Unlike any other cake I’ve baked, this incomparably moist lemon berry yogurt cake has a soft, creamy, and buttery crumb. Lightly flavored with fresh lemon and bursting with Greek yogurt and mixed berries, it’s a generous drop of sunshine in a Bundt cake pan. It’s been dubbed one of the best desserts I’ve ever made.
Chocolate? Who needs it. Caramel swirls? Nope. Peanut butter brownie swirl chunks mixed with cookie dough pieces? Yum, but not today.
When one of my assistants, Hilari, and I were testing this recipe, she turned to me and said “this is the best thing we’ve ever made.” Out of 1,200 recipes both on my website and in my cookbooks, garnering a description like that is no easy accomplishment. I replied with a simple “agreed.” In other words, today’s cake should not be overlooked.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Berry Yogurt Cake
- Supremely moist (other cakes don’t even compare)
- Soft and almost creamy-tasting crumb
- Made with 1 cup of Greek yogurt
- Fresh flavors
- Filled with tart lemon and sweet berries
- Convenient– use fresh or frozen berries
And as a welcome bonus, there’s no complicated decorating required. Let the cake cool and drizzle with lemon glaze. She’s a natural beauty!
Video Tutorial
How to Make Lemon Berry Yogurt Cake
This doesn’t get any easier– from the mixing bowl to the oven in 15 minutes.
- Mix dry ingredients together.
- Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest together.
- Beat butter and sugar together. Then add the vanilla and eggs.
- Combine all ingredients.
- Fold in the berries.
- Spoon batter into Bundt cake pan.
- Bake. The cake takes about 1 hour, but check with a toothpick.
- Cool for at least 1 hour in the pan. Then invert onto your serving platter and cool completely before icing.
- Drizzle with icing.
Expect the creamiest, silkiest cake batter in the entire world:
Ingredients You Need
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and, depending on the recipe, produces the best cakes. I tested this recipe with both cake flour and all-purpose flour (varying amounts, too) and 3 cups of cake flour won by a landslide. All-purpose flour was simply too heavy. If needed, use this homemade cake flour substitute.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: With so many wet ingredients, we need both baking powder and soda to help lift this cake so it’s not overly heavy and flat.
- Butter: Butter is the base of this cake. You need 2 sticks of properly softened room temperature butter.
- Sugar: This is a very large cake, so a lot of sugar is required to sweeten the cake and sufficiently cream the butter.
- Eggs: Eggs provide structure, stability, richness, and flavor. I based this recipe off of my cranberry orange Bundt cake and reduced the amount of eggs since we are using so much Greek yogurt and lighter cake flour.
- Lemon Zest & Juice: Grab a large fresh lemon and use its zest (around 2 teaspoons, give or take) and lemon juice. You may need a 2nd lemon to yield enough juice. Fresh juice is best. Here is a wonderful inexpensive juicer if you don’t have one.
- Greek Yogurt: You’ll notice that I use yogurt or sour cream in a lot of my cake recipes. Both bring a slight tang (very mild) and brilliantly creamy moisture. I tested this cake with nonfat and low fat Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, and sour cream– all were excellent. Greek yogurt added a little more tang and structure, though. It was our favorite.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: Both are used for flavor.
Each ingredient is important and has a very specific job.
Describe the Taste & Texture
This yogurt cake tastes creamy. I’m not even sure how that’s possible, but the crumb is so luxuriously soft, silky, and buttery. You’ll get a lovely preview of its texture when you experience the massive creaminess of the cake batter. Greek yogurt is a workhorse and when paired with cake flour and butter, it truly takes cakes to a whole other level. The cake is a little dense like pound cake, but the crumb isn’t quite as tight. Like my lemon blueberry cake, berries add more moisture and a pop of juiciness to each bite.
The lemon flavor is bright, but it’s a little light, so I recommend topping the cake with lemon glaze to really amp up that flavor. The lemon glaze is just lemon juice, a splash of vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar. Easy!
