This French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake is moist, delicious, takes minutes to make – and what a fun 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, so sad!
Greetings from London Paris!
Are you having a hard time keeping up with us? Yes, I’m feeling a bit like that myself!
MY OTHER RECIPESA few days ago we were in London visiting our daughter and her family. But Scott and I are celebrating a 40th 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.
French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake has such a charming history
I know, I know, that sounds a bit strange, right? But I read about this wonderful French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake a few weeks before we left for our London/Paris trip. I was so intrigued by it’s 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? I thought you’d want to know!
The story is 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.
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. 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 living quarters looks like? We’ll be sharing a post tomorrow titled “Our Little Paris (very little) Apartment” with lots of pictures. If you’d like to see lots of behind the scenes Paris shots, you can also follow us on Instagram.
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- 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 30-4o 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 over bake 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.
Lin says
I have made this numerous times, including as a 2 tier bday cake (a 10 inch and an 8 inch layer), with homemade lemon curd, italian meringue buttercream and fresh raspberries between the layers. The cake texture is moist, medium tightly crumbed but light, and sturdy enough for those fillings, and it slices cleanly. C’est magnifique! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Wow! So impressive Lin, I love all these variations you’ve done! Bravo and thanks for sharing 🙂
Roseann says
Can I use a canola /olive oil blend for 1/2 oil
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, you definitely could!
Bronwyn says
Want to know if it is possible to remove the lemon zest and not apply the lemon sugar, but rather add 5ML vanilla extract to the recipe. Would that make it a vanilla cake ? I My other thought was if I had to turn this into a chocolate cake could I just remove the lemon zest and add cocca powder? If so how much cocca powder would you recommend and my thought was to have a coffee syrup for the glaze instead of the lemon? We love this lemon cake and so want to see if other variations could work, but still using the same cake recipe. Thanks so much 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bronwyn, you could definitely change this to a vanilla cake by adding the vanilla instead of lemon. As far as chocolate goes, I would have to experiment a bit before I could say. You’ve inspired me, I may just do that today!
Clare says
If i were to freeze this cake, should I put the glaze on before or after I freeze it?
Ive made this once and it was delish, want to make it for a party!
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Clare, I would probably add the glaze after you took it out of the freezer and it’s completely thawed.
Heather Cohen says
I am most excited to make this cake and mostly because I am able to obtain these tiny yogurt jars here in Vancouver, Canada. The brand name is Maison Riviera and they sell little lids to go on the jars once the yogurt is consumed. (https://riviera1920.com/en/). I can’t determine exactly where you are located but perhaps you get your hands on some of them. I have put them to great use and the yogurt is delicious! Bonne Chance!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Heather. That’s awesome that you found the little jars. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Luisa Ruffolo says
This cake was delicious, thankyou for the recipe. Beautiful fluffy texture and a lovely lemon zing flavour. I will definately be making this again. Just perfect with a hot cup of tea!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Luisa, so happy you enjoyed it. Yes, it is perfect with tea 🙂
A says
I made the lemon yogurt cake but it was not so thick like it is in the picture. I followed the recipe.
What did I do wrong?
Chris Scheuer says
Hmmm, hard to say without being right there in your kitchen. The recipe does call for an 8-inch pan. If you used a 9-inch pan (which is a more common pan) the cake will be thinner.
Bronwyn says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. The flavor is great and so is the texture. I wiped the cake with the sugar lemon syrup as mentioned in the recipe, although the syrup didn’t seem to seep deep into the cake, but rather mainly surface level. Is that correct? Mine cake came out darker on the sides (although I did not over cook it) could it be my oven or the fact that I wiped the sides with butter instead of spray ń cook? My cake also had a rounder dome and not flat on top like yours. Was I supposed to have the base on top and the dome on the bottom to have that flat look or did I do something wrong? Your advice will be much appreciated. One last think what kind of cake pan did you use? PS: I love the cake! Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bronwyn, when you brush on the syrup, go very slowly. It will take awhile for it to sink in. Yes, I think your cake was more brown on the sides because of the butter. If you prefer using butter, you might want to wrap the pan with some heavy duty foil before baking. That will prevent the deep browning. And on your last question, yes the bottom of the cake becomes the top for a nice, flat cake. So happy you enjoyed it!
Constance says
I used a fork and poke holes all around the cake and then used the pastry brush and it works perfectly!
Chris Scheuer says
Great idea!
Zita says
Hi, i tried to bake this today, but somehow my cake seems wet but outside was a bit burnt. But, I like the taste.
Chris Scheuer says
Hmm, not sure what went wrong Zita. Sorry you wasted good ingredients.
Clare says
I love this recipe. It’s so easy and I always feel like a masterchef when it comes out of the oven.
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Love it!
Melanie says
What is the best way to store the cake if I have to make it the day before? (I meant to post this with my previous question and remembered just as I hit post😂.)
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Melanie, I would wrap it in plastic wrap or store it under a cake dome. It also freezes well.
Melanie says
This sounds delicious! Can I use a 9 inch cake pan in place of an 8 inch?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Melanie, you could but it will not be as high.
LeeAnn says
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I have baked it twice since discovering it on Pinterest! The lemon flavor isn’t overpowering and the cake is light and fluffy!
I also enjoyed reading about your faith in the “about us” section, how refreshing! I look forward to cooking and baking more from your blog and will be sharing your site with other family members!
Barbara Alsabrook says
We buy this cake one slice at a time from a European Deli, but the difference is they infuse the center of the cake (you can see little holes around the side) with a creamy lemon frosting and put lemon food coloring or lots of egg yokes into the batter. Gives a wonderful lemon color to the cake.. Then top with the drizzle and powdered sugar per the directions. It is to die for. One small slice (the size most people serve cheesecake slices) cost about $6 but real French Greek Yogurt is used to make the cake. Added pounds to my bottom, have to limit myself to one slice every other day! DELICOUS BTW you can buy French yogurt at Publix in the glass jar! Delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Barbara, that sounds wonderful!
Rosie says
I made this whilst on holiday in France – substituted gluten free flour and it came out wonderfully! Thanks for the recipe – this one’s a keeper 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
How fun that you made it in France! Thanks for sharing your results! So good to know it can be made GF.
Tulips says
This has been my go-to recipe for a long time. Today I turned it into an Apple Dapple Cake with 8 cups of chopped apples and the mandatory spices. The smell spread thru the house and it came out golden, moist, and delicious. Thanks again for sharing 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Oh, my goodness! That sounds wonderful! I will try it!
Susanna says
This turned out lovely! So simple and delicious. One piece just tasted like more!
Thank you for the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Susanna! We love this cake!
M says
Very simple to make but the taste is so good. The only thing I changed is the amount of granulated sugar, it was too sweet the first time I made it.
Debbie says
Sample and nices,we all enjoy it thanks.