This lemon yogurt cake lasts a grand total of two days in our house. Maximum. We all love it, but William in particular – it’s almost like he has an internal lemon cake clock that tells him too many weeks have passed without it!

I tested this recipe dozens of times refining for the most even rise, a moist yet sturdy texture, and of course, that bright lemony flavor that probably drew you to this recipe in the first place.

😍 Why You’ll Love My Super Moist Glazed Lemon Yogurt Cake

It truly is the perfect spring cake – it’s wonderful for brunch or dessert, and it’s so easy to make that I often get the kids involved. No mixer required just two bowls and a whisk!  

Also, I can assure you: the lemon really sings here – and the cake is gluten-free to boot!

This recipe contains a lot of batter for a big loaf, so it’s important that you don’t over fill your tin with parchment paper or the cake will run out over the sides. I use a 1.25 pound loaf pan for this, which is 9×5 – if you only have an 8×5 pan use your judgement and leave out a bit of batter if needed to avoid it overflowing. I’ve shared the best way to line your tins here, and if you think your tin is likely to overflow, grab some muffin tins and fill a few with your extra batter!

🗒️ Ingredients

Eggs – Eggs are the building block to the structure, texture and moisture of this cake!

Sugar – What’s a cake without sugar? (Its a loaf, that’s what it is. And this cake is no loaf!)

Vanilla – Vanilla is to baking what salt is to cooking – it enhances all the wonderful flavors in a baked good, and keeps your creations from tasting bland.

Neutral Oil – Neutral oils are made from nuts, grains, seeds or fruits: reach for your favorite light olive oil or sunflower oil for this cake.

Lemon – Lemon is the star of this cake – it’s bright, bold and deliciously moreish when balanced with just the right amount of sugar!

Yogurt – Because of its acidity, yogurt reacts with baking soda to make sure our cake rises to its fullest and fluffiest potential, plus adding some of that all-important moisture.

Flour – Reach for your go-to baking flour – I love my Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF all-purpose flour, it gives you a lighter cake than other GF flours I’ve tried. Know that all-purpose flour will also work!

Baking Powder – it’s a leavening agent that make our cake rise and retain a beautiful crumb.

Cardamom – A warm, aromatic spice that is traditionally paired with citrusy flavors, and for good reason!

Salt – Salt brings out flavors, and with flavors as delicious as the ones in this cake, you want just a pinch of salt!

👩‍🍳 How to Make Super Moist Glazed Lemon Yogurt Cake

🔥 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

✅ Spray a standard loaf pan (9×5) with baking spray and line with a parchment paper sling running horizontally across the long sides of the pan.  This is a lot of batter for a big loaf, so don’t use too much parchment paper or the cake will run out over the sides of the pan 

🥣 In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for 30 seconds by hand. 

🍋 Add the vanilla, oil, yogurt, zest and juice from both lemons, and whisk to combine. If you’re using Greek yogurt, now is when you add the tablespoon of water as well!

🫙 In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt.  

🫗 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there are no traces of flour. 

🔪 Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and use a pairing knife to make a ½ inch deep cut down the center of the cake vertically, and bake for 50-60 minutes until a tester comes out just clean.  

⏲️ When the cake is baked, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a baking rack to finish cooling completely. 

🥄 While the cake cools, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together to form a thick glaze.

💛 Spoon the glaze on top of the cooled cake. 

🥳 Enjoy!

🤲 Substitutions

This cake is decadent and beautiful and no ingredient should stand in your way! Here are some common substitutions so you can get this cake in your hands TODAY:

• For gluten-free flour blends:  Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour is my baking flour of choice. Cup 4 Cup is also great.  King Arthur is a little dense for this cake.
• You can use regular all-purpose flour in place of the gluten free.
• I like full fat or partial fat yogurt in this recipe, nonfat doesn’t provide the fat that supports the cake’s structure.
• I call for a regular plain yogurt here as opposed to a Greek-style since it has more liquid than the latter. If you’re using a Greek yogurt, add a tablespoon or two of water.
• If you want to make this diary free, you can use a plant based yogurt.  However, if it doesn’t contain fat then scale the yogurt back to ½ cup and up the oil to ½ cup.
• When I say “neutral oil” I am referring to a mild oil that won’t affect the flavor of the cake.  Light olive oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oil are my go-tos.
• If you want a LOT of glaze, double the glaze recipe.  I sometimes do and brush it on 3-4 times, letting it dry a bit between glazing.  
• The cardamom is totally optional, it provides a very subtle warmth.  The cake is delicious without it as well.  
• Some ovens run hot so if you’re not sure your oven temp is correct then start checking it at 30 minutes!
• There are plenty of moisture makers in this recipe, with yogurt, oil, eggs and lemon juice it certainly shouldn’t be dry. If your mixture is dry, ensure that you’ve measured your dry ingredients correctly, and keep an eye on your bake time in case it needs to come out of the oven sooner than I’ve suggested.

📓 Best served…

• On its own – its moist and delicious all on its own!
• With a dollop of Cool Whip or cream
• With some fresh fruit

👝 How to Store Leftover Lemon Yogurt Cake

Wait, you have leftovers?! You best believe I have to make two and hide one just to make this cake last longer than 2 days! But if you’re not sharing with ravenous children and happen to have a few extra servings on standby, store this cake in an airtight container. Because of how moist it is, it won’t keep for a long time, but usually at least a few days.

🧠 Common Questions