Discover French children’s favorite dessert! The school-famous “gâteau au yaourt” (yogurt cake) is a super simple no-measure cake to prepare for any occasion.
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In six years blogging, it was about time I shared with you this French classic. Gâteau au yaourt is a simple plain cake that we prepare for any occasion, a little bit like a coffee cake. It’s also the first dessert we learn how to bake as a kid in France, the cake we bring to birthday’s parties, the cake we prepare on a lazy day or at the last minute (no need to grab a scale or a measuring cup). In a word, it’s the perfect basic cake recipe that never fails and never disappoints.
The recipe is so easy that most French people actually know it by heart. I, myself, learned it in day care (or was it primary school?) and never forgot about it. I made it countless of times ever since, for my friends, sisters, cousins, as a kid, a teen or an adult. There is always a good reason for a yogurt cake.
As everyone knows the recipe in France, I never thought of sharing it on the blog before. Until I figured that the cake was actually known in France only and even there, it seems everyone has its own way of preparing it. It’s a little bit like a crepes recipe, extremely basic yet pretty different from one version to another.
So here I am today, happy to share the yogurt cake recipe with the world. This is my favorite version of the recipe, the one I like for its incredible moistness. The cake is also light and airy.
How do you prepare a no-measure cake?
Again, no need to use a scale or measuring cups for this recipe. Instead, we use a 4.4 oz (125g) yogurt container for measuring all the ingredients. Whatever the size of the container, the ratio remains the same ; only the size of your spring form might change.
- Pour x 1 plain yogurt container (4.4 oz/125g) in a large mixing bowl.
- Wash and dry the yogurt container so you can use it again for measuring the other ingredients.
- Measure x 2 containers sugar and add it to the yogurt. Note that you can cut the amount of sugar if desired.
- Add 3 large eggs, and mix.
- Add x1 container vegetable oil, neutral in taste (canola or sunflower oil), and whisk.
- Measure x3 containers all-purpose flour and mix in with 1 Tablespoon baking powder.
Useful tip! There is no specific order of wet or dry ingredients to make the recipe (just try to combine the baking powder with a little bit of flour). This is why I always use the container for all the dry ingredients first to avoid cleaning it one more time in the middle of the process. It’s a lazy trick but it works. Use it at last for the vegetable oil, and whisk with the eggs.
Learn the recipe by heart!
There is a simple way to help you learn the recipe by heart and remember it forever. For the first three ingredients count x 1, x 2, x 3, and then just remember the 3 following ones by heart.
- 1 container of yogurt (4.4 ounces / 125g)
- x 2 containers of sugar
- x 3 containers of all-purpose flour
- 1 container of vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
Recipe variations
- Replace vegetable oil neutral in taste (canola, rapeseed, sunflower…) with coconut oil. It will bring a subtle coconut flavor to the cake.
- Cut the amount of vegetable oil. Use 1 whole container vegetable oil for best results and a perfectly moist cake. You can however obtain some fairly good results with only ½ container vegetable oil.
- Cut the amount of sugar. The recipe calls for 2 containers of sugar but feel free to adapt the recipe if you try to avoid sugar, using 1 ½ container of sugar or even 1 container if you prefer.
- Adds-on and flavors. Add your personal twist to the recipe, flavoring the cake batter with some vanilla extract (or using vanilla flavored yogurt), lemon zest or orange zest. You could also add some mini chocolate chips, blueberries, apple chunks, etc. My favorite way to enjoy the cake is to serve it plain, with strawberry or apricot jam or just a few berries.
More easy desserts you’ll adopt for life:
- Orange pound cake
- Perfect Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake
- Buttermilk Banana Bread
- Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Super Moist Gingerbread Cake
- Chocolate Chip Almond Yogurt Cake
- Easy Chocolate Marble Yogurt Cake
- Best Ever Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
How long will it keep?
The cake will keep for a few days and often tastes even better on day 2. You can choose to cover it with cling film (better than foil of you want to keep its moistness) and leave it at room temperature or you can slice it and transfer to an air-tight container placed in the refrigerator. This last option is in my opinion the best way to keep it fresh and moist for several days. Now it’s your turn to shine!