I can see this yogurt cake becoming the base of many other flavors like strawberry yogurt cake (swap the lemon juice for milk and use only chopped strawberries) or lemon coconut yogurt cake (skip the berries, add 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, and 1 teaspoon coconut extract). Those are just 2 initial ideas. Get creative!
Before You Bundt
- Bundt Pan: I have two Bundt cake pans that I swear by. I love this one and this one. Both are nonstick, but I generously grease them with nonstick spray to be safe. The yogurt cake releases so easily. The size and design of Bundt cake pans is imperative because intricate designs don’t always translate well into a baked cake. Likewise, Bundt pans can be deceptively small. Use a 9.5-10-inch pan that holds at least 10-12 cups of batter. This batter doesn’t yield quite that much, but it rises up.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items, except for the berries, should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information.
Lemon Berry Yogurt Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Sweet, studded with berries, and flavored with fresh lemon, vanilla, and butter, this supremely moist yogurt cake will soon become your favorite “anytime” cake. We love it!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (354g) cake flour* (spoon & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240g) plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (325g) mixed berries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)*
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioner’s sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. On medium speed, beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat the eggs in 1 at a time allowing each to fully mix in before adding the next. After the 3rd egg is added, be careful not to over-mix. Stop the mixer once all eggs are incorporated.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the butter/eggs. Pour the yogurt mixture on top. Turn the mixer onto medium speed and beat everything together *just* until combined. Do not over-mix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the berries. The batter will be a little thick and very creamy.
- Pour/spoon batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 55-70 minutes. Loosely tent the baking cake with aluminum foil halfway through bake time to ensure the surface does not over-brown. Use a toothpick to test for doneness and begin checking at 55 minutes. Once the toothpick comes out completely clean, the cake is done. This is a large cake so don’t be alarmed if it takes longer in your oven.
- Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour inside the pan. Then invert the slightly cooled cake onto a wire rack or serving dish. Allow to cool completely before glazing, slicing, and serving.
- Make the glaze: Whisk the glaze ingredients together. If desired, add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken or more lemon juice to thin out. Drizzle on top of cooled cake. Icing will set after a few hours, making this cake convenient for storing and/or transporting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Wrap unglazed baked and cooled cake in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the plastic wrap & foil overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before glazing, slicing, and serving.
- Loaf Pan: Pour the batter into two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Bake each at 350°F (163°C) for about 45 minutes or until baked through. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Or halve all of the ingredients to make one loaf. (Use 1 egg + 1 egg yolk.)
- Cake Flour: For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. If you cannot get your hands on cake flour, you can make a DIY cake flour substitute.
- Yogurt: You can use plain Greek yogurt, plain yogurt, or even sour cream. I recommend low-fat, non-fat, or full fat yogurt. If using sour cream, use full fat.
- Lemons: 2 medium/large lemons will be enough for the cake and glaze. If you’re looking for a plain yogurt cake (no lemon flavor), simply leave out the lemon zest and replace the lemon juice with milk (dairy or nondairy) in both the cake and glaze.
- Berries: I recommend sticking with mostly blueberries and chopped strawberries. Some raspberries and/or blackberries are OK, but they become a little wet and mushy and can impact the color and consistency of the baked cake. I use 3/4 cup blueberries, 3/4 cup chopped strawberries, and 1/4 cup each raspberries and blackberries. You can use frozen berries if needed. Do not thaw.
Keywords: lemon berry yogurt cake, yogurt cake, mixed berries
Reader Questions and Reviews
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Loved it! Very moist and just the right sweetness. I made it with frozen wild blueberries I had on hand. I can’t wait to try it with fresh berries.
★★★★★
This is one of the best cakes I have ever made. Every single person who had a piece raved about it. So so delicious! And not too hard to make either!
Can I use plain yogurt?
Hi Debra, regular plain yogurt will work perfectly – same amount!
I love every recipe of yours that I’ve tried! I simply cannot find cake flour in my area and was wondering if I could substitute Bob’s Red Mill Pastry flour? The package says it has less protein for cake and cookie baking. I can’t wait to try this!
Hi Peggy, you can use this cake flour substitute!
Could I make in mini loaf pans for sharing?
