Berry Yoghurt Cake with Lemon Glaze; moist and fluffy yoghurt cake bursting with juicy berries and dressed in a tangy lemon sugar glaze.
There are occasions where you need a dessert in a pinch.
Unexpected invitations to events, last minute barbecue prep, forgotten birthday gifts. The list is endless, and almost always a bit stressful.
Picking up a box of chocolates and a cheap bottle of wine is never a bad idea, but something about a homemade cake just says so much more. Even if you hadn’t planned it whatsoever. Today’s recipe takes less than an hour to make, and was made for exactly one of those occasions. It felt selfish not to share it.
This berry yoghurt cake can be baked in a regular roasting tin or rectangular cake tin, and is ideal for those in a hurry or those who aren’t confident in the kitchen yet. No need to worry about fancy equipment – a few bowls and a regular hand whisk will do!
It was first made from ingredients I had in the fridge and cupboards already, and you may find you have them too. The main flavours (unsurprisingly, given the title) come from zingy lemon juice and zest, and from a generous scattering of frozen berries. However, gloriously subtle flavours and textures come from tangy natural yoghurt and peppery olive oil too.
You might worry that a cake without frosting might be dry, crumbly, or stale-tasting. I assure you that the juicy berries and zesty lemon glaze make this already magnificently moist cake stay fresh and alluring for days.
If you find yourself in berry season (late spring to mid summer) as you read this, you could make a fabulous fresh raspberry, blueberry, or blackberry cake. That said, this berry yoghurt cake works beautifully with regular affordable mixed frozen berries too! Similarly, while I recommend extra virgin olive oil for its beautiful colour and flavour, feel free to use rapeseed instead or sunflower oil instead to make this recipe more budget-friendly. I love EVOO because it’s so cheap and plentiful where I am in Italy, and I love frozen berries simply for the convenience of baking them straight from the freezer.
It may not be a stunning centrepiece made of layers and layers or cake and frosting, but it’s a truly tasty wee snack or dessert. Unfussy and irresistible. It’s a refreshingly light nibble on a sunny afternoon, or even a fine breakfast with a cup of coffee.
You’ll find it easily portable for taking to gatherings, and simple to slice and serve. You’ll also find it lasts pretty well without needing any refrigeration, it has held up in our 22 C degree weather for a good few days with no worries.
I hope you love this berry yoghurt cake as much as we have, and I hope May is treating you well so far!
Want to save this Berry Yoghurt Cake for later? You can pin the image below:
To make this Berry Yoghurt Cake, simply follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
For the berry yoghurt cake:
- 180g (1 ½ cups) plain flour
- 150g (¾ cup) soft light brown sugar, or caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 150g (generous ½ cup) plain yoghurt
- 100ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil, or rapeseed oil, or sunflower oil
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Handful of mixed fresh or frozen berries (I use frozen)
For the lemon glaze:
- 60g (½ cup) icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
For the berry yoghurt cake:
- Preheat your oven – 180 C / 160 C fan / 350 F / gas mark 4.
- Grease and line a 18 x 25 cm (7 x 10 in) rectangular cake tin.
- In a large bowl, weigh your flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt and briefly stir together.
- In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the eggs, yoghurt, oil, and lemon juice until smooth and combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk together until you have an even cake batter.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and smooth over the top.
- Scatter your berries evenly over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. By this time the cake should be risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre should be clean when removed (perhaps besides a little berry juice).
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing from the tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.
For the lemon glaze:
- In a cup or small bowl, stir together the sugar and lemon juice until you have a smooth and runny glaze.
- Spoon or brush the glaze over the top of your cooled cake.
- Slice up and enjoy!
BE A MAVERICK: why not try some lime zest or orange zest instead to switch up the flavour?
This Berry Yoghurt Cake will keep well for up to 4 days in an airtight container or on a covered cake stand, but is best enjoyed fresh!
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I love your videos, this recipe was amazing!
Thanks Lilly, glad you enjoyed!
looks so good! Definitely making for Mother’s Day 🙂