Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does yogurt do in a cake? ›

Here's just a brief list: Its creaminess helps keep baked goods moist. Its tanginess imparts a crave-worthy, old-fashioned flavor. Its acidity helps activate baking soda, which can make baked goods fluffy and light.

Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, makes wonders to a cake texture and flavor. Its acidity helps cake rise better and evenly. Yogurt also has a high amount of protein which helps in giving structure to cakes without having to mix too much to develop the gluten.

You can use the same amount of plain yogurt to replace oil in any cake mix.

Whole-fat Greek yogurt is a great swap for oil in baked goods. It's creamy and rich, and adds a nice texture to pound cakes, cookies, and Blueberry Muffins, plus a bit of extra protein. Due to its thickness, you'll want to add a bit more yogurt to the recipe than the amount of oil called for. Start with a 1:1.25 ratio.

While sour cream sets the stage for a denser, more traditional cake, the inclusion of Greek yogurt can often lead to a lighter, health-conscious choice with a subtler finish, perfect for those who enjoy a less heavy dessert.

You have to be careful with swapping Greek yogurt and regular. In some applications, the thinner consistency of regular yogurt doesn't impact the recipe at all. With baking, if a recipe specifically calls for Greek yogurt, the added moisture from using regular yogurt instead might make the dough or batter too wet.

You can use 1/4 cup (60 g) of yogurt or buttermilk for each egg that needs to be replaced. This substitution works best for muffins, cakes, and cupcakes.

I use Greek yogurt in place of much heavier, higher fat or more calorie dense ingredients – like butter, sour cream, oil, or buttermilk. Using yogurt in your baked goods will make them incredibly moist, while adding yogurt to savory dips and soups gives them creaminess with a touch of tang.

When it comes to replacing a liquid, like milk, you'll need to be more creative. If the recipe calls for one cup of milk, use 1/4 cup of yogurt paired with 3/4 cup of milk (if you're just short on milk) or water. Substituting yogurt for a liquid oil works best in small quantities, like a few tablespoons.

Full-fat Greek yogurt will offer the closest approximation of sour cream's flavor and texture, and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for sour cream. If you'd like, you can stir some heavy cream into any percentage of Greek yogurt to give it a somewhat richer body and higher fat content.

Can I sub yogurt for butter in cake? ›

If the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, you can replace it with 1 cup of yogurt. However, yogurt tends to increase the moisture content in a recipe, and as such, bakers suggest only using yogurt in place of recipes that call for 1 cup or less of butter.

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

Baked goods: When mixed into batters, Greek yogurt adds moisture for denser results. It goes great in many kinds of treats, including carrot cake and marbled brownies. Icings: Greek yogurt can give frostings and icings a thick, decadent texture.

There's a good reason that applesauce can replace oil or butter in some cases — it has a lot of water, so it will keep your baked goods moist, and it works as a binder for the dry ingredients while adding a boost of fiber to your recipe.

Extra virgin olive oil is my number-one favourite, and you'll notice that I use this oil in most of my recipes - yes, including desserts, cakes, cookies and even chocolate! This oil is beautiful-tasting, velvety and brimming with health benefits: it's a rich source of antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Yogurt lends itself beautifully to breads, biscuits, muffins, and cakes, providing a slight tanginess and a light, fluffy texture. You can substitute yogurt for several dairy products like sour cream and kefir in many recipes, or bake up a recipe that specifically uses yogurt.

Yogurt contributes to the texture of baked goods. Substitutes like sour cream, buttermilk, or silken tofu can help maintain or approximate the desired texture. However, when using an ingredient like cottage cheese or heavy cream, the texture can chance.