The light fluffy texture of this fantastic flourless yogurt cake is almost soufflé-like, and the flavour is tangy and cheesecake-like. It's a decadent treat you can eat without feeling guilty - a lightened up cheesecake made without heavy cream cheese. Serve it just plain, sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar, or dress it up for company with billows of softly whipped cream and a pile of fresh berries.
Well, the calendar says 'Spring' but the view out of my window still says 'Winter', so I need to bring a feeling of spring to my kitchen. This bright and light yogurt cake is just the way to do it. One bite and I can feel the sunshine warming my face and hear the birds chirping. The texture of the cake is light as a cloud and the flavour has the irresistible tang of a delicate cheesecake. Absolutely yummy!
In truth, we've been hearing the honking of the returning Canada geese flying overhead and seen them out and about in pairs in the neighbourhood ponds. It snowed all day yesterday. The world was white and roads were terrible. Then today the sun on the snow is so bright it's blinding, and water is gurgling and running down the eavestroughs as the snow melts off the roof. I guess that's our springtime here in Alberta - here one day, in hiding the next. So it's time to celebrate with cake.
Easy Flourless Yogurt Cake
This easy yogurt cake only has a few ingredients. You do need to separate the eggs and beat the whites and yolks separately, but if you have a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, the task's a breeze. (Even if you're whisking it by hand, the job can feel oddly therapeutic and rewarding.)
Fold in some sugar (I like to use organic evaporated cane sugar), a good heap of Greek yogurt, and a few spoonfuls of cornstarch (again, I use organic so I know it's not genetically modified) or potato starch, and pile it all into a parchment paper lined baking pan. The cake is naturally gluten free, so you can serve it with confidence to guests with this food allergy.
The size of pan you use does make a difference here. A small pan (7-inches/18cm in diameter) will give you the highest lift and a more fluffy soufflé-like texture. The 7-inch size is not a common size (though I like to have it on hand, now that I'm often making a cake for just two of us), so you can use an 8-inch/20cm round cake pan. Keep in mind your yogurt cake will be flatter and more cake-like than if you use the smaller pan. Still tastes just as amazing, though.
Use a big enough piece of parchment paper so that it forms a raised wall to contain the batter as it rises. The cake will puff up gloriously in the oven, and then fall somewhat as it cools, forming the perfect indent to fill with whipped cream, or just a dusting of powdered sugar.
Once the cake has cooled, peel off the parchment paper. The wrinkles and folds add a rustic textural element to this luscious cake.
How to Serve a Yogurt Cake
You can just dust the top with powdered sugar for a simple presentation.
Or top the cake with a pillow of softly whipped cream (see how to stablilize whipped cream here, so it stays fresh and fluffy for days), and then pile on a mound of fresh berries or fruit, and dust it with some more powdered sugar 'snow' (the only kind of snow I want to be seeing around here).
How Else to Eat this Luscious Yogurt Cake?
This cake seems to just disappear off the counter in a couple days in our house - I think we have a serious problem with cake-elves, but I can never catch those little tricksters in the act! I can attest to the fact that a slab of this gloriously tangy and fluffy cake eaten out of hand is truly a treat. It satisfies any cheesecake cravings you may have, without any of the heavy cheesecake calories that usually go along with it. It's that delicious Greek yogurt - it provides the cheesecake flavour notes, and the beaten eggs provide the fluffiness. (Together they actually contribute a good amount of protein to this cake.)
Try the yogurt cake:
- plain, with a dusting of powdered sugar
- topped with whipped cream and fresh berries or fruit
- topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce
- served with a big dollop of rhubarb curd - spring on a plate!
- alongside a bowl of baked rhubarb compote
- topped with a dollop of jam and a spoonful of lightly sweetened yogurt - double yogurt delight!
- with berry sauce and ice cream or whipped cream
- with praline cream
- alongside a fresh fruit salad
- as part of a dessert platter with this Strawberry Flip Dip
However you choose to serve it, this simple Yogurt Cake can be the dessert star at your next gathering (it would make a lovely Easter finale) or it can be the everyday cake everyone looks for on the countertop when they're feeling 'snackish'. It fills that role admirably well at our house. In fact, a cup of tea and a slab of this cake make a mighty fine breakfast when I'm feeling like a light bite in the morning.
Light, bright, and not too sweet - this yogurt cake's one of those unsung heroes in the cake world.
Guten Appetit!
* * * * *
Flourless Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs separated
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (100gms) sugar
- 1¼ cups (325gms) Greek yogurt, 2% fat content or higher
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (50gms) cornstarch, potato starch, arrowroot starch, or any combination of these
optional, to serve:
- a sprinkle of icing sugar/powdered sugar
- lightly sweetened whipped cream
- fresh fruit or berries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Tear off a large piece of parchment paper and push it down into a 7-inch (18 cm) round springform pan or cake pan so that the paper sticks up at least an inch (2.5cm) all the way around. Flatten the creases in the paper as best you can. To get the best rise and fluffiest cake, it's important to use this small size of pan. If you use a larger pan (no bigger than 8-inch/20cm) the yogurt cake will be flatter and not quite as fluffy, but still taste as good.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until they are stiff. Remove them to a separate bowl.
- Add the egg yolks to the mixing bowl along with the sugar. Beat them together until they are pale yellow and fluffy. This will take 3 to 4 minutes on high speed. Beat in the yogurt and vanilla. Then add the starch and continue beating until it is mixed in.
- Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk/yogurt mixture ⅓ at a time. Gently fold in until only pea-sized pockets of beaten whites remain. Don't over-fold. Pour the batter into the parchment-lined baking pan. Bang it on the counter a few times to get any air bubbles to rise.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center no longer feels liquid when gently pressed with your finger, and the edges are nicely browned.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan, then lift it out using the paper and gently peel off the parchment paper from the cake. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
- Serves 6 to 8.
Notes
Want to receive new Kitchen Frau recipes directly to your email? Sign up here and you’ll get a handy and useful kitchen tip along with each recipe, too. (No spam ever.)
If you like my recipes, follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. You’d make my day!
PIN IT HERE to save the recipe for later:
You might also like:
Luscious Lemon Almond Flour Cake
Julie
This is fantastic!! I served it with whip cream and berries with passion fruit puree drizzled over top. My kids said its my "best cake recipe ever"!
Margaret
That makes me so happy to hear! Glad to get your kids' stamp of approval 🙂 Passionfruit puree sounds absolutely heavenly with it.
Kay
This was amazing!! (I must admit I added a blob of cream cheese. )
We added fresh garden raspberries and we are in heaven!!! Thank you 💖
Margaret
Oh, how that makes me smile. Thanks for the feedback. Fresh raspberries would be gorgeous! 😍
Elke
I am about to make this cake but how is this going to rise without Baking powder I wonder?
Margaret
It's the eggs - when they are beaten until fluffy, and carefully folded together so they lose as little air as possible, they become the rising agent in the cake. As they bake, their proteins solidify and they hold the fluffy structure together. It's kinda like kitchen magic! 🤗 Happy baking!
Kristine
Do you think I could make 1 & 1/2 of the recipe so that I can fill a larger pan? I don’t have a 7” and still want that nice fullness that you have. I know I’d need to bake longer.
Margaret
Yes, I think you could, although I haven't tried it myself yet. Another reader asked me the same question and I suggested 1 and 1/2 times the recipe and put it in a 9-inch springform pan. I figured out the area of the pan and that would be the best option as it's closest to 1 and 1/2 times the area of the 7-incb. I'm working on some other cake recipes right now and don't want to try it as I know we'll have too much cake around here to eat and/or give away! So I'd love to know how it works out for you if you try it. Happy baking!
Stacy
I have it in the oven now! 😋 Have you ever tried to make this using fat free Greek yogurt?
Margaret
Happy to hear you tried it - hope you liked it as much as we do! I haven't tried it with fat-free yogurt (I always go for full-fat, love the rich flavour). If you do make it with fat-free, I'd love to hear how it turns out. 🙂
Susan
Just made this with fat free yogurt as I’m doing slimming world, and it worked beautifully! I added zest of a lemon and juice from half a lemon. Left out vanilla.Light as a feather and only 2syns a slice (12 portions)
Margaret
Thanks for the feedback, I'm happy to know it worked with fat free Greek yogurt, too. The lemon sounds bright and delicious. So glad you liked the cake. It's the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of spring! 😀
Michelle Shang
Can I freeze it for storage?
Margaret
I haven't frozen it myself, but I don't see any reason why it shouldn't freeze well, if it's wrapped and sealed well. 🙂
Sarah
This is so yummy!! I unfortunately didn’t have parchment paper so I used aluminum foil and kept it an inch over the pan. I also sprayed generously with non-stick spray. And instead of Greek yogurt I just used plain. Came out super fluffy and lightly browned right at 40 mins! Also love that it’s pretty low cal! Delish 😃
Margaret
Awesome! So glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback. 😊 It's such a great summer treat, too - nice and light, but feels like a real indulgence. Happy baking!
SANDRA DIAZ
Has anyone tried this using artificial sweetener instead of the sugar. I'm working on something for a diabetic, and want to leave out the sugar.
Alanna
Made this today…. It’s gorgeous!
Any advise on how best to store? I’ll serve it tomorrow.
Margaret
Aw, thanks - so glad you like it! If we're eating it within two days, I just keep it on the counter with a cake cover over it or a bowl inverted over it to keep it from drying out. (Though it's never lasted much longer than a day in our house, I must admit.😋)
Kaysha
Can this be made with lactose free yogurt? ( The yogurt is made with coconut milk)
Margaret
I have never tried it but I don't see why it shouldn't work. Good luck and happy baking. Would love to hear how it turns out if you try it, so other readers can know, too. 🤗
Lu
Hello Margret,
I am happy to have found your recipe! I tried baking this cake today, but unfortunately to top part got burned while the rest of the cake was still cooking. How do you keep the top from burning? The only thing that came to mind is aluminum foil on top, but I decides against it, because I thought the rest of the cake might not cook through properly and the bottom would burn instead. Thank you in advance for your support!
Margaret
Hmmm, I've never had the top burn. I wonder if it would help to bake the cake on a lower rack in the oven? Or if you want to add aluminum foil like you suggest, maybe just lay a piece of aluminum foil lightly on top of the cake when it's at least past halfway through baking, so that it's had a chance to get partially baked first. Ovens are so different, and maybe for some reason yours has more heat coming from the top. Another thought might be to bake it on a lower rack in the oven and set an empty baking pan or a sheet of aluminum foil on a rack near the top of the oven to prevent as much direct heat from coming down on the cake. Good luck and I hope you can get it to work next time. 😊