Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does yogurt do in baking cake? ›

The thick yogurt makes for a “denser, tighter crumb” and makes the case more “luscious,” she says. “That is a unique ability of yogurt.” Its inherent sour tang also nicely mellows out the sweetness of the cake. And yes, it just so happens to be more nutritious than, say, sour cream.

The Best Yogurt to Use in Baking

While you can technically bake this cake with nonfat or low-fat yogurt, its texture and flavor are really the best when made with whole milk, full fat yogurt, as the fat in the yogurt is what lends the cake its signature tenderness and richness.

Adding mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, or melted ice cream to boxed cake mix can make the finished product moist and rich. Swapping out ingredients, like oil for butter or milk for water, will take a boxed cake to the next level. Things like coffee, soda, and spices will help to amplify the flavors in a boxed cake.

Mix 3/4 cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt into your cake mix and stir thoroughly. This replaces the oil in the cake adding a richness and denser flavor that also keeps longer.

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.

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.

In most cases, plain yogurt or Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream—and vice versa. Sour cream will give you a similar texture and tanginess, and swapping sour cream for yogurt is a simple 1-to-1 ratio.

It's best to throw it out. Though the milk used to make yogurt is pasteurized — meaning it's heated to kill any dangerous germs that may be present — there's still the potential for contamination to occur afterward, during processing and packaging. Additives are often included to help limit this.

Here are a few substitution ratios to keep in mind: Try cutting the oil in your recipe back by substituting ½ of the amount of oil with ¾ the amount of yogurt. For example, if your recipe lists 1 Cup of Oil, try replacing ½ cup of Oil with ¾ cup of yogurt. Try substituting the butter in your recipe with yogurt.

How much yogurt per egg in cake? ›

Yogurt. For this egg substitute, use 1/4 cup per egg. If you need to avoid dairy, you can use thick Greek-style plant-based yogurts.

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.

Both yogurt and buttermilk are good substitutes for eggs. It's best to use plain yogurt, as flavored and sweetened varieties may alter the flavor of your recipe. You can use 1/4 cup (60 g) of yogurt or buttermilk for each egg that needs to be replaced.

Yogurt. Yogurt can be a really good replacement for milk in recipes. As with sour cream, it'll add moisture and flavor, but also a bit of tang. You can stick to a one-to-one replacement, but try to steer clear of flavored yogurt.

When substituting sour cream for plain yogurt, or vice versa, it's quite easy: the basic rule of thumb is that you can just use the same amount. This is especially true when you're using it uncooked, like for dips, salad dressings, or baked potatoes.

Coconut milk or coconut cream can be used as a dairy-free alternative to yogurt. They both provide a rich flavor and moisture to baked goods. Use the same amount of coconut milk or coconut cream as yogurt mentioned in the recipe.

Just substitute milk. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons; you might use a bit less milk. Start with two tablespoons; if the recipe seems stiff, add a little more. If you don't have that, try buttermilk or sour cream.