French Yogurt Cake (Gâteau au Yaourt)

Name: French Yogurt Cake (Gâteau au Yaourt)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (180g) all purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar; 1 cup (245g) plain full fat yogurt *; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 1 tablespoon blood orange zest; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup (118ml) grapeseed oil; 1/2 cup (50g) confectioner's sugar; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed blood orange juice; pinch of salt

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This beautiful French yogurt cake is delicately sweet, light, and airy, yet incredibly moist with a tender crumb. It is infused with blood orange and vanilla flavours, and lavishly drizzled in the prettiest glaze. And best of all - it's quick and easy to make. Based on the rave reviews from everyone who tried it, I think you're going to love it too!

A French yogurt cake drizzled with glaze on parchment paper.

The moist and fluffy texture of this cake really is spectacular. This comes from the full cup of yogurt whisked into the batter, and oil folded in at the end. This cake is flavourful inside and out. The cake itself is flecked with zest and the glaze is made from freshly squeezed blood orange juice (giving it its naturally pink colour). You can make it using regular orange or lemon instead, if desired.

Do you love natural flavour-infused cakes like this one? You should also try my lemongrass cake for a tender cake that is infused with delicate lemongrass and decorated with a tart and creamy key lime buttercream frosting for the perfect pairing.

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What is it?
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
FAQ
📖 Recipe

A slice of French yogurt cake on a plate with a fork.

What is it?

French yogurt cake (Gâteau au Yaourt) is a simple, classic cake that is also often called 'Gâteaux de Mamie,' or Granny cake. A staple for French home cooks, it is considered an any occasion kind of cake; perfect for serving at breakfast with coffee, at teatime, as a snack, as well as for dessert at special celebrations.

Around since the 1950s, recipes are passed down by grandparents and it is often the first thing that children learn how to bake. The recipes were incredibly easy to remember for a reason:

A French yogurt cake drizzled with glaze.

In France, yogurt is traditionally sold in little glass jars. These pots hold ½ cup (4 ounces / 120 millilitres). Rather than weighing or measuring out ingredients for this cake, the yogurt in the jar would be used in the cake and then the empty jar would be used to measure all of the other ingredients: 1 jar oil, 2 jars sugar, 3 jars flour. 1-2-3 cake!

Because these standardized yogurt jars are not available in most of the world, we aren't going to use them in this recipe. But it is a charming history all the same.

Ingredients

All purpose flour
Baking powder - A leavening agent.
Salt
Granulated sugar
Plain full fat yogurt - The high fat content of yogurt creates a moist cake with tender crumb. I use 1 cup (245 g) of yogurt in this recipe for an extra moist cake. However, traditionally ½ cup (123 g) is used. If you use only ½ cup (123 g), reduce the bake time to 30-40 minutes.
Large eggs - Use large eggs at room temperature.
Pure vanilla extract - Adds a beautiful depth of flavour that pairs wonderfully with the citrus.
Grapeseed oil - Don't be tempted to use butter instead of oil in this recipe. The yogurt and oil work together to make this cake light yet moist and tender.
Confectioner's sugar
Blood orange, zest and juice - This beautiful citrus is sweeter than a regular orange, tart like a grapefruit, and has flavour notes of red berry. Typically in season from December through April. The inner flesh is a deep red colour. The redder the flesh, the better to use in this recipe. Always zest your fruit before you juice it.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Blood orange - Since this is a seasonal fruit, depending on when you are baking this cake, it may be the wrong time of year to get these. You can substitute with a regular orange or a lemon. Make sure to use freshly squeezed juice, not bottled. And remember that the colour of the glaze will not be pink (unless you add a few drops of red food colouring to compensate for the missing blood orange).
Grapeseed oil - Substitute with another neutral oil: vegetable, sunflower, canola, or avocado. Do not use olive oil, as this will change the flavour of the cake.
Plain yogurt - You can substitute with Greek yogurt.
Vanilla extract - You could use vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean seeds, instead.