PrintFrench “Gâteau au yaourt” (A No-Measure Cake)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: French
Discover French children’s favorite dessert! The school-famous “gâteau au yaourt” (yogurt cake) is a super simple no-measure cake to prepare for any occasion.
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
- 1 container (4.4oz / 125g) plain yogurt
- 2 containers (7 oz / 200g) sugar
- 3 containers (6.3 oz / 180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 container (4 fl. oz / 120 ml) vegetable oil, neutral in taste
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form.
- In a large mixing bowl, pour the plain yogurt.
- Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and oil. Whisk until combined.
- Wash the yogurt container and dry it.
- Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and mix well.*
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving. The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
* You can also pour all the ingredients at once as listed above, and mix in the end. Proceed this order: 1 container yogurt, wash and dry, x2 containers sugar, x3 containers flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, x1 containers oil, 3 eggs, vanilla. It will take a little bit more of effort to mix but it’s a great way to learn the recipe by heart in the beginnings.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this French “Gâteau au yaourt” (A No-Measure Cake), be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
Jasmine
My family loved this they beg me to make this every Christmas now thank you!!
Delphine Fortin
I’m so happy to ear that. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Del
Vaughn
Always works 123, but? It even works vegan!
Using : Oui Coconut Diary Free Vanilla Yogurt & Bob’s RedMill Egg Replacer (hilariously? 3 Chinese spoons egg replacer + 6 Chinese spoons water? = 1 yogurt jar =)
LOVE this recipe, as there are dairy & egg allergies in this house.
Delphine Fortin
Oh wow, that’s awesome! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback too, it can be very useful for dairy-free readers 🙂 Del
Lynn
I think it’s so interesting that children delight in the success of this simple recipe, yet for people who normally bake by strictly following precise measurements, this cake seems such a challenge. My grandma baked amazing things, just scooping flour & sugar with a chipped coffee cup and adding “enough” milk and butter.
This is an exercise in lightening up! Trust that the cake will come out ok if you follow the general formula and simply pay attention. Practice testing a cake for doneness rather than blindly relying on a timer.
Addie
Hello! Do you think it’s okay make this recipe as is, but divide and bake the batter in two 9 inch pans to get two thinner cake layers? Thanks!
Delphine Fortin
Hi Addie! And sorry for my late feedback. The answer is yes, you can totally divide the batter in two. You will just need to bake them a little less longer. To make sure the cakes are baked through, insert a toothpick in its center. If it comes out clean, the cakes are ready! Best of luck with your recipe. Del
Alissa Bratz
Not sure what I did wrong but it took forever to bake. Even after almost an hour in the oven it was still “wobbly” in the middle and a pick still came out with batter on it. I followed the measurements exactly: 1 individual container Greek yogurt and then used that container for everything else with a “container” measurement.Still waiting for it to come out of the oven, maybe it will be OK when it does finally firm up but it is taking a LONG time. Did I miss something?
Charu
Hi Del,
Such wonderfully easy recipe! I am so glad i found your blog! Thank you indeed!
Stephanie
If I’m doubling, or tripling the recipe, would I double or triple the eggs too?
Delphine Fortin
Ideally yes, you will need to double or triple the egg when doubling or tripling proportions. I hope this helps! Del
Pheobes
Hi Del, my cake turned out to have a lot of holes inside. I didn’t over mix or anything like that. It seems like the yogurt was boiling / bubbling inside the cake? Why is that?
Delphine Fortin
Hi Phoebes, I’ve never heard of that for a yogurt cake so I’m not sure what went wrong with your attempt to the recipe. I would recommend you try again, making sure yogurt is not expired, all the ingredients combined together and the oven at the right temperature (with cake placed in the middle rack). I hope this helps! Del
Pale
How much is a container? Like a cup?
That cake.looks yummy.
Delphine Fortin
Hi Pale! A container is usually around 5-ounces (140g) in the US, but anything between 4.2 ounces (120g) and 5 ounces (140g) should work just fine for this recipe, which is around 1/2 cup or so. I hope it helps 🙂 Del
Chris
Thank you for the updating with the container size, which does matter since there are two other important ingredients (3 eggs and 1 T baking powder) that are not measured in relation to the container.
