Vegan Yogurt Cake

side view of a slice pulled away from rest of cake on a cake stand

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Cooling time 1

Total Time 55

Servings:8 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Vegan yogurt cake is a fluffy, light, and moist eggless snack cake inspired by the classic French treat gâteau au yaourt. This simple vegan cake recipe is easy to prepare and requires minimal ingredients and equipment. Enjoy it as-is, or customize it with spices and various citrus and fruits.

Yield: one 8-inch round cake

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

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

Adapted from Joy of Baking's Yogurt Cake recipe.

Measuring Flour

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale (use the Metric button in the recipe for weight measurement). 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 finger.

Tips: Yogurt Consistency

As mentioned above, 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 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.

Nutrition