Gâteau au Yaourt (French Yogurt Cake)

This French yogurt cake - gâteau au yaourt - is fluffy, moist, and full of flavors. Loved by kids and adults, it is an easy no-measure cake perfect for any occasion.

The French people love their cakes, and this one is no exception. One of the first desserts that French children learn is yogurt cake.

It is the easiest French yogurt cake recipe that French kids actually know by heart. Long before primary school, they learn the cake's "1, 2, 3" counts (1 pot of oil, 2 pots of sugar, 3 pots of flour, etc.).

Jump to:

• What is French yogurt cake?
• Gateau au yaourt recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make gâteau au yaourt
• Expert Tips
• Recipe variations
• Storing and freezing
• Baking pan
• Recipe FAQ
• Love easy cakes? Try these next!
• Need to adjust your baking pan size?
• Recipe card
• Comments

That is why many people know this simple cake as a 1-2-3 cake, where the ingredients determine its name.

It is a no-measure cake where you don't need to worry about measuring your ingredients with a kitchen scale or measuring cups.

All you need is an empty yogurt container (pot de yaourt in French) or jar to measure ingredients by simply filling it up until it reaches the desired level.

The ratio of each ingredient remains constant no matter what size yogurt container or cup you use.

What is French yogurt cake?

French yogurt cake or gâteau au yaourt is a classic French pound cake made with natural yogurt (yaourt nature in French) and has been known since the 1950s.

The French translation for yogurt cake is gâteau au yaourt, where gâteau means cake, and yaourt means yogurt.

You may find recipes for cake au yogurt or cake de yogurt which means French yogurt cake: they just mix up English words and French "au" or "de."

Interestingly, this cake has different spellings depending on the country. In the United Kingdom, it is spelled as yoghurt cake, while in the United States, the spelling is yogurt cake. In Canada, the cake has its own spelling, yogourt cake.

Gateau au yaourt recipe

• This ultra moist cake de yogurt is a great way to make something delicious. You will want it for more than just breakfast tea. This is because it's so rich, moist, and sweet.

• Love to snack? As a delicious and refreshing snack, this cake will serve le goûter, which is a snacking ritual for kids in France.

• The perfect slice will make any time of day an occasion worth celebrating. It is awesome for an upcoming birthday party or just because you happened upon some time spare in your busy day.

• A cake with yogurt is one of the most popular cakes in the world and is also one of the richest homemade sponge cakes made with pantry staples.

• The gateau au yaourt recipe is easy and quick, cheap and tasty - what could be better? You only need 10 to 15 minutes of hands-on time to make the cake.

• What's the best about this cake? It could be made all year round for the pleasure of kids and adults alike.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Find the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Please, note that a yogurt container serves as a measure here. Keep your yogurt cup empty to measure your ingredients.

Also, read How To Make A Cake Moist.

• Yogurt: The recipe calls for plain yogurt, but feel free to replace it with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a softer cake. 

You can also add a tablespoon of creme fraiche (the right French spelling crème fraîche) to the batter. Depending upon your preferences, you can use sheep's or goat's milk yogurt. In fact, even buttermilk or sour cream work for this recipe. 

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature.

• Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated sugar, but you can replace two yogurt containers with one container of honey.

If you watch your sugar intake, you can adapt the recipe by using one pot of sugar. If desired, replace granulated sugar with brown sugar, muscovado, or vergeoise sugar to bring more flavor to the cake.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour or replace half of the flour with cornstarch. To discover a yogurt cake with new flavors, you can also replace part of the flour with almond or hazelnut flour.

• Baking powder (levure chimique in French): it is an essential leavening agent. You can replace half of the baking powder with baking soda to bring an undeniable softness to the preparation. 

• Oil brings moisture to this classic cake. Use olive oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil interchangeably. The use of mild olive oil to make gâteau au yaourt is the best choice due to its intense fluffy power.

The worst option would be using rapeseed oil since it loses most properties above 300 degrees F/150 degrees C and tends to give an unpleasant bitter taste.

You are also free to experiment with melted coconut oil. If you wonder about butter, you can also use melted butter to make the cake.

• Vanilla sugar: 1 envelope or sachet de sucre vanillé is enough to bring the vanilla flavor to the cake

• Lemon zest (zeste de citron) gives a little tangy touch to this classic French cake. You can replace it with orange or grapefruit zest if desired. The best way to get freshly made zest is to use one of the Microplane zesters - a zester grater.

How to make gâteau au yaourt

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Using a pastry brush and softened butter, grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan and dust it with flour.

Step 2. Mix flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Pour the yogurt into a separate large bowl. Clean the jar to use it as a measurer.

Step 3. Add eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla sugar to the yogurt and beat with a hand whisk for a few seconds (photo 1).

Step 4. Add the oil and quickly mix. At this stage, add citrus zest or fruits, apples, pears, lemon zest, etc.

Step 5. Fold the dry ingredients and vanilla sugar into the yogurt mixture and gently mix just to combine (photo 2). Please, don't overwork the batter!

Step 6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan (photo 3).

Step 7. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until golden brown for 30 to 40 minutes (photo 4).

