Vegan Yogurt Cake is a fluffy, light, and moist snack or dessert cake inspired by the classic French treat gâteau au yaourt. Easy to prepare with just a whisk and two bowls, this "anytime" cake recipe is perfect in its most basic form while also providing opportunity for endless flavor variations.
Simple, golden, fragrant cake that's so lovely it needs no frosting, no decoration, and no special occasion to be enjoyed. The whole concept does feel very French, doesn't it?
If you've visited this blog before you know that I often share healthier vegan recipes, many free from oil and refined sugar. But I also love veganizing classic desserts, usually with regular flour, sugar, and even oil. And that's what we have today.
Some may suggest that an egg- and dairy-free yogurt cake is blasphemous, but we're not worried about them, are we? Oh no. With each delicious bite we'll simply smile and wonder why anyone would feel the need to resist positive change.
Preparation & Equipment
From start to finish, this cake takes a little less than an hour, not including cooling time. You'll need two bowls, a whisk, measuring cups and spoons, and an 8-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides. I use this Fat Daddio's cake pan, but an 8-inch springform pan will also work. A silicone spatula also comes in handy for scraping every last bit of batter from the bowl.
One thing to consider in advance is the type of yogurt you'll use. I tested this recipe with my homemade cashew yogurt and strongly recommend it for the most consistent results. It's made with only 3 ingredients: raw cashews, water, and probiotic. And once you get used to making it, I have a feeling you'll want to keep it in regular rotation just like I do! It only takes a few minutes of prep in the evening, then the yogurt cultures overnight. Also, because this recipe uses ¾ cup yogurt, going the homemade route is more budget-friendly.
Slightly thicker yogurt is what gives us the moist, fluffiness we're looking for in our vegan yogurt cake. Too much liquid can make a cake dense and gummy, so you may need to strain off some of the liquid/water if using a different homemade or store-bought yogurt...
Here are a few yogurt tips:
- If using my recipe for cashew yogurt, reduce the water in the recipe by ½ cup. That's exactly what I did to achieve the yogurt you see below. I also under-blended the cashews just a bit (not intentionally; I was rushing), in case you're wondering why this yogurt looks grainier than in the Cashew Yogurt post. 😀
- If using store-bought vegan yogurt, compare the consistency to the photo below. If the yogurt is on the thinner side, use a mesh strainer lined with a double layer of cheese cloth to drain off some of the liquid. Let the strainer rest above a large bowl until the yogurt has thickened sufficiently. Just be sure to strain MORE yogurt than you need, so that you end up with at least ¾ cup after it has reduced.
- If you plan to use a sweetened yogurt, reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe by about ¼ cup.
Once you have your yogurt situation figured out, you're golden! Preparing this vegan yogurt cake is pretty much as easy as cake gets. So even if you're not a baker, I promise you can do this! It breaks down into five easy steps:
- preheat the oven and prepare the pan
- mix dry ingredients
- mix wet ingredients
- combine the two (stir or whisk until just combined, careful not to overmix)
- pour into the pan and bake
Voila! Ooh la la. Oui! Oui!
The batter will be fairly thick, as pictured above.
If you're a fan of lemon, you'll LOVE this cake with the optional lemon zest. And as you might guess, the contrasting textures of the golden crust on the outside and the delicate, soft crumb in the middle are completely irresistible!
Serving Suggestions
Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, a simple dusting of powdered sugar is really all you need. Slice and serve as is, or if you're feeling fancy pair it with:
- fresh berries
- jam or homemade fruit sauce like blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry
- whipped coconut cream or store-bought dairy-free whipped topping
- a dollop of lightly sweetened yogurt
- a scoop of Vanilla Maple Oat Ice Cream or Lemon Oat Ice Cream
Recipe Variations
I'm currently working on another cake recipe very similar to this that includes chocolate chips and can tell you it's a delicious pairing! So if you're a chocolate lover feel free to stir about ⅓ cup chocolate chips into the batter, and omit the lemon zest.
Try orange or lime zest instead of lemon, or omit the zest altogether to highlight the vanilla flavor.
I adapted this recipe from Joy of Baking's non-vegan yogurt cake recipe (linked in the Notes of the recipe below). She uses ¼ cup almond flour in place of ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour. I haven't tried that option yet but imagine it will be delicious, adding a nice, nutty richness. I left it out because I wanted to streamline the recipe as much as possible instead of having you hunt down specialty ingredients. But as soon as I try it I'll update the post.
I haven't tested a gluten-free flour blend in this recipe yet but imagine it will work just fine. If you try a gluten-free version, please leave a comment below to let us know how it turns out!
Stay tuned for more yogurt cake variations.
Happy Vegan Baking!
You might also like:
Ultimate Vegan Strawberry Cake
Classic Vegan Chocolate Cake
Vegan Apple Cake
Oil-Free Chocolate Cake With Strawberries
Vegan Yogurt Cake
Equipment
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour See Notes for tips on measuring.
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup thick cashew yogurt See Notes.
- ¼ cup neutral tasting oil, such as grapeseed or canola
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk such as soy or oat
- zest from 1 lemon, optional
- 1 to 2 teaspoons organic powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Generously oil an 8x3 inch cake pan, and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom.
