
Just wondering if melted butter could be substituted for the oil.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Hayesbiz, I haven’t tried this cake with butter. I’m usually a huge butter fan when it comes to cake but you might want to just try it with oil, it’s delicious!
Dawn says
This was a delicious cake but more like a pound cake. Should it have been more delicate? It was great; I just want to make sure I made it correctly.
Chris Scheuer says
I would say this should be a medium density, not as heavy as a pound cake though. You might want to replace your baking powder. Sometimes it looses its oomph even before the expiration date.
Beverly says
as I read this recipe I realized I had everything to make it. What’s the kitchen cooked it up, glazed it, cooled it, dusted it, and pigged out. Oh the simple things in life.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I love it!
Susan says
Has anyone made a gluten free version of this cake? Would almond flour work?
Rosa Ferraro says
It’s not mentionned whether we mix with an electric mixer or if it’s done all by hand?? Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
No mixer needed! 🙂 ENJOY!
Preeti singh says
I made this cake today and it came out perfect which was loved by my family
Thank you for sharing the recipe
Chris Scheuer says
You’re very welcome Preeti! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! My family loves it too!
Bernadette Takahashi says
Can this cake be baked in an angel food pan or a bundt pan
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bernadette, I have never tried and angel food or bundt pan for this cake. You would have to double the recipe or it would be a very flat cake and I’m just not sure that the results would be that great.
Elizabeth says
Absolutely delicious! So moist and lemony!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! So happy you enjoyed it!
Seema says
I made this cake today and The texture of the cake was beautiful but there was a very very strong flavour of baking soda which I felt over powered the entire cake. Do you think baking it longer would make the strong flavor of baking soda go away? I’m worried if I reduce the baking soda it won’t be soft and spongy like it currently is. Oooor did I do something wrong?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Seema, So sorry you went through all the trouble to make this cake and didn’t have good results. I hate wasting good ingredients! However, it should be baking powder, not soda. I bet it was quite salty. It’s easy to make that mistake, they look so similar. Try it with baking powder and I think you’ll be delighted with it