Variations

This cake is absolutely delicious when drizzled with the pretty, pink blood orange glaze. However, this cake is super versatile and can be also served with these other great toppings:

Dusting of sugar - Dust with confectioner's sugar for a simple way to serve this cake.
Jam - Orange marmalade, strawberry, or apricot jams are popular to serve with French yogurt cake.
Crème fraîche - Serve with a dollop of sweetened crème fraîche or whipped cream.
Ice cream - Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Drizzle of honey
Fresh berries or fruit - Serve with a side of berries or sliced fruit, such as peaches or plums. This pairs well with the jam, crème fresh, and ice cream additions.
Lemon curd or mousse
Chocolate sauce or mousse - You could even fold some semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter before baking.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line a 9" by 5" loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside for now.

A whisk in a bowl of wet ingredients mixed with sugar and orange zest.

In a large bowl, use your hand to rub the blood orange zest into the sugar to enhance the flavour. Then add in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk together.

A whisk stirring dry ingredients into the batter.

Add in the dry ingredients, slowly whisking until just incorporated (being careful to not overmix).

A rubber spatula gently stirring oil into the cake batter.

Use a spatula to fold grapeseed oil into the batter until just completely blended.

Cake batter in a parchment paper-lined loaf pan.

Pour the batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Don't overbake or you will lose moisture.)

A baked French yogurt cake in a parchment paper-lined loaf pan.

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. Don't decorate the cake with glaze until it has cooled completely.

Blood orange glaze

In a medium bowl, whisk sifted confectioner's sugar and blood orange juice together until completely smooth.

It should be a glaze consistency. Adjust it, if needed, by adding more sugar or more blood orange juice (½ teaspoon at a time).

Stir in a pinch of salt. This helps to temper the sweetness of the glaze and enhance the citrus flavour.

Drizzle the glaze over your cooled French yogurt cake. It will dry as it sets.

A close up of French yogurt cake drizzled with glaze.

Equipment

To make this recipe you will need the following:

Loaf pan - I used a 9" x 5" pan.
Parchment paper
Microplane zester - This kind of zester is excellent for zesting citrus. I always have one handy for baking.
Kitchen scale or measuring cup set
Measuring spoons
Mixing bowls
Sifter
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Cooling rack

microplane zester

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parchment paper

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Storage

Wrap the loaf well with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. It will taste even better as it sits, making this cake excellent for making ahead.

Note: For best freshness, do not pre-slice the French yogurt cake. Slice off pieces as you need them.

You can also freeze this cake, whole or sliced, well plastic wrapped and placed in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. If you plan to freeze the cake, you should wait to glaze it until after thawing. To thaw, leave on the countertop at room temperature overnight.

Top Tip

Weigh to be sure - You should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar to get the best results. However, if you have to use a measuring cup rather than a kitchen scale, stir the ingredient to create air pockets then gently spoon it into the cup and level off the top. Do not scoop or you will get too much.
Don't overmix - As soon as you mix flour into any batter or dough it is so important to not overmix. If you do, you will lose the soft and delicate texture and make something that is dense and tough. Only mix until the flour has just been blended into the other ingredients.
Zest first, juice second - Always zest your citrus before squeezing the juice out. It is way easier to do it in this order.
Sugar rub - Take the time to rub the zest into the sugar. This simple step will really enhance your flavours so it is worth doing.
Don't overbake - Be careful to not overbake this cake or you will destroy some of your carefully crafted moistness. Keep an eye on it while baking and take it out of the oven as soon as an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

FAQ

Can you make French yogurt cake ahead of time?

Yes, this cake is great for making ahead. It keeps well at room temperature for up to 5 days, and it even tastes better on day two.

How is French yogurt different?

Unlike most yogurt which is cultured in a vat and then distributed among smaller containers, French yogurt is cultured in the individual-sized containers it is sold in. It is smooth, creamy, and less sweet than standard natural yogurt. However, standard natural yogurt or Greek yogurt can be used in this recipe.

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