French Yogurt Cake is a quick soft cake which you can prepare anytime when you crave a simply delicious cake.
I have made this cake countless times in a square and round mold.
Pick your cake pan shape and let’s make my family’s yogurt cake recipe.
What is the French yogurt cake?
The French yogurt cake is probably the easiest cake in the world and is prepared by using cups.
Best part is, that it only requires 6 ingredients.
Traditionally yogurt glass cups were used to measure the ingredients quickly and effortlessly for the cake.
The yogurt in the cake makes the cake fluffy and lends a certain moistness to the cake.
Hence why this cake always turns out perfect every time.
The yogurt cake is better known as Gateau au yaourt in French.
Tip: Make this cake with homemade french yogurt.
How to make French yogurt cake?
This french yogurt cake is a family recipe and we have been making it since forever.
You can follow the straightforward steps to prepare this cake from scratch within minutes.
The complete recipe instructions with ingredient details can be viewed further below in the printable recipe card.
Step 1
In a mixing bowl add the yogurt, flour, sugar baking powder, eggs, and oil.
Step 2
Combine all the ingredients to a smooth pastry.
Step 3
Bake your simple cake for about 30-35 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius.
Cake Recipe and Ingredient Variations
You can pep up this cake recipe by switching the plain yogurt with yogurt flavors or yogurt varieties such as:
- Vanilla flavored yogurt
- Fruit-flavored yogurts
- thick Greek or Bulgarian Yogurt or Icelandic skyr yogurt
- Non Dairy Yogurts such as coconut milk yogurt or lactose-free
- Curds (thick curdled milk)
- Kefir fermented yogurt
- Homemade Yogurt
Cake Shape
For this yogurt cake recipe, you get to choose which cake shape you would like to use.
I like to use square, rectangular or round BPA-free food save silicon molds.
Square or Rectangular shape: 8 x 3-inch (20 x 7.5 cm) or up to 10 x 5 (25 x 12.5 cm)
Round shape: 8 or 9 inch shape (20 or 22)
I used a 9 inch silicon mold in my video.
However, keep in mind that each cake shape will need baking time adjustment which can vary by 5 minutes.
Especially if you use a larger 10 x 5-inch cake pan and not all ovens are the same.
Keep an eye on your cake and do a test by poking with a knife into the cake when you think it’s done.
If the knife comes back clean, the cake is ready but if it comes back sticky with dough, bake the cake for another 5-10 minutes and repeat the test.
More Cake Recipes
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French Yogurt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 8.45 fluid ounces Yogurt
- 2 Teaspoon Baking Powder *see Notes
- 7 ounces All Purpose Flour
- 7 ounces Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 4 Tablespoon Oil
- Butter to grease cake pan/mold
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add the yogurt, baking powder, all purpose flour, sugar, eggs and oil.
- Mix the contents well to a smooth cake mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius.
- Grease your cake pan with butter.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius.
- Test if your cake is done baking by poking in with a knife. If it comes back clean it's done, or else some more minutes and repeat test.
Notes
- Use Baking Powder, not Baking Soda!! These are two different ingredients.
- You can use half amount all-purpose flour and the other half corn flour to make a super fluffy french yogurt cake
Nutrition
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Excellent recipe! I substituted oil for coconut oil, sugar for coconut sugar and sprinkled coconut flakes on top. So happy I found this post.
Great, thanks for sharing your adaptation! Someone else might find it helpful 🙂
I loved this recipe it is so adaptable, during lockdown (UK) I’ve re-discovered my love of baking, First cake was vanilla closely followed by a variation with almond essence and flaked almonds, then apple and blackberry with a brown caster sugar topping. Thank you for the metric figures, I much prefer weighing ingredients, I used self raising flour and 60ml of vegetable oil, less caster sugar about 220 grams, and a tsp. of cinnamon with the apple and frozen blackberries. I’m going to try a rhubarb and ginger variation next. A totally delicious cake.
Hi Lorna! That’s wonderful! Thank you for all the amazing adaptation ideas. That way we can get creative. I totally get what you mean, I like to weigh my ingredients too. So, much easier to get it right when you are baking a cake.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I tried it out during this COVID lockdown and it was amazing!! I didn’t have the same amount of yogurt but it still came out amazing. Definitely will keep this recipe for another rainy day 🙂
OK I just made this cake, watched the video twice. I added an 1/2 tsp of pure almond extract. From ur video the yogurt you used looked more liquid (did u make ur own?) because my batter did not pour so fluid as your. Used plain organic yogurt and vegetable oil.