We can’t see why not! It depends on the exact dimensions of the mini pans, but begin testing for doneness with a toothpick at or just before 20 minutes. We’re unsure of the exact time, but this should be a helpful start!
We’re empty nesters and a regular Bundt cake is just too much for us. I usually end up throwing about half away. I recently purchased a smaller Bundt pan (6 cup) and would like to make this recipe in it instead of the regular size pan. I’m guessing I could halve the recipe but I’m not sure how long to cook it. Any suggestions for how to adapt it to the smaller cake pan?
Hi Nancy! You could cut the recipe in half for a 5-6 cup Bundt pan. Baking time will be shorter, but we aren’t sure of the exact time, so keep an eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. You could also halve the recipe and bake it in a 9×4 inch loaf pan. Hope this helps!
I have vanilla yogurt on hand – can I use that?
Hi Cyndi, we recommend sticking with plain yogurt. See recipe notes for options!
This was really good!
★★★★★
This is the best Blueberry, Lemon cake I’ve ever made. I followed your directions for making “cake flour” as I didn’t have any on hand. This cake has a wonderful texture and just enough lemon to enhance the Blueberries. Didn’t alter the recipe at all. Thank you Sally, my guests were quite pleased!
★★★★★
I did this cake today and its delicious. I always weight my ingredients, because I feel makes the biggest difference. I have fresh blueberries and frozen strawberries.
Thanks for always inspiring us!
★★★★★
Made this today and it was really delicious. I put blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. Followed recipe exactly and measured all my flour and sugar! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
Haven’t made yet. Will this be irk as a 13 x 9 sheet cake?
Hi Susan, this recipe is best in a Bundt or loaf pan. This Lemon Blueberry cake fits nicely in a 9 x 13 pan.
I want to make this so bad!! Any recommendations for egg replacement? We have egg allergy in my home.
My cake tasted delicious, but was kind of a disaster. I used frozen berries, but maybe the chunks were too big? They all sunk into the bottom of the pan and made a gooey mess that, sadly, would not come out of the pan. I would try it again. We are still eating it, but could not take it to a dinner party as planned.
★★★★
Like Jen, the frozen berries I used sunk to the bottom and my cake wouldn’t release from the pan, even after I generously greased it. The cake was still delicious and I’m definitely going to give it another go. Any suggestions??
Going to 1/2 recipe and make in my donut pan with freeze dried mixed berries. Think that will be ok?
Hi Natalie! We haven’t tested this recipe with freeze dried berries, we recommend sticking with fresh or frozen berries for best taste and texture.
Will do, thank you.
Have you tried this in mini bundt pans? or bundt cupcake pans?
Hi Kate, we haven’t tested it but can’t see why not! It depends on the exact dimensions of the mini pans, but begin testing for doneness with a toothpick at or just before 20 minutes. We’re unsure of the exact time, but this should be a helpful start!
Hi Sally, I want to make this cake but smaller, like 1 pan. All I need to do is use half of all the ingredients right?
Hi Khanyi, you can halve the ingredients for one 9×5 loaf pan. See recipe notes for more details.
I’m excited to try this! Do you think I could make this with limes instead of lemons? Just for something different?
We can’t see why not! Let us know how it goes.
I do have success with your recipes. I just made this cake for Easter tomorrow and it turned out perfect. My husband couldn’t wait until tomorrow, so he had a piece….moist and not too sweet.
★★★★★
Made it for Easter.. What can I say..DELISH!! make 2 little loaf pans and a bundt…just a little sample before the main event!! My husband loved it!!
Just made the recipe today. It was easy to assemble and it was a perfect result: moist cake with a bright lemon taste. We used just fresh blueberries and that worked well for us. We didn’t have plain yogurt, so we used the coconut yogurt we had on hand and it worked just fine. Honestly, couldn’t even taste the coconut!
★★★★★
Would you be able to use rhubarb instead of berries in this? Looks delicious!
Hi Yay, We have not tested this cake with rhubarb but can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let us know if you give it a try.
Can I use 5% fat Greek yoghurt or will the high fat content make the cake too dense?
That should be fine, Eli. Happy baking!