French Yogurt Cake (Gâteau au Citron)
This French Yogurt Cake is light, moist, and impossibly easy to make with simple ingredients like yogurt, olive oil, and lemon. A perfect French cake recipe for any occasion.
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 308kcal
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
For the Lemon Syrup:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup powdered sugar sifted
- For the Lemon Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, and eggs.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine.
- Add Olive Oil: Fold in the olive oil until smooth.
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Make the Lemon Syrup: Stir together the lemon juice and powdered sugar.
- Glaze the Cake: Cool the cake slightly, then drizzle with lemon syrup.
- Prepare the Icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Once the cake has cooled completely, drizzle the icing over the top.
- Let Set: Allow the icing to firm up before slicing.
Notes
Recipe Tips for the Best French Yogurt Cake
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring your eggs and yogurt to room temperature before mixing — it helps the batter come together more smoothly and bakes more evenly.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir the batter just until combined to avoid a dense or tough cake.
- Fresh Lemon Only: Fresh lemon zest and juice make a big difference in flavor. Bottled lemon juice won’t deliver the same bright, fresh taste.
- Check Early: Start checking the cake around the 30-minute mark. Every oven is different, and you don’t want to overbake — it should be golden and a toothpick should come out clean.
- Cool Before Glazing: Let the cake cool completely before adding the glaze to ensure it sets properly and doesn’t slide off.
- Olive Oil Choice: Use a mild olive oil to avoid overpowering the lemon flavor. Extra virgin olive oil can sometimes be too strong for delicate cakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg