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
- ½ 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.
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French Lemon Yogurt Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ 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.
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
What a pretty cake and I love the flavour combination, delicious!
Jas says
Thank you, Kat! The cake is super yummy! 🙂
Patty @pattysaveurs.com says
Oh my dear Jas! This is truly a magnificent cake, it looks so delicious, I must absolutely try your recipe!
Jas says
Thank you so much, Patty! I hope you do, you'll like it!
FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks says
Hi Jas!
I WOULD have to look at this tonight when I'm on a diet, but in a cake-eating mood! (but I'm in a cake-eating mood MOST of the time). It sounds so good! I mean the title alone sounds good, not to mention seeing the picture of this cake! I love lemon cakes...all kinds...just love that tart with the sweet, y'know. Well, I hope you used up all that yogurt this time! Sounds like it was for a worthy cause!
Thanks for sharing it with Sweet Inspiration!
Jas says
Ha ha, you and me both, Florence! There was still some left after all that! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
Lisa @ Casa Bouquet says
Jas, this is beautiful and sounds delicious! I love your photos!
Jas says
Thank you, Lisa! That really means a lot 😀
Mary says
Greek yogurt...check! Great taste...check! In my kitchen... right away! You know I'll be all over this one! Well at least my girl will make it for me. She's going through a phase now where she wants to create every day...my waistline... Oh but she is getting sooo good. Thanks for another great recipe Jas!!
Jas says
Oh, I bet Greek yogurt tastes so much better in Greece, Mary! At least you have someone creating for you - I have to do it by myself but they all line up to help me eat, lol.
Rita C at Panoply says
Looks and sounds outstandingly delish! Saw your feature on Sweet Sensations' Celebrate Your Story. Pinned - thank you!
Rita C at Panoply
Jas says
Aw, thank you, Rita! Appreciate it. Hope you give it a try 🙂
STEPHANIE ABBOTT says
Another amazing looking dessert! I need to make this one this weekend. Pinning!
Jas says
Thanks, Stephanie! You will love it!
Miz Helen says
You have inspired me, this is a beautiful cake and I can't wait to make it! I sure appreciate you sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Jas says
I hope you do, so simple and delicious!
Beverly says
Jas, this looks so pretty and no doubt it's delicious! I love the combination of flavors and can't wait to try this. We'll be featuring this at today's Snickerdoodle Party. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with us.
Jas says
Thank you, Beverly! Can't wait to see it there 😀
Sandra L Garth says
This looks absolutely amazing Jas!!
Jas says
Thank you, Sandra!
Carole from Carole's Chatter says
Hi Jas, this would fit perfectly in Food on Friday: July under the French Food theme. Hope you bring it on over to share with everybody. Cheers from Carole's Chatter
Jas says
Hi Carole, thank you so much for the invitation! I'd love to share!
Katherines Corner says
Featured this yumminess on facebook and google and pinned too xo P.S. thank you for sharing at TFT my friend
Lori at Encourage Your Spouse says
This looks so amazing! (the olive oil surprised me) --- my husband loves lemon, and the recipe looks pretty easy... I'll be trying this out next week when we're visiting our adult daughter's place. I think she has a spring form pan...
We're RV-ing full-time so I use our kids' ovens when I get the chance! Adult children are the BEST! - Oh, and they love it when I come to cook in their kitchens 'cause they get the benefit of what comes out of the stove/oven - it's a win-win situation!
Thanks for sharing. Looks so yummy - I need to stop by the farmer's market to see if there are any raspberries in season. 😉
Jas says
It sounds like you have it made, lol. If you can't find the raspberries, any berries would be great. Thanks for stopping in, Lori!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
Jas - that not only looks and sounds delicious - it's beautiful! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner link party!
Jas says
Aw, thank you! That warms my heart 🙂
Debbie Gibson says
oooh Jas this looks so scrummy! A really pretty dessert that I'm sure would be great to impress friend with 🙂
Jas says
Thanks, Debbie! Definitely pretty enough to impress 🙂 Thanks for stopping in!
Heart says
Looks so healthy and delicious! I would probably try this on a Sunday afternoon. Nice pictures!
Jas says
Thank you so much! It is really respectable for any day or time. 🙂