Vegan Yogurt Cake is a fluffy, light, and moist dairy-free and eggless cake inspired by the classic French treat gâteau au yaourt. Easy to prepare with just a whisk and two bowls, this "anytime" vegan cake recipe is perfect in its most basic form while also providing opportunity for endless flavor variations.
Simple, golden, fragrant yogurt 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 and sugar. And that's what we have with today's vegan yogurt cake.
Some may suggest that a yogurt cake made without eggs or dairy is blasphemous. But we're not worried about them, are we? Au contraire, with each delicious bite we'll simply smile, swoon, and wonder what anyone could possibly have against such a delightful dessert.
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What You'll Need
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 also works.
Also, a silicone spatula comes in handy for scraping every last bit of batter from the bowl.
Ingredients
Here are a few notes on the ingredients needed. See the recipe card below for amounts and full step-by-step instructions.
- flour - No need to track down cake flour, as regular all-purpose flour works perfectly here.
- baking powder and soda - These serve as leavening agents in this eggless cake recipe.
- non-dairy yogurt - More details on this below.
- oil - Choose a neutral-tasting oil such as canola or grapeseed.
- sugar - If you're in the US, selecting organic cane sugar is the easiest way to make sure your sugar is vegan and has not been processed with bone char.
Selecting a Yogurt
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.
My cashew yogurt is 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!
Making your own yogurt only takes a few minutes of prep in the evening, then the yogurt cultures overnight.
Also, since this recipe uses ¾ cup yogurt, homemade is certainly more budget-friendly.
Hint !
Slightly thicker yogurt is what creates the moist, fluffiness we're looking for in our vegan yogurt cake. Too much liquid can make cakes dense and gummy, so you may need to strain off some of the liquid/water if using a thinner homemade or store-bought yogurt.
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 above. 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 you're not a fan of cashews, I now have two other yogurt recipes for you: almond milk yogurt and tofu yogurt. They're thick, rich, creamy, and perfect for this cake.
- If using store-bought vegan yogurt, compare the consistency to the photo above. If the yogurt is on the thinner side, use a mesh strainer lined with a double layer of cheese cloth to strain off some of the liquid.
Let the strainer rest above a large bowl until the yogurt has thickened sufficiently. Just be sure to start with 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.
How to Make Yogurt Cake
Once you have your yogurt situation figured out, you're golden (pun intended)! Preparing this vegan yogurt cake is pretty much as easy as cake gets.
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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 by oiling it and placing a circle of parchment in the bottom.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Combine the two, and stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 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 yogurt 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 yogurt 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 or pickled fruit, such as berries or peaches
- jam or homemade fruit sauce like blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry
- homemade vegan frosting, vegan whipped cream or store-bought dairy-free whipped topping
- a dollop of lightly sweetened yogurt
- a scoop of vanilla oat milk ice cream or vegan lemon ice cream
How To Store Yogurt Cake
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 or 3 days. I like to err on the safe side and refrigerate the cake after 2 days, then enjoy within 5 days.
I haven't tried freezing this cake yet because we always gobble it up within a few days! But it definitely should freeze without any issues.
Flavor Variations
- chocolate chips - 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.
- citrus - try orange or lime zest instead of lemon, or omit the zest altogether to highlight the vanilla flavor.
- spiced - I've heard great feedback from readers who have made this cake with cinnamon, cardamom, and various other spices. Check out their comments below.
Final Notes
I adapted this recipe from Joy of Baking's classic yogurt cake (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.
I haven't tested a gluten-free flour blend in this recipe yet but have heard from readers who said gluten-free flour worked great. If you try the recipe, please leave a comment below to let us know how it turns out!
Stay tuned for more yogurt cake variations.
Happy Vegan Baking!
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Vanilla Birthday Cake
- Best Vegan Strawberry Cake Ever
- Vegan Chocolate-Raspberry Cake
- Spiced Apple Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Recipe
Vegan Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour - See Notes for tips on measuring flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup thick cashew yogurt - See Notes.
- ¼ cup neutral oil - such as avocado or grapeseed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk such as soy or oat
- zest from 1 lemon, optional
- 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, cane 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 dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Or cover the cake, and store 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 finger.
Store-bought plain yogurt such as Forager cashew-gurt also works. If you plan to use a sweetened yogurt, reduce the sugar slightly. Storage Store yogurt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerated for up to 4. I have not personally tried freezing this cake yet, but it should freeze just as well as most cakes. To freeze, wrap very well in plastic wrap to protect from air, then place inside a freezer bag.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Liszle says
Done it three times. First time I used 1 cup of monk fruit sugar, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1 cup spelt flour, added 1 tsp vanilla, 2 spoons lemon juice (instead of vegan milk), and used a mix of melted butter and grape seed oil (1/4 cup combined). Unfortunately it sank after baking it because I followed the advice in one of the comments here, to reduce the baking time. Don’t do it. Second time, with the same ingredients as the first one, I baked it for 40 min and it was a success. Third time, same ingredients but now I used a mix of almond and macadamia flour (1/2 cup combined) and two tbsp of full fat coconut milk (instead of lemon juice this time). It was delicious, fluffy and nutty. I top it with fresh mixed berries. Love the cake in all variations.
Autumn M. says
This cake turned out fantastic! Mine was done at 30 mins though so keep a close eye first time baking! I used Harmless coconut yogurt because it’s what I had on hand and I used the zest of a whole orange instead of lemon since my husband doesn’t love lemon in his sweets. It was very good, he wouldn’t have even known it was vegan if I hadn’t told him. 10/10 will make again.
basil says
Recipe worked really well. Personally i found it too sweet the first time i made it though, so i halfed the amount of sugar. I also recommend using lemon juice instead of milk for an extra lemony version 🙂
Stephanie S says
Very nice cake! I used a 9" pan and followed the recipe as written but set my timer for 30 mins. Then I just watched the top for the golden colour. It probably cooked for about 40 mins, but I didn't time it and went by colour and toothpick. Very moist, nice flavour, and a great way to use this yogurt I'm definitely not going to eat. 🙂
Penny says
So thrilled I found a vegan option to Joy of Baking yogurt cake. I make the JoB cake with almond flour and use it almost 48-52 and sugar 50-50 alternative. And it comes out great! Can't wait to try this out
Emily says
I followed instructions, but thought 40 minutes bake time seemed too long, so I set timer for 30 minutes. It was even burnt after 30, I will maybe try again another time with much shorter bake time.
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Emily - sorry to hear it didn't turn out as expected. Did you use an 8-inch round pan? The cake is fairly thick/tall, which is why it takes longer to bake than a typical cake layer. If by chance you used a 9-inch pan that would change the thickness and affect bake time, or possibly a difference in oven temperature? Hope it works out better next time!
Natalie says
This was easy to make and so rich and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!