This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
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.
French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 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
For the glaze:
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup of powdered sugar
Instructions
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Patricia Gooden says
absolutely love this recipe, I double the recipe and use bundt tin , mainly use vegetable or sunflower oi and they work beautifully.
While cake is cooling after 5 minutes I drizzle half a cup of lemon juice with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. lemon juice soaks into cake leaving some sugar granules siting on top of cake. Serve a slice with a few raspberries, an easy dessert.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your resutls, Patricia!
Justine says
Omg yes! Thank you Patricia. I was wondering if I could make in a Bundt pan. Doubling the recipe makes sense. Any other special tips for greasing the pan? I see the recipe calls for lining a regular pan with parchment…
Susan McCoy says
This is one great recipe! Easy and delicious. My 92-year mother is bedridden and her appetite is not good. I think she could, however, eat one of these cakes daily. Do you have advice for baking this in a muffin tin? I think this type of portion would be easier for her to handle. Thank you so much for this recipe 😊😊
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Susan! I have not made this into cupcakes but I think it should work fine. Just keep an eye on them in the oven.
Nicole says
Hello! I just made this recipe again today, however this time I turned them into cupcakes using a muffin tin. I set the timer for 18 minutes, and they came out perfectly golden-brown and fluffy (although I do second the need to keep an eye on them, as ovens do differ). I then brushed the lemon glaze on top of each muffin and sprinkled a light coat of powdered sugar to finish. I hope that helps and that you and your family enjoy them!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome, Nicole! Thanks for letting us know, I know others will find that helpful.
Sandra says
Love the lemon and yogurt cake, made it several times, with great success. I am wondering if I can substitute flour for gluten free flour?
Chris Scheuer says
I'm sorry we missed this comment, Sandra! I have not tried it, so I can't say for sure. But I think it would work. Let us know if you try it.
Mattia says
Can you please put up the ingredients in grams not cups? Not all cups are the same size!
Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mattia, if you look above the word "Instructions" in the recipe, you'll see the option to convert to metric measurements.
Mattia says
Can you ease put up tne ingredients in gra.s not cups? Not all cups are the same size!
Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mattia, at the end of the ingredients list, you can click metric to convert the measurements.
Donna Manning says
Hi chris, i don't have any of the oils you mentioned, can i substitute with something else ?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Donna, any neutral-flavored oil will work. Avocado, sunflower, safflower, vegetable, canola, grapeseed...
Pam Tangney says
I would like to add lemon curd to middle of half the batter then top with remaining batter. I did it with a 9 inch pan but want to try with 8 inch. It turned out really good in 9 inch but worried it my run over on 8. Your thoughts? Thanks, PT
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Pam, I think you might run into problems with it running over. When you bake this in an 8-inch pan it comes right to the top.
Helen says
oooh this sounds so good! I'm planning on baking it this weekend but wondered about baking it in a loaf tin rather? Would it fit and do you know how long to bake it for if in a loaf tin?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Helen, I think it will work fine but I can't honestly say how long it will take since I haven't tested this recipe in a loaf pan. I would surmise that it will take longer since it will be a deeper cake.
Cath says
Hi Chris,
I want to try this recipe of yours today. It looks tasty in the pictures plus it sounded easy based on your recipe. Can i substitute the all-purpose flour with cake flour? It's what i have on-hand. Looking forward to your reply. Thanks in advance!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Cath, I haven't tested this recipe with cake flour but I think it should be fine as long as it doesn't have any baking soda or baking powder in it.
Yuro says
Can I use 7 inch cake pan?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Yuro, unless your cake pan has unusually tall sides, a 7-inch cake pan will be too small.
Yvonne Natabona says
Hi Nadine,
Such a lovely, yet simple cake. Love the flavours and the taste when you take each bite of the cake. My to go recipe when I need a lemon cake. I have made it severally and simply love it. Looking forward to trying more recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Yvonne!
Mercedes says
I made this today as had family coming for brunch and our lemon tree (here in New Zealand) is overloaded with lemons. What a fantastic, simple, quick and delicious recipe. Everyone loved it!! Off to try your other lemon recipes now!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Mercedes! Thanks for sharing your results!
Noah says
Very delicious cake, thank you for this recipe. My family loved it, they devoured it in 4 hours..
Very easy to make, another delicious lemon recipe added to the books🤟🏼
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Noah!
Eve says
I love this cake! It’s the easiest lemon cake I have ever made and so amazingly moist. My daughter ate 3 slices in one go. I had 2! So I put 1/2 cup almond flour and 1 cup normal flour.
I do that because I happened to have almond flour . Next time I will do it with just plain flour. Love love love !
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Eve!
