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Closeup image of French Grandmother's Lemon Yogurt Cake on a turquoise ruffled cake stand.

French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake

This fabulous French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake has a really fun history. It’s also moist, super delicious and can be thrown together in minutes!
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword lemon cake, lemon yogurt cake
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 197 kcal
Author Chris Scheuer

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. 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.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs - stirring until well blended.

  3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and zest, mixing to just combine.
  4. Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into prepared pan.

  6. 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.

  7. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
  8. 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.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Adapted by Chris Scheuer from Orangette.

Nutrition Facts
French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 197 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 118mg5%
Potassium 103mg3%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 70IU1%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 47mg5%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.