This lemon yogurt cake recipe produces a soft and tender loaf cake bursting with lemon and made with a blend of oils for a fun flavor addition. It's perfect for brunch and dessert alike!
1cupgranulated sugarplus 2 teaspoons for preparing the pan
⅔cupplain yogurt(I usually use Greek)
3largeeggs
¼cupneutral-tasting oilsuch as canola or vegetable
¼cupextra-virgin olive oil
2Tablespoonslemon juice
1Tablespoongrated lemon zest(from about 1 large lemon)
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Confectioners' sugarfor dusting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 ½" x 4 ½" loaf pan with unsalted butter or cooking spray, then sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of granulated sugar all over the greased pan to coat the bottom and sides well. Shake out any excess sugar. Set aside pan for now.
In a medium mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
In a separate mixing bowl add 1 cup granulated sugar, yogurt, eggs, both oils, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine very well (by hand is fine, but you can use an electric mixer if you prefer).
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet and whisk until combined evenly, smooth, and no flour streaks remain. Take care not to overmix the batter at this point as that can lead to a tougher crumb. Pour out batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are golden-brown and a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully run a thin spatula or paring knife along the sides of the pan to loosen it before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Dust with confectioners' sugar just prior to serving.
Notes
Ingredient NotesYogurt: Fat percentage is not super important as there's oil added here as well. This recipe was tested with non-fat, low-fat, and whole-milk Greek yogurts and all work. Regular (non-Greek) yogurt will work if you prefer.Oil: The half-and-half split of neutral oil (canola or vegetable) and olive oil is my preferred way to make this cake flavor-wise, but using all neutral oil would work fine instead. I haven't tried this cake with all olive oil.Recipe Notes
This recipe was made and tested in an 8 ½" x 4 ½" loaf pan. A 9" x 5" pan will also work, though your cake will be less tall and the bake time will likely need to be adjusted down.
It's easier to grip a whole lemon to zest it than to try and zest it after it's been sliced and juiced.
Try not to open the oven door as this cake is baking, as cool air entering the oven can interfere with the cake rising. If you cannot rely on your oven light or peeking through the oven door window, wait until towards the end of the bake time to quickly take a look.
Storage Instructions: Once entirely cooled, wrap the lemon yogurt cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for several days. If you have a partial loaf remaining, wrap it so the plastic wrap is flat against the cut-side (and not just draped over top of a larger pan). This will keep more air away and allow it to stay fresher.Freezing Instructions: Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil, or place the cake in an air-tight bag with as much air as possible pressed out before freezing.Serving Suggestions: Whipped cream and fresh fruit (such as berries) are a favorite. In place of the confectioners' sugar dusting, you can instead drizzle a glaze over top of the cake once it has cooled completely if you prefer.
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.