A fluffy, light, and moist eggless snack cake inspired by the classic French treat gâteau au yaourt. This easy vegan cake recipe is simple to prepare and requires minimal ingredients and equipment. Try it with spices and various citrus and fruits.Yield: one 8-inch cake
¼cupneutral tasting oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1cuporganic cane sugar
3tablespoonsnon-dairy milk such as soy or oat
zest from 1 lemon, optional
1 to 2teaspoonsorganic 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 sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Slice and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.
Notes
Adapted from Joy of Baking's Yogurt Cake recipe.Measuring FlourI highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh flour (use the Metric button in the recipe for weight measurement). But if you don't have a scale the "whisk and fluff" method works well. This ensures that you don't scoop up too much flour (after it has compressed in storage). To do it:
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.
Tips for proper yogurt consistencyAs mentioned in the post, I recommend using my cashew yogurt recipe (Instant Pot not required!). Simply reduce the amount of water called for by ½ cup (4 fluid ounces). This will produce a thicker cashew yogurt perfect for this cake. *If you're not a fan of cashews, check out these two recipes: almond milk yogurt and tofu yogurt. Store-bought plain yogurt such as Forager cashew-gurt should also work. If you plan to use a sweetened yogurt, reduce the sugar slightly.StorageStore 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 suspect it should freeze well, similar to most cakes. For freezing, wrap very well in plastic wrap to protect from air, then place in a freezer bag.