Need a go-to cake for your company? This lemon yogurt cake with raspberry sauce is barely sweet and perfect to serve with your afternoon tea or your morning coffee. Need I say more?
When life hands you yogurt...
The best foods I've made were by pure coincidence or by me trying to use up whatever I have in my fridge. Can you relate? That happened with this super delicious French lemon yogurt cake.
First, let me tell you: the cake is amazing by itself but topped with the raspberry sauce it is absolutely da bomb!
So, I had too much yogurt, four pounds to be exact, that someone bought (if only they'd listen...). Yogurt is perishable and you can't return it. Since I don't like wasting food, I set about figuring out some ways to use it.
Let's see: I made Tzatziki sauce, strawberry frozen yogurt for the grandkids, I served it with Bosnian meat pie, made parfaits and overnight oatmeal for breakfast, and still had plenty left.
What else can I make with yogurt?
Then I remembered the lemon yogurt cake I had a couple of decades ago in Saint-Tropez. Yep, sometimes I remember little things like that vividly, especially food-related.
In the pre-Internet era (geez, I'm old) you couldn't easily get your hands on a recipe you liked. Add a foreign language to the equation and I could only dream of that French lemon yogurt cake. Until I had tons of yogurt to use. And the Internet, ha!
So I adapted a few different recipes. One recipe used ingredients I already had on hand, another one was just the perfect size, and Deb from Smitten Kitchen (love her) served hers with a sauce.
She suggests making the cake up to three days ahead but that cake wouldn't last three days in my house. You can make the sauce ahead too and it freezes well. I only had frozen raspberries, so I used them for the sauce but any berries would be just fine.
My only complaint about this lemon yogurt cake is that it didn't last long. Man, we inhaled it faster than it had time to completely cool down.
It is so good that the person (who shall remain nameless because he is a really good guy and I like him a lot) that came home with too much yogurt said I should be thankful for his mistake. I am. Funny how things work out for the best.
This cake tastes just like it did many moons ago in a tiny cafe on the French Riviera. Only better.
Ingredients:
- plain Greek yogurt
- eggs
- olive oil
- sugar
- vanilla
- lemon
- all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- baking powder
- ground nutmeg (optional)
- frozen raspberries (fresh work too, just double the water)
Directions:
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease an 8-inch springform pan (9-inch works fine too, but the cake will not have the same height) lightly with oil or baking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Tip: set the pan on paper and trace around with a pen. Cut it inside the drawn circle and line the pan. This doesn't have to be perfect. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the yogurt, eggs, olive oil, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and juice.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg (if using) into the liquids and stir until no lumps remain.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (cover with foil at the end, if the top is browning too fast).
- Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Serve the cake warm, at room temperature, or cold.
For the sauce:
- Pulse together raspberries, water, sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender until puréed.
- Press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
- Cover and refrigerate.
How would you use up extra yogurt? I'd love to hear in case my you-know-who brings home another ton, lol.
Liked this recipe? Leave a โญโญโญโญโญ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
French Lemon Yogurt Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ยฝ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- โ cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- a pinch of ground nutmeg, optional
For the sauce
- 12 oz. frozen raspberries, fresh work too, just double the water
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease an 8-inch springform pan (9-inch works fine too, but the cake will not have the same height) lightly with oil or baking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Tip: set the pan on paper and trace around with a pen. Cut it inside the drawn circle and line the pan. This doesn't have to be perfect. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the yogurt, eggs, olive oil, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and juice.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg (if using) into the liquids and stir until no lumps remain.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (cover with foil at the end if the top is browning too fast).
- Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Serve the cake warm, at room temperature or cold.
For the sauce:
- Pulse together raspberries, water, sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender until puréed.
- Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
- Cover and refrigerate.
Kathy Gruell says
Batter comes out thick like banana bread. Too much flour? Especially for one layer...I threw out about 2/3 cup of the flour mixture. It's in the oven now, and I don't trust it.
Jas says
Sorry if the batter isn't as you expected. It is baked in a springform, so it is a little thicker and it won't leak out. The baked layer should be high but spongy. Hope it turns out ok for you. ๐
juliet says
Hi
Having seen the 5*rating, i threw myself to do this recipe. Followed every step but the result was far from satisfying. Texture was ok but nothing amazing. In fact, when eating with your hands, you are left fairly oily fingers so I think oil amount needs to be adjusted, but basically flavour was just not there....
I'd say it needs more vanilla, juice and zest.
Shame, it looked promising
Jas says
I'm so sorry it was a disappointment to you. With the sauce on top, it would be hard to eat with your hands so I'd suggest a fork or a spoon even (I hardly ever eat a cake with my hands). The raspberry sauce also provides enough of the flavor and tartness but if you're not making the sauce, then yes - more vanilla and more lemon juice. Thanks for trying it out. I hope you give it another go with those adjustments and I'm sure you'll like it more. ๐
Kristin says
Your photos are lovely! If we could just taste the cake through the screen! Pinned!
Jas says
Haha, wouldn't that be awesome, Kristin? Thank you!
Barbara Windle says
This looks so good. I love anything with lemons. I have pinned it.
Jas says
Thank you very much, Barbara! Have a wonderful weekend!
Carol, The Red Painted Cottage says
Oh my, I love anything lemon and this sounds so delicious with the raspberry sauce. I'll be making this one for sure.
Jas says
Thanks, Carol! I know you'll like it. ๐