End result, it was ok, greased the pan well still stuck to pan. More likely the birds will enjoy it more.
Hi Mia,
I’m sorry Mia that your cake didn’t turn out how you expected. I used regular plain store-bought yogurt. I removed all the cup measurements and switched them to weighing measurements because I feel the problem is that a standard cup isn’t the same thing everywhere.
Lol! I guess the baker didn’t like my comment since it was deleted. Definitely would not make this again; bland, bland and bland. The photo looks good but that’s about it.
Thanks for your feedback. Nope, no comment is ever removed. Comments are removed automatically if bad language is used.
To the cake: It’s a french yogurt cake and yes our cakes are not that super sweet in Europe. It’s a french cake after all.
I’ve made this twice now because it was so good. I don’t know how you made it but to me it tasted like a pancake. So I made maple buttercream frosting and frosted it with that. Everyone at my sisters work loved it as well
Tehya thanks for your feedback. Glad to read that you liked it.
I love the simplicity of the recipe, AND your cake looks sooooo moist! Beautiful, Hugs, Terra
Thank you Terra for the compliment. Let me know if u ever get the time to try the recipe out, how it was. =)
And that, dear Helene, is why I bake. The world is too fast and too crazy and often too difficult and isn’t it nice to close oneself in the kitchen and measure and stir and bake? And then have something simple yet luscious to savor. Beautiful, perfect cake just like we love cake in our house.
Thank you jamie! It means a lots to hear that from u, a master baker. I agree, baking is relaxing. ^.^ and my husband loves me tripple for that. =P
I want this cake with my daily tea. Looks so yum 🙂
Hi Helene – I love how light and fluffy this looks! So cool that it’s easily measured too using the pots 😀
Yummm!!! This cake looks deliciously moist:)
Need to try it soon♥¸.•*´¯*♥
Hi lea! Let me know if u need any help! =D
LOL, you are funny, Helene! But seriously, your yogurt cake looks amazing. It looks so moist and I want to eat a piece (minimum!!). Let’s enjoy life…. with your cake! 🙂
That is such a lovely looking yoghurt cake. It looks so moist. And I love how the ingredients are measured – great idea xx
Helene this cake looks so nice light and moist. I would love a piece right about now.
this tender yogurt cake would be perfect with a warm cup of tea. 🙂
Wow..the cake looks so light and fluffy!
What a gorgeous cake! Soft, moist and so delicious! Wish I could have some with my cup of tea, right now.
You are always invited in goa for coffee or tea time Asmita! =)
This looks so pretty! I never find enough hours in a day and I’m always tired. 🙂
Yummy looking cake.
And I too agree with you. 24hrs are too less at times to get stuff done. But definitely something delicious like this, and thing might seem better. You do feel upbeat.
I for one definitely need 30-hour days 🙂 ! Don’t think the Powers Above somehow will oblige! So, it is lists, lists, more lists, and, sometimes, as in about 5 mins today, one just switches off and into a more sensible mode 🙂 !
What a delicious refreshing cake with tea 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Helena, Cant agree more with the way there are far too many things to complete than we have time.
The cake looks gorgeous, moist and perfect.
I can absolutely relate to having an endless list of things to do. I’m getting better about shutting it all out at least two days a week, but it sure can be hard sometimes. I love the look and sound of this cake. I would gladly eat a slight to end my day on a happy, tasty note. 🙂
I still struggling to manage certain things in life. The worst part is when I have promised something to somebody and I get stuck executing it. O.O I guess we experience life all in a similar manner. I d love to invite you Kristy for a bite. 😉
I love to use yogurt and buttermilk in baking too. The cake looks beautiful!
Thanks Angie and I agree, it keep the cake moist for much longer. =)
I totally agree with you, sometimes it can be overwhelming with thousands/millions things to do. the list is endless.. that’s why I always must have my to-do list, prioritising the list. else I’ll go crazy.
this recipe is my kind of recipe, super easy. love it!
yeah the to do list is essential. =)
I am sure you are going to have a blast with the recipe. 😉
Yummy looking! I have been adding fresh yogurt to a lot of my recipes and this is a must try. Unfortunately I don not know the conversion. Can you help with that!
Kind regards!