French Yogurt Cake Recipe | Yogurt Cake recipe (2024)

Last updated on March 4th, 2021 at 05:33 pm

French Yogurt cake – predominantly known in French as Le Gateau au Yaourt – a staple among French grandmothers is a moist, soft and a bit tangy cake. This is a cake that tastes wonderful just on its own; it can be topped with fresh berries or a glaze for extra deliciousness!

Hey there!

It’s been raining or drizzling or cloudy every day for almost 2 months now. I’m slightly bickering, usually I love rain. This time around, this monsoon season has brought in two to three bouts of fever home. Every time she got sick, either my husband or I get sick. I read an article long back about how parents get sick very often.

I was a little skeptical when I read it, I thought, smugly, those parents definitely don’t have much immunity. Boy, was I naive! I strongly believed that I won’t be one of those parents, because I never had gotten sick frequently for almost a decade. I couldn’t remember the last time I got cold.

It all changed when I had her. Now I’m don’t remember the last time I wasn’t sick. And the virus I catch from her is too strong for my immune system, another thing I read in an article. It is almost as if it goes inside her, develops an army and invades me. One good thing is, when I get it, she gets better. Yeah, talk about mixed feelings, lol.

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Anyways, this time I’m super fine (touch wood!), of course because my husband got it. I had time to care for both of them and I also made our family’s favorite cake today, and here is the recipe, I’m positive you’ll enjoy this one.

French Yogurt Cake / Gataeu au Yaourt :

I came across this cake by accident. I was actually looking for yogurt cake by a famous chef (or a TV personality) whose name I forgot and still couldn’t recollect. And I came across this recipe, a humble cake recipe which deserves a lot more spotlight.

This French Yogurt Cake is the cake which you’d want to make any day and every day.

This cake which is a staple among French Grandmothers is interestingly made by measuring with the Greek yogurt jars that they are packed in. Before this cake, I was not sure of using yogurt in cake, because with yogurt’s usage in Tamil/Kerala cuisines where we rarely heat it. Recipes like Avial and Mor Kulambu requires that we remove from heat once the yogurt is added. Also, yogurt goes sour when it stays longer in too much heat.

Are you skeptical about baking with yogurt too? Then trust me and BAKE THIS CAKE. It is oh so amazing, you’ll end up baking this very often. I mean, who doesn’t love soft, vanilla-flavored with a hint of tanginess? Also, this cake is sort of a healthy-ish cake, considering that it doesn’t have frosting and it has a good deal of yogurt.

Traditionally this cake is made with store-bought Greek Yogurt but this recipe uses plain yogurt. Based on how you source your yogurt from, you can alter this recipe accordingly as explained below.

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Store-bought Yogurt:

Curd or Yogurt is available abundantly in any neighborhood store. These come in two varieties: Curd (packed in pouches) and Set Curd (packed in plastic cartons). Both of these varieties are the same except for the whey content. Curd has more whey, thereby making it thinner when beaten; whereas Set Curd has slightly lesser whey which makes it thicker comparatively but not as thick as Greek yogurt. Set Curd can be directly used in this recipe.

Homemade Yogurt:

Like most of the Indians, you make your own yogurt, go ahead and use that. Homemade yogurt also can differ based on the milk you use. If you use pasteurized and hom*ogenized milk, the resulting yogurt should be like the store-bought yogurt, because of hom*ogenization. On the other hand, if you use whole milk, by whole milk I mean unpasteurized milk, the yogurt you make with it will be thinner. Essentially the yogurt has to be thick but need not be thick as Greek Yogurt.

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Ideally, if you see visible whey or really lose curds, strain them through a cheesecloth-lined over a mesh strainer for 20 minutes. If you don’t see visible curd, use the curd as is. However this recipe for Yogurt cake is very forgiving, so don’t be bothered about the exact consistency of the yogurt.

How to make this cake:

This cake is the easiest, fuss-free recipe there is. Let’s see how to make this cake.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low-medium heat and set it aside. It shouldn’t bubble or brown; it should stay yellow.

Mix the 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2.5 tsp baking powder together. This makes the dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup sugar and 3 medium eggs. Whisk with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed. It should become pale and slightly voluminous.

Add the yogurt and give it a quick whisk. Also, add the vanilla extract and mix it thoroughly.

Nextly, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold it in until completely absorbed and incorporated. If you see any lumps, press it with the spatula against the bowl to break it down.

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Finally, add the melted butter and mix it thoroughly. The resultant batter is shiny and smooth.

Prepare an 8-inch cake tin and line it with parchment paper. You can also use a loaf pan or square pan, as long as you fill the batter till the 2/3rd level of the pan. It needs at least 2 inches extra space to rise as it bakes.

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees for 10 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the same pan for 15-20 minutes.

To remove, run a knife through the sides and flip the cake pan over a plate. The cake should easily slide out. Slice and serve it immediately or store in an airtight box for later.

Serve it warm with your choice of topping!

Toppings for the cake:

• Eat it plain. This would be my number one choice if I were to make it just for my family. I cannot stress this again, this French Yogurt Cake is good on its own. It is tangy, sweet and extremely soft that it won’t leave any time for you to think about a topping or a frosting. Traditionally this cake is given a good shower of sugar just when it is just out of the oven. But if you’re entertaining or if you’re really craving something extra, you can go for other options listed below.
• Berries: Berries are something that I rarely find in my place. We do get strawberries but that season comes and goes in a jiffy. If you’ve access to berries, top the cake with berries generously; berries are the best topping for this French Yogurt Cake. Sprinkle some icing sugar over it. This would make a great centerpiece for your dinner party.

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• Something extra: For an added something or to wow your guests, a little whipped cream would take this to the next level. Top this yogurt cake with whipped cream and adorn it with berries for finishing touch.
• Citrus glaze: Another simple topping is pouring lemon or orange glaze over it. The recipe for this is given below.

To make the orange glaze:

Zest an orange with a microplane grater or mix together 120g of Confectioners Sugar, 1/2 tsp orange zest, 40ml of orange juice. Mix everything together and use it immediately and pour it on the French Yogurt Cake!

Recipe Courtesy: Recipe adapted from Foodnetwork.

Notes:

• Greek Yogurt: If Greek yogurt isn’t available, line a mesh strainer with cheesecloth and let store-bought curd stand for 30 minutes. The same goes for homemade curd made with hom*ogenized milk. If you make curd with unpasteurized whole-milk, the resulting curd will be thinner. You might have to strain it for more time.
• Melted Butter: To get 130 ml melted butter, approximately 140g solid butter would do. Melt in a small pan in medium heat. When only a few small bits are left, remove the pan from heat, it will melt away. Please note, the weight of the butter depends on the fat content and how cold the butter is, so you might need more than 140g of butter.
• Line the sides and bottom of the pan with parchment paper. When the cake has completely cooled down, run the sides of the pan with a knife. Then flip the cake on a plate, it should easily slide out.
• Storage: The un-glazed cake can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, in an airtight box. It will be over before that, trust me. For more than that duration, keep the box in the refrigerator.

Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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