Italian Yogurt Cake with Lemon and Olive Oil Recipe
A simple, moist cake that in Italy is often served with afternoon coffee. Yogurt makes it soft, olive oil adds a delicate aroma, and lemon brings freshness. It’s a “mix and bake” type of cake, perfect for beginners.
This Italian-style yogurt cake with lemon and olive oil perfectly reflects everyday Italian home baking – no fancy decorations, but full of flavour and aroma. Olive oil gives it a delicate fruity note and keeps the cake moist for a long time, while lemon brightens it up beautifully. It’s the kind of bake you can easily “throw” into the oven while you’re already baking something else for dinner.
Chef's tips
The ingredients should be at room temperature – this helps the cake rise evenly and prevents it from becoming dense. Be careful not to overmix: once you add the flour, it’s enough to combine the ingredients briefly, otherwise the cake will turn out rubbery. Check doneness with a skewer in several spots, because in moist yogurt cakes the centre takes the longest to bake through.
How to serve
Serve it for afternoon tea with a cup of espresso or cappuccino, just as it’s done in many Italian homes. It also works great as a simple breakfast cake for a lazy Sunday – just dust it with icing sugar and serve with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. For summer garden gatherings you can drizzle it with a light lemon glaze and cut into small squares to eat by hand.
Ingredients
- yogurt small tub - 180 g
- flour about 1.5 cups - 240 g
- sugar about 3/4 cup - 150 g
- eggs at room temperature - 3 piece
- olive oil mild in flavor - 80 ml
- baking powder - 2 teaspoons
- lemon you need the zest and juice - 1 piece
- vanillin sugar optional - 1 teaspoon
- pinch of salt - 1 pinch
- sugar for sprinkling, optional - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Line a loaf tin or a round springform tin about 22 cm in diameter with baking paper, or lightly grease with olive oil and dust with flour.
- Wash the lemon thoroughly in warm water and dry it. Finely grate the zest (only the yellow part), then squeeze out the juice.
- In one bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, vanillin sugar and a pinch of salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing with a spoon or whisk just until combined – do not overmix so the cake doesn’t turn out dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the cake rises and is golden. Insert a skewer into the centre – if it comes out dry or with a few dry crumbs, the cake is ready.
- Remove the tin from the oven and leave the cake for 10 minutes, then take it out of the tin and place on a rack to cool completely.
- Before serving, dust the top with icing sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze made from icing sugar and lemon juice.
Storage
Store the cooled cake well wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days, or freeze individual slices for longer storage.