Pro tip: A cake tester or the tip of a knife inserted in the center of the cake should come clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Step 8. Let the cake cool for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing (powdered) sugar if desired. Bon appétit!

Expert Tips

1. Don't use an electric mixer or stand mixer: only mix the ingredients with a hand whisk.
2. Don't overmix the cake batter: whisk for 5-10 seconds at every step until just combined. Never stir the batter more than necessary.
3. Cover it with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent your cake from burning.
4. To prevent the cake from drying out, slice it once serving it, not in advance. The cake retains moisture when it remains whole. 
5. If you double the recipe and use 2 pots of yogurt, bake the cake at the lower temperature - 320°F (160°C) - for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness with a sharp knife or a toothpick.

Recipe variations

It is a perfect basic cake recipe that never disappoints with guaranteed success every time. You can also customize your yogurt cake according to what you want or have in stock.

• Add-ins: To give your cake au yaourt even more flavor, add semi-sweet chocolate chips, candied orange, lemon, or orange zest, diced apples or pears, raspberries, speculoos crumble, or a tablespoon of orange blossom water.

All you have to do is mix your favorite add-in into the batter once the oil has been incorporated and gently combine.

• Flavors: Follow your childhood memories to customize the yogurt cake recipe, and add a teaspoon vanilla extract.

Or give your guests the perfect ending to a delicious dinner by serving them the yogurt cake with added 1 to 2 tablespoons of dark rum.

• Fruits: Thinking about seasonality, add canned or fresh fruit. For example, arrange six pineapple slices in syrup at the bottom of the mold. Then, place one candied cherry in the center of each piece. 

Pour batter and bake as directed in the recipe. Then unmold the cake upside down to reveal the pineapples.

Or cut fresh strawberries in two lengthwise, and place them at the bottom of a pan, flat side outwards. Pour the cake batter and bake.

• Chocolate: You can easily upgrade your cake to a gourmet yogurt cake by dividing the batter into two parts and replacing 1 oz. or 30 g flour with cocoa powder in one part.

Then arrange light and dark batter in a checkerboard pattern into a cake pan, swirl, and bake.

• Spices: During Christmas time, it is your turn to make a holiday-themed yogurt cake. Add a tablespoon of ground cinnamon and about 3.5 oz. or 100 g candied fruit cut into pieces to the cake batter.

• Decoration: From confectioner’s sugar and royal icing all the way down through caramel sauce or red fruit coulis - you are covered in flavor here.

Or try something more special: top off your yummy cake with flaked or slivered almonds, apricot jam, or candied lemon slices, or soak with rum-flavored sugar syrup.

• Layer yogurt cake: To give your cake a festive look, slice it into two layers horizontally and garnish it with your favorite cream or jam.

• Rainbow yogurt cake: Divide your batter into five equal portions. Then, add several drops of food coloring to obtain vivid colors. Gently pour the first dough into the center of the pan, then the second still in the center, and continue. 

• Mini yogurt cakes: If you are used to making it in a round cake pan or loaf pan, nothing prevents you from making muffin-style yogurt cakes. 

Just pour the batter halfway up into buttered muffin cavities, add one tablespoon of Nutella and chopped unsalted peanuts into each, then cover with the rest of the batter. Bake for 25 minutes.

Such a cute version of the cake will delight the whole family. It is perfect for breakfast, an addition to everyone's lunch box, and an afternoon snack. 

Storing and freezing

The yogurt cake tastes better the next day. A little waiting lets the cake be enriched with all the aromas of the ingredients.

To store the cake, wrap it in aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, or place it in an airtight container. Please keep it for 1 to 2 days at room temperature and up to a week in a cool, dry place.

Refrigerate yogurt cake immediately if it is made with frosting, cream, dairy, or egg-based toppings, and store it for a couple of days only.

Can you freeze yogurt cake? Wrap the plain yogurt cake with plastic film or aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 4 to 6 months.

To defrost, bring the cake to the fridge overnight or the counter for a few hours.

Baking pan

This French yogurt cake uses a yogurt container to measure ingredients. Since yogurt containers have different capacities, it makes sense to use different sizes of baking pans:

• 8-inch (20 cm) Le Creuset springform pan, or
• 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, or
• 10-inch (25 cm) Wilton springform pan, or
• 11-inch (27 cm) Ballarini springform pan, or
• 12-inch (30 cm) extra large springform pan.

For the yogurt cake in the picture, I used an 8-inch/20 cm Fat Daddio's round cake pan and a 4 oz. or 113 g plain yogurt container.

Here is a simple table that converts a yogurt container into a cake pan to make the yogurt cake. 

It considers the capacity of a yogurt container as a measuring cup. If your baking pan is a different size or shape, use this Cake Pan Calculator.

Measurements in ounces and inches

Yogurt capacity	Cake pan size
4 oz.	8 inches
4.4 oz.	9 inches
5 oz.	10 inches
5.3 oz.	11 inch
6 oz.	12 inch

Measurements in grams and centimeters

Yogurt capacity	Cake pan size
113 g	20 cm
125 g	23 cm
141 g	25 cm
150 g	27 cm
170 g	30 cm

Recipe FAQ

Love easy cakes? Try these next!

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.