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Moist Greek Yogurt Cake Recipe: Easy, Tender, and Lemon-Scented

Moist Greek Yogurt Cake

A tender, easy loaf cake made with full-fat Greek yogurt, neutral oil, vanilla, and optional lemon zest. Finish it with a simple lemon glaze for a bright, bakery-style topping.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1 1/2 cups (190 g) All-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs Large eggs, preferably at room temperature
  • 1 cup (225–240 g) Plain Greek yogurt, full-fat preferred
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) Neutral vegetable oil, such as canola or sunflower
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 lemon Finely grated lemon zest
Optional Lemon Glaze
  • 1 cup (115 g) Powdered sugar
  • 1–2 tablespoons Lemon juice

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving some paper over the long sides to make lifting the baked cake easier.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix, because excessive stirring can produce a dense crumb.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40–50 minutes, beginning to check at 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  5. Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing or adding the glaze.
  6. For the optional glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with 1–2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Allow the glaze to set briefly before serving.

Notes

Full-fat Greek yogurt and room-temperature eggs give the softest, richest result. If the yogurt is unusually thick and the batter seems stiff, loosen it with 1 tablespoon of milk. Begin checking at 40 minutes because overbaking is the most common cause of a dry yogurt cake.