French yogurt loaf cake is a pantry-friendly, reliable and fast one-bowl snacking cake that never lets you down.
French yogurt loaf cake is the cake/treat/nibble I’d make if I had to make an after-school snack. Wait, I am an adult, so I can totally make this cake for myself for an after work snack/3:30pm at the lab (or office) snack. As a shock to no one, that is what I did this week. The iconic French yogurt loaf cake eats like a classy snacking cake, and mixes up in only one bowl, using pantry items that many folks have on hand all the time.
French yogurt loaf cake takes humble ingredients (flour, sea salt, baking powder, neutral oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla), and transforms them (quickly, efficiently) into a beautiful golden brown cake. Level-up your game with a handful of berries, citrus zest, vanilla or almond extract, a generous palm-full of chocolate chunks. It’s that easy, and frankly, makes you feel like you’ve hit the snack jack-pot.
Ideally, I love to nibble on a fat slice of French yogurt loaf cake with a latte, while staring out the window and having a reprieve from life. This week – it was a little celebration for tackling a house maintenance project I had been putting off (side note: I feel that working with cake batter makes me slightly better at working with drywall joint compound…anyone else?).
This week, and next, I have had time off between jobs. I have settled into a little routine – one that includes an afternoon latte with a sweet nibble. I could not shake the hankering for a citrus cake, and had an extra quart of whole milk yogurt in my fridge. This French yogurt loaf cake hits the mark every time – this week, I threw in frozen cranberries and citrus zest – a winning combo in peak winter.
French Yogurt Loaf Cake Works Because:
- It uses pantry ingredients – you likely have them all on-hand
- The acids from the yogurt tenderize the crumb, and provide a subtle tang to the cake
- Added protein from the yogurt provides water-holding capacity, resulting in a moist cake without using copious sugar and fat; the cake stays moist for a few days!
- Proteins, trace lactose and eggs contribute to browning – creating a flavorful crust that permeates into the crumb over time
The original recipe hails from baking queen Dorie Greenspan. A few notes of my own are below:
- Use any type of plain yogurt – traditional or Greek, any fat content
- Do not line pan with parchment – thin layers provide just enough insulation to result in a increased baking time, resulting in too much browning by the time the crumb in set
- Fresh berries work best, and use discretion – except for cranberries – as their delicate structure has been compromised by freezing, so they sog-out the crumb; resist the urge to add more that about 1 cup of berries – too many will result in a soggy crumb over time
- Citrus zest – massage into the sugar for maximum essential oil release
- Vanilla – while not all baked goods need it, this one does!
- Fresh Herbs – a perfect opportunity to use thyme, rosemary, lavender, rose; massage into sugar as you would citrus zest
- Fine sea salt – season your baked goods as you would your savory cooking; my optimum amount is noted in the recipe
If you’re looking for a more zingy lemon cake, check out my preserved lemon loaf cake – the macerated lemons on top a zingy and delicious!
French Yogurt Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 1 Lemon, zested
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt Greek yogurt works well
- 1/2 cup Neutral Oil Melted butter also works
- 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt Use half has much if using iodized
- 1 1/2 cups (205 g) All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup (150g) Fresh Berries Frozen cranberries work; other frozen berries are too watery – proceed with caution
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F with rack in center. Prepare a standard loaf pan (such as a 9"x5") by greasing lightly with oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and lemon zest; you can also massage with your hands to release more essential oils. Add the eggs, yogurt, oil and sea salt. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Add the flour and baking powder, and mix briefly to combine; add the berries, and complete mixing with a rubber spatula taking care to get all the dry ingredients combined; work confidently and efficiently, and not over-mix.
- Pour and level the batter in the prepped loaf pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, checking after 45 minutes for doneness. The cake should smell fragrant, be golden brown on top, springy to the touch and a tester should come out clean when inserted in the geometric center.
- Allow the cake the cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin off-set spatula or knife around the edges, and gently un-pan the cake. Enjoy slightly warm. Cool completely before wrapping and storing.
- Cake will last up to 1 week at room temp or in the fridge, tightly wrapped. Cake will last 1 month in the freezer.