Nive says
What can be the substitute for eggs in the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi, Nive, I can't say for sure as I haven't ever tried a substitute for eggs.
Irene says
Try 1/4 cup yoghurt instead of an egg
Anu says
Hallo,
does 1/2 cup yogurt mean 120 g? I have this in the oven right now but it's not looking right.
Looking forward to the answer
Regards
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Anu, hopefully, your cake will be okay. If you look at our recipes, there is a metric conversion button right above the word "Instructions". According to our converter, ½ cup of yogurt is 100g.
Angie says
Yuuuuuuuumm! Mine didn’t come out as pretty but tasted fantastic! The only part of the recipe that I didn’t like, which applies to any baking recipe really, is the waiting for it to cool part. I may have started nibbling at one end. Thanks for another great recipe Chris!!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Glad you enjoyed it, Angie!
Shanethechef says
Wanted to use up some yoghurt and some lemons so made this today, and just ate my first piece. It was very tasty, light and fluffy and nice and lemony. I subbed some of the flour for almond meal, as I like the texture, and I pricked the cake with a skewer before putting the (heated) glaze on top, and sprinkled with some reserved zest. Thanks very much for the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Shane!
Regina says
This cake sounds amazing. I am going to make it tonight for my sister-in-laws birthday as she doesn't like sweet cakes or icing. I will decorate with an edible flower arrangement on one side.
Does this cake keep well overnight in the fridge?
Monica Wong says
I want to thank you so much Chris for the delicious grandmother's lemon yoghurt cake. I made it yesterday and when my neighbours came over for a chat served it to them. And all of us enjoyed the cake SO MUCH we ate more than half the cake and they took some home. Instead of using sugar glazing I mixed up 3 tablespoons of honey citron syrup with the 1 lemon juice and glazed it over the cake - we REALLY REALLY enjoyed it. It's so easy to make also. I love it so much the next day I decided to bake 2 more for more friends to try. Your GRANDMA is the best. Salute to grandma.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Monica! Thanks for sharing your results!
beth says
My cake is in the oven as I type, and the kitchen smells amazing. Could I have substituted the oil for apple sauce?
Will have to let you know how this one comes out, but I usually don't bake with oil. What do you think?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Beth, I haven't tried subbing applesauce for the oil. I'm afraid though you wouldn't have the same delicious results.
mary b dobron says
have you ever doubled recipe and used a bundt pan? this recipe seems lighter than my lemon/blueberry cake, probably because of the oil instead of butter. do you think i could add bluberries/rasberries?
Chris Scheuer says
I have not tried that, Mary, but I think it would probably work. If you try it, let us know! We also have a strawberry version you might be interested in- https://thecafesucrefarine.com/easy-fresh-strawberry-cake/
Emma says
Hi Chris - I just wanted to say how much I love this recipe, I've baked it numerous times and it is delicious without fail. I bake it in a loaf tin as I don't have an 8 inch tin. I also use the glaze that my grandmother used to use on her lemon drizzle cakes, the juice of a couple of lemons and icing sugar warmed in a pan until the sugar melts, then poured over the cake while it's still hot in the pan. I poke holes in the cake to let the glaze sink right in. Thank you so much for such a gorgeous recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your results, Emma!
J. Thornton says
Can you use corn oil? Or what substitute would be better.
The list of ingredients does not list amount of Lemon Juice nor the powder sugar needed for recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Corn oil will work fine. The lemon juice and powdered sugar are listed under"For the glaze:" below the cake ingredients. Enjoy!
Nadine says
Hi Chris,
I tried baking this cake. The cake turned out beautifully but the smell of it does not sit well with me. It smells of stale oil 😞. I was wondering if it is due to the canola oil or lack of vanilla extract that caused the stale oil smell?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nadine, I've never had the experience you're describing and, with hundreds of other comments, have never had anyone else complain of this either. The aroma is amazing as this cake bakes, lemony and heavenly. Could your oil (or perhaps some other ingredient you used0 be stale?
Nadine says
Thanks for your quick reply, Chris. 🙂 Most of my ingredients are quite fresh as i have been baking every 2-3 days. I will add some Vanilla Extract and use a new canola oil in my next try..
Janeen C Nunnari says
Nadine. Oil smell means there’s too much oil added. Try using a tablespoon less out of your measured amount
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Janeen.
Thuy-Thuy says
Hi Nadine,
I have tried this recipe twice and enjoyed the cake. I didn't taste or smell "stale oil" in my cake, but, indeed, could clearly detect the difference between cakes using vegetable oils and those not. My guess is you may be sensitive to oil taste. How about substituting oil with butter? Not so healthy, but, unless you are against dairy, I would say butter should make it nice in taste, and more fragrant.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Thuy-Thuy!