Easy Yogurt Cake

This easy yogurt cake is super light and moist, and delicious at any time of day! You’ll love the light crumb and subtle tang. Plus, it’s so dang easy to make in under an hour with less than 10 ingredients. Top this fluffy yogurt cake with a dollop of Greek yogurt, fresh berries and a drizzle of maple or honey. Enjoy!

Recipe Highlights

• Soft, tender crumb: This cake is super moist and fluffy, and honestly is delicious served on its own without a topping. Jazz things up by topping it with a dollop of Greek or skyr yogurt and fresh berries. Delish!
• Simple ingredients: This yogurt cake comes together with 9 simple ingredients. Gotta love a recipe that doesn’t require a trip to the grocery store!
• Easy to make: Whip up this yogurt cake and have it on the table ready to serve in under an hour.

Ingredients Needed

• Greek yogurt or skyr yogurt: I’ve tested this cake with both skyr and Greek yogurt and both work flawlessly! I prefer plain yogurt, but you could also use vanilla yogurt if you prefer a sweeter cake. 
• All-purpose flour: AP flour is crucial to this cake! I have not tested this with any other flour, so please proceed with caution here.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Baking powder helps this yogurt cake to rise and achieve its fluffy texture.
• Maple syrup: Maple is my go-to sweetener for baked goods. It adds amazing rich flavor.
• Avocado oil: This is a neutral oil, so the flavor isn’t overpowering, and it helps create a moist yogurt cake. Olive oil will also work, but it will impact the overall flavor.
• Eggs: You’ll need 2 eggs for this yummy cake! Don’t make substitutions here.  
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla goes a long way! Almond extract is also delicious if you’d like to substitute.

How to Make Yogurt Cake

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. 
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. 
4. Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes, reduce the heat to 350℉ and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it. Reducing the temperature ensures that this yogurt cake cooks evenly without burning.
5. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack.  
6. Add your toppings and, enjoy! I love topping this cake with a dollop of yogurt and a handful of fresh berries.

Tips for the Best Results

• Make sure to reduce the oven temperature from 425℉ to 350℉ after 5 minutes of baking. This ensures that the yogurt cake cooks evenly without burning.
• Don’t use fat free yogurt. No ifs ands or buts here — fat free yogurt contains much higher water content, and is generally just runnier in consistency. If you use this, your yogurt cake batter will be too thin.

How to Serve It

The vanilla flavor in this yogurt cake offers a multitude of delicious pairing options! It would taste heavenly with a hot cup of pour over coffee or this vanilla sweet cream cold brew. 

In terms of toppings, I love adding a dollop of yogurt, a handful of berries and a drizzle of honey! This yogurt cake is delicious as breakfast, a snack or dessert. You really can’t be wrong.

Storage Tips

Store this yogurt cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.

More of My Favorite Cake Recipes

Can I use dairy-free yogurt for this yogurt cake?

I have not tested this recipe with a dairy-free yogurt, but please let others know in the comments if you do! I’m confident a thicker dairy-free yogurt would work great.

Why did my yogurt cake turn out dense instead of fluffy?

You need both baking powder and baking soda for this yogurt cake! If you skip either or try and substitute you risk a dense cake, and nobody wants that.

How long should the cake cool before serving?

I honestly love serving this yogurt cake warm. Just make sure to let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan before flipping out onto a serving plate (if you’re serving warm) or a cooling rack to continue to cool. This prevents sticking.