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) plain Greek yogurt, 2% fat content or higher
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (50gms) corn starch, 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
Nutrition
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Kim Jamieson
This recipe sounds delicious. Do you think it would work if I use stevia as sweetener instead of sugar? I can't eat sugar.
Margaret
I don't think stevia would work as sugar does provide some of the structure. I think the best bet would be some of the sugar derivative non-caloric sweeteners (like xylitol) might work if you find ones that can be replaced 1 for 1 in baking, but I can't say for sure, since I've never tried them in this recipe.
Eliza
This recipe looks delicious! I would like to double the recipe for a larger crowd, how would that work with baking time? My pan is 9 inches.
Margaret
I think you'll have to experiment with the baking time, maybe needing an extra 5-15 minutes. Use the touch test, that it no longer feels liquid in the center when you lightly touch the top of the cake, and when the edges are a nice golden brown. I'd love to hear how it works in a larger pan.
Werj Anderson
Could I halve the recipe ?
Margaret
Yes, you can. I'd put it into a 6-inch springform pan and it may need a bit shorter baking time. Check it 10 minutes earlier and keep testing it until it's baked.
Anna
What can I use in place of the cornstarch for this to still come out successfully? Has anyone tried this with gelatin or a different thickener?
Margaret
I don't know how gelatin would work, but you could substitue another starch, like potato starch or arrowroot starch, or try a gluten-free flour like cassava flour or sweet rice flour.
Mary
I’ve been making this cake for awhile and we love it. I like the fact that it has a good amount of protein. I have been using Swerve sugar substitute and it comes out great. It measures just like sugar without the calories.
Margaret
Thanks for the feedback on using Swerve - that is useful for many readers to know. So glad you like the cake! 😍
A
Will this freeze well?
Margaret
I haven't tried freezing it yet (we always eat it up before I have a chance!), but I don't see why it shouldn't work, as long as it's fully cooled first and well wrapped and in an airtight bag or container.
Susan MacLeod
I used a ton of lemon zest instead of the vanilla and it was so so good.
Margaret
I love to hear that! Thanks for the feedback - I will definitely try it that way. 😍
Bette Harley
How much lemon zest did you use? A Tablespoon? More?
Margaret
Hi Bette, I haven't yet tried it myself with lemon zest, but, yes, I'd try it with the zest of one large lemon, which is about a tablespoon.
Happy baking!
Mindy
I think you mean you calculated the volume of the 9-inch pan.
Vanessa
This is possibly a silly question, but what kind of Greek yogurt are you meant to use? I assume plain, but then I wondered if maybe it’s supposed to be vanilla?
Margaret
There are no silly questions!😄 Thanks for asking - I've now adjusted the recipe to be more clear. Yes, you're right. I just use plain, unflavoured Greek yogurt, but if all you have is vanilla-flavoured, that would probably work, too (just cut the sugar down a bit).
Happy baking!
Genny
Hi. Tried this one out since I know a little girl with a gluten intolerance, not the same as an allergy, and while it looked right and I followed all the instructions when we had it the interior seamed a bit too moist. Is there any way to be sure the inside is done beside trying to judge with finger pats to the top? Also is this best stored in the fridge or on a countertop in a covered cake carrier?
Thanks
Margaret
You could use a toothpick or wooden skewer poked into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it will be done. The center of the cake is definitely somewhat moister than an ordinary cake, a bit more cheesecake-like.
If you'll be eating it within 24 hours, you can keep it on the counter, covered, but if you think it might last longer(depending on your crowd and their appetites), I'd recommend putting it in the fridge once it's cooled. Let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes or so, before serving it, for best flavour and texture.
Darryl Miranda
I tried the cake,turned out good,but too sweet and eggy
plus although it puffed up well it sat after coolin.
Margaret
That's too bad. We all have different tastes.
Leslie Verrier
Made this today and it came out beautifully. The hardest thing was just getting the parchment paper into my little springform pan! Decorated with strawberries and blueberries, a little powdered sugar. Thank you for sharing this recipe; my gluten free friends will love it.
Margaret
I can just imagine how the cake looks pretty like spring! Glad you like it and I'm guessing your friends will, too!
Debbie Hickey
Can I make this the day before and refrigerate till serving?
Margaret
Yes, you absolutely can. 🙂