- Into a mixing bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the salt and whisk to combine.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, vanilla, sugar, milk, and lemon zest, if using.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry, and gently whisk until just combined. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. When done the cake will be golden, set/firm in the middle, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes or until the top is barely warm. Carefully flip out onto your hand, then place parchment-side-down on a cooling rack. Once completely cool, peel away parchment paper, place on a serving platter, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Slice and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.
Notes
- Whisk the flour to fluff it up.
- Use a spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife or your finger.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com. For the most accurate nutrition information we recommend calculating it yourself to reflect the specific ingredients used in your dish.
Erin
Thank you for sharing your recipe! Looks lovely. I made it in a 9" round pan since I do not have an 8" pan with 3" sides. Smells nice and cooling now. But, sank in the middle. Probably because of pan size?? I am anxious to try it once it cools and will report back. Thanks!
Alex
I made this and it was gorgeous. I had some almond hazelnut cashew yogurt and used that. I added some aquafaba to the cake and also made a lemon glaze for the top. It was absolutely heavenly. Great recipe!
Mariana
Amazing! Used a store bought coconut Greek yogurt (unsweetened) and it came out perfect! It'll sure be on my favorite list, thank you!
Lisa
Bad recipe,I made it, I followed your everything. The mixture seemed fine. The cake was not.
Lori
Lisa, I'm sorry to hear your cake didn't turn out well. I've heard from many other people who love the cake, and I can assure you it is a well tested recipe. Based on what you shared I'm not sure what you didn't like about it or what may have gone wrong. I'd be happy to help with troubleshooting if you're interested.
Renee
Looks amazing! Could I sub for any mix of almond, coconut, or tapioca flour?
Lori
Hi Renee,
I'm sure some combination of those could create a delicious cake, but unfortunately I can't say for sure since I haven't tested it. If you give it a try do let us know!
Helen
I've tried a gluten free version with almond yogurt and almond milk. It looks Devine and I can't wait to eat it. It has a lovely spongy bounce and I can see a lovely amount of air bubbles on the side too!
I am in the UK and I used glebe farm plain flour
Lori
Wonderful! Thank you for the feedback, Helen.
Cat
I made this cake Saturday evening on a whim after coming across your recipe. With about a quarter of a tub of vegan yogurt (Forager brand, Unsweetened Cashew based yogurt) I felt inspired. I followed the recipe accordingly except for one small addition, a 1/2 tsp of cardamom. The cake was perfect to begin with - but with that little bit of cardamom? It's a beautiful duet between cardamom and vanilla. My go to cardamom is Guatemalan Ground Cardamom by Penzey's Spices. This cake is perfect, anytime cake. I'm eating it with my afternoon tea as I write this review! Merci for the delicious recipe and bon appétit!
Lori
What a lovely review. Thank you, Cat. The addition of cardamom sounds perfect to me!
Rachel
Hi Lori-- this recipe sounds fab though somehow I've misplaced the cake pan. Do you think the silicon loaf pan I typically use for banana bread would work (for more of a taller loaf shape, anyway) or would a rectangular glass baking dish (as used for brownies) work better? Also, if I were to use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon zest, would that affect the recipe negatively? Thanks!
Lori
Hi Rachel, so glad you're excited about the cake! 🙂 Yes, you can definitely make it work with a different pan as long as the overall volume is similar. An 8-inch round pan is the same volume as an 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan. But the cook time may be a bit longer for the loaf.
An 8x8x1.5 square pan is also similar volume, so that may be the best bet. Cook time should be similar to the round pan. To be safe you may just want to keep an eye on it after 30 minutes. Hope that helps! Oh, and you can just skip the zest with no problem. 😀
Alice
This cake is so beautiful. I use plain yogurt and sunflower oil. Made it for 4 times in the last 10 days. Thank you for the recipe.
Lori
That's amazing, Alice! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
Adam
Amazing! Every vegan cake recipient I've tried before this one resulted in a dense, short, and dry cake. This was the first vegan cake recipe I've tried that actually worked. I added cinammon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to the powdered sugar because I love spice cakes. Excellent!
Lori
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake, Adam, and thank you for the comment! Those spice additions sound wonderful. I'll definitely try that next time. 😀
Denis
Hi there, I took 180g of flour but all of the other ingredients I took the double amount, except sugar which I took only 1 cup
. The result is amazing, probably the best vegan cake I ever had. Thx for the inspiration
Sonika
Loved your recipe I made a few tweaks I added cocoa powder blood orange and maple syrup and I am making a vegan yogurt frosting to go with it yummmnm thank you for the recipe
Lori
Wow, that sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sonika. 😀
Domonique
Hi there!
I'm not vegan, but I'm a pescatarian. I unfortunately don't have any plant-based yogurt. Has anyone tried this recipe with non-vegan Greek yogurt? It would be great if you could tell me how it went 🙂
job
Would using a vegan yogurt such as Silk Plain Dairy-Free Soy Yogurt Alternative work with this recipe? I can't find any other kind and can't make it myself.
Lori
Yes, even though I haven't tested that specifically, I do think it will work fine. The yogurt mainly provides moisture and a small amount of fat. Let us know how it turns out! 😀