Pin it My neighbor brought over a lemon yogurt cake one afternoon, and I was immediately struck by how light it was, how the tartness cut through the sweetness in a way that felt almost refreshing. She mentioned she'd thrown it together in barely any time, using nothing but a blender, and I remember thinking there's no way something this moist and flavorful could be so effortless. That cake changed how I think about baking—sometimes the simplest method yields the most honest results.
I made this for a small gathering on a rainy Tuesday, and watching my friends' faces when they realized it had taken me ten minutes to prepare was worth more than the compliments about the flavor. One person asked if I'd used a box mix because it was so tender, and I loved having the secret that it was just yogurt, eggs, and lemons doing their thing in a blender.
Ingredients
- Plain Greek yogurt (1 cup): This is your secret weapon for moisture and tang, creating a tender crumb that stays fresh for days without tasting dry or dense.
- Large eggs (3): They bind everything together and give the cake its structure; room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly and incorporate better air.
- Vegetable oil (1/2 cup): Oil keeps the cake tender in a way butter sometimes can't; it distributes evenly through the batter and prevents that dense crumbly texture.
- Granulated sugar (1 cup): It's not just sweetness, it's moisture too, helping the cake stay tender and moist throughout baking.
- Lemon zest (from 2 lemons): This is where the real flavor lives, not in the juice alone; zest gives you those little bursts of oil and brightness.
- Fresh lemon juice (1/4 cup): Don't skip this by using bottled, the fresh brightness is unmistakable and changes everything about the flavor.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): A small amount deepens the lemon flavor rather than competing with it, making the tartness feel more rounded.
- All-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups): Measure by spooning into a cup and leveling, not by dipping the cup into the bag, or your cake will be too dense.
- Baking powder (2 teaspoons): This is your lift, so make sure it's fresh and not sitting in your pantry for years; old baking powder won't give you the rise you need.
- Salt (1/4 teaspoon): Even though it's tiny, salt sharpens the lemon flavor and balances the sweetness in ways you won't notice until it's missing.
- Powdered sugar for glaze (1/2 cup): Optional, but it adds a sweet-tart finish that makes the cake feel more intentional and elegant.
- Lemon juice for glaze (2–3 teaspoons): Adjust this based on how thick you want your glaze and how much tang you prefer.
Instructions
- Set the stage:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x5-inch loaf pan by greasing it generously or lining it with parchment paper. This takes a minute but saves you from a cake that sticks no matter how long you cool it.
- Build the wet base:
- Combine yogurt, eggs, oil, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in your blender and blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. You should hear the blender working smoothly without any chunks or visible separation.
- Add the dry ingredients with intention:
- Sprinkle flour, baking powder, and salt into the blender and pulse just until you can't see any white streaks of flour. This is where most people go wrong by overmixing, which toughens the cake; stop as soon as it looks combined.
- Transfer and bake:
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top gently. Slide it into the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool with patience:
- Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. This waiting period is hard, but it prevents the cake from breaking apart while it's still too warm.
- Make the glaze (if you're doing it):
- Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until you get a smooth, pourable consistency, then drizzle it over the cooled cake. The glaze will set slightly as it cools, giving you a little sweet-tart shell.
Pin it I brought this cake to my mother-in-law's house once, and she served it with tea while we sat at her kitchen table talking about nothing important. That moment, when food becomes less about impressing someone and more about sharing an afternoon, is when I understood why this recipe mattered so much to me.
Why This Method Changes Everything
The blender method seems almost too simple to work, but it's brilliant because there's no separate creaming of butter, no folding of flour into beaten egg whites, no risk of overmixing the dry ingredients the way you might with a hand mixer. Everything gets blended until smooth, and then you pulse in the dry ingredients just enough to combine them, which naturally prevents overworking the batter. The result is a cake that's tender and moist because you're not developing the gluten network that makes cakes tough and dense.
Lemon and Yogurt, A Flavor Combination Worth Understanding
Lemon and yogurt are a pairing that feels both unexpected and inevitable once you taste it together. The tartness of the yogurt plays off the brightness of the lemon without either one overpowering the other, and the combination feels lighter than if you were just using buttermilk or sour cream. What surprised me most is how the yogurt's tanginess actually makes the cake taste more lemony, almost by contrast, even though you're adding very little actual lemon juice.
Serving and Storage Secrets
This cake keeps beautifully for three days at room temperature wrapped in foil, and it's actually better on the second day when the flavors have had time to settle and develop. Serve it with tea, or with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream if you want to make it feel more like dessert and less like breakfast.
- Slice it with a warm, damp knife for clean cuts that don't crumble at the edges.
- Make the glaze right before serving if the cake will sit out, so it stays bright and glossy.
- If you want extra lemon flavor, add another teaspoon or two of zest or a few drops of lemon extract to the batter.
Pin it This is the kind of cake that makes you feel like a baker even when you've done almost nothing, and somehow that's exactly when baking feels most rewarding. Keep it simple, taste as you go, and trust that good ingredients in the right proportions will do what they're meant to do.
Recipe FAQ
- → What makes the cake moist and tender?
The Greek yogurt adds creaminess and moisture, while the vegetable oil keeps the crumb tender.
- → How can I enhance the lemon flavor?
Adding extra lemon zest or a few drops of lemon extract intensifies the bright citrus taste.
- → Can I substitute ingredients in this cake?
Plain whole-milk yogurt can replace Greek yogurt, but maintain the same quantity to preserve texture.
- → What is the best way to bake this cake evenly?
Use a 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, usually 35-40 minutes.
- → How should the glaze be prepared?
Whisk powdered sugar with fresh lemon juice until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake for a light citrus finish.