Merryl James
Thank you for sharing your recipe with us all. I do have one question: is it always 3 eggs irrespective of the size of yogurt pot used? I’m hoping to bake today
Delphine Fortin
It’s a very good question indeed! I would say that for a container that is about 4.5 to 5.5 ounces (a regular yogurt container size), you can use 3 eggs. If you use a bigger container up to 6.5 ounces however, use 4 eggs. I hope this helps 🙂 Del
Teagan Cannan
Does flavored yogurt work?
Delphine Fortin
It can work yes, as long as there is no fruits involved. I would go for vanilla, coconut or lemon preferably!
Mateja
I just popped by to say that we also make this cake very often in Croatia, too! And we call it “Kolac od jogurta”. I also like to add some fruit in the batter. 🙂 Your version looks very lovely!
Masson
We never use eggs in France, in the basic recipe learnt in kinder garden. in a “ Gateau au Yaourt “ !
Delphine Fortin
Well, I’m French, grew up in France and always used eggs in gâteau au yaourt, whether I baked the recipe at school or at home with my mom. So I guess this must be a different version from yours.
Ody
We don’t know what container or glass is. Can you use ounces to explain?
Thank you
Delphine Fortin
This recipe calls for a container, whatever the size, there is no use for ounces and that’s the magic about it. Use a glass or a mug and use it as your “container-reference” for the recipe. I hope this helps. Del
Teagan Cannan
Ya because I don’t buy that yogurt and it’s just really confusing.
Delphine Fortin
Again, the yogurt you choose doesn’t matter! Just choose a container and use it as a reference to double or triple the quantities. Please take the time to watch my video tutorial to understand the concept of the recipe. Thanks! Del
Andrea
Hi! I want to try this recipe but I don’t understand what do you mean with containers, is it like cups?
Delphine Fortin
Hi Andrea. You can use any container and use it as a reference unit. If you use a glass, then use the same one, always, and measure 1 glass yogurt, 2 glasses sugar, 3 glasses flour, etc. Usually the container I use is the yogurt container itself (if you use an individual portion of course). I hope this helps! Del
Adriana Gutierrez
We still need a baseline measure for the ratio of ingredients to eggs and baking powder to work.
Delphine Fortin
You are right. Aim for a 4.5 to 5.3 ounces (125g to 150g) container, so roughly 1/2 cup. I hope this helps! Del
Linda
Wonderful cake, not too sweet even though I used vanilla Greek yogurt, it turned out great! I never need another cake recipe.
Delphine Fortin
So happy to hear that. Thank you, Linda!
Ally
Salut Del – que cette recette est tres simple…c’est genial!! Saviez-vous si on peut utiliser de applesauce pour remplacer de l’huile, et si je peux melanger la farine ou utilser un autre farine comme la farine de ble, de sarrasin, de gruau ou de kamut? Je ne suis pas sure si ca change la texture de la gateau (ou je pense que je peux aussi melanger la farine de tout avec une autre type de farine?) Merci beaucoup!
LAETITIA
Un gateau simple et qui régale tout le monde, le votre donne envie. Moi je remplace un verre de farine par un verre de poudre d’amande
Delphine Fortin
Bonjour Laetitia, et merci de partager ton astuce que je ne manquerai pas de tester lors d’un de mes prochains essais 🙂
Ashley
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, would plain Greek yogurt work as well?
Delphine Fortin
Hi Ashley! Yes, Greek yogurt works too 🙂
LadyMilonguera
Comme il a l’air moelleux et léger ton gâteau au yaourt !
Delphine Fortin
Oh merci ma belle. On l’aime tous, ce gâteau qui respira la simplicité et les souvenirs d’enfance 🙂
Adriana Gutierrez
What is the volume of a comtainer of yogurt for this recipe? US comtainers come in different sizes.
Delphine Fortin
Yes you are right. I usually take a 5-ounces (140g) OUI yogurt as a reference. I hope this helps! Del