Italian Yogurt Lemon Cake Recipe
Italian yogurt lemon cake is a simple dessert that’s often baked at home for afternoon coffee. Traditionally it’s measured with the yogurt cup, but here you have everything in grams. The cake is moist, fragrant with lemon and tastes great with coffee – a bit like a cross between a pound cake and a cheesecake, but much easier.
Italian yogurt lemon cake is a homestyle bake that smells like a kitchen warmed by the oven at afternoon coffee time – moist crumb, citrus zest and gentle sweetness. The yogurt gives it a texture somewhere between a pound cake and a light cheesecake, so the cake stays fresh even the next day. It’s a dessert that, without any elaborate decoration, looks and tastes “homemade” rather than like something from a pastry shop.
Chef's tips
Take the ingredients out of the fridge in advance so they come to room temperature – the cake rises better and is less likely to turn out stodgy. Mix only until the ingredients are combined; overbeating after adding the flour can make the cake dense. Always check the centre with a skewer – if the top springs back slightly when pressed and the skewer comes out dry, the cake is done, even if it still looks quite pale.
How to serve
Serve lightly dusted with icing sugar, with a cup of espresso or cappuccino – exactly how homemade cakes are served in Italian bars. On hot days it’s great with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries. It’s the perfect cake to pack in a box for the allotment or to take to friends on a Sunday afternoon – it slices easily and travels well.
Ingredients
- yogurt preferably full-fat - 200 g
- flour type 450–550 - 250 g
- sugar - 160 g
- eggs at room temperature - 3 piece
- oil - 100 ml
- baking powder - 2 teaspoons
- unwaxed lemon zest and juice - 1 piece
- vanillin sugar or vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
- pinch of salt
- sugar for sprinkling, optional - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Prepare a springform tin about 22–24 cm in diameter: lightly grease it with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Wash the lemon thoroughly and dry it. Finely grate the yellow part of the zest (leave the white part, it’s bitter), 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 together the eggs with the yogurt, oil, lemon zest and juice. Mix with a whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently mix with a spoon or whisk just until combined – don’t overmix so the cake doesn’t turn out dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out dry or with a few dry crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the tin for 10 minutes. Then take it out of the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Before serving, dust the top with icing sugar. You can serve it with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream and thin slices of lemon.
Storage
Store the cooled cake wrapped in foil or in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze individual slices, well wrapped, for up to a month and thaw them at room temperature.
