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 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, lemon blueberry cupcakes, and lemon blueberry muffins, 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
- 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate link): Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer | Bundt Pan | Juicer
- 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
Thank you for such an awesome cake! I have made it twice in the last month (used all blueberries) and hubby says it might be the best thing I have baked lol thank you again for sharing your gift of making people happy
★★★★★
Sally is not kidding, people. You need to make this cake that is somehow indeed creamy! I made it today with a frozen blueberry, blackberry, raspberry mix and full-fat Greek yogurt. It came out so, so good. Will definitely make this again and again!
★★★★★
Can you make it with gluten free flour? Would it have the same texture? My husband has celiac disease and it’s hard to find a gluten free flour that works well
Thank you for saying so! I want to make it today but only have frozen mixed berries and could help but wonder if it would be as good without using fresh! Taking out my butter, eggs & yogurt now!!
It’s moist and delicious but I didn’t do a very good job of folding in the blueberries and when I tried to remove it from the pan it broke apart where there was a clump of berries. I had to eat the broken part, but that wasn’t a hardship!
★★★★★
This was AMAZING. The flavor is outstanding, and the cake is so moist and tender, I could not stop eating it! I will definitely be making it regularly. It’s even delicious cold right from the fridge.
★★★★★
Can we used your reduced strawberry puree to make the strawberry version? If so, how much? Same as the milk?
I haven’t tested it, but you’d likely have to reduce the amount of added wet ingredients to make up for the addition of a reduced strawberry puree (like the one I add in my strawberry cake). Instead, I recommend using that recipe or just using all strawberries as the add-in in this yogurt cake
Sally,
I made this last Sunday, and it was fantastic. I had to use blackberries, as I couldn’t find my frozen blueberries at the last minute. But it had beautiful lemon flavor and stayed moist for several days. We use the last of it Thursday night. It was still Flavorful and was perfectly fine at room temperature. ( room was cool) Thank you for another hit recipe.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
I’m so excited to make this for our girls’ weekend in OC, MD next weekend! Is there a type of Greek Yogurt that you feel is best -non-fat, low-fat, full fat for this recipe?
Thanks so much for all of your delicious recipes!! You are the best!
I tested with nonfat and low fat Greek yogurt (as well as sour cream and regular yogurt)– both cakes with the Greek yogurt tasted the same. 🙂 Use whichever. Enjoy!
Wow, what a fantastic cake! My extended family loved it. The texture of it really is creamy and luscious. So yummy!
★★★★★
This might be the best thing I’ve ever made. Others thought so as well.
★★★★★
Oh my, this cake was heavenly Sally! I used 2 cups of blueberries and it came out amazing. The available strawberries were quite pale, so chose to stick with all blueberries. It was done at the 55 minute mark and was light yet substantial. After adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the 1 cup of powdered sugar for the glaze, I realized it was already too runny and ended up adding more powdered sugar. Should it be 3 teas instead of Tablespoons? Other than that, I followed it exactly as written and already have requests from co-workers to make it again. Thanks!
★★★★★
I’m thrilled that this cake was such a hit, Nancy! The glaze is very forgiving so you can adjust the ratios of lemon juice to sugar to get the consistency that you like.
Made this today using your cake flour substitute and following the instructions yo a T. I couldn’t wait for it to cool down completely because the aroma was amazing so I had a piece while it was still a bit warm. It’s so so delicious with a mix of fresh blueberries and raspberries. I dusted the berries with some flour before folding them very gently to avoid squishing the raspberries. I also skipped the glaze altogether as the cake already has enough sugar in it. Thank you Sally!
★★★★★
Just like to ask if I can used a canned berries coz we don’t have fresh berries in our place.
★★★★★
Hi Grace, I have not tested canned berries, but frozen berries work if that is easier for you to get! If you do decide to try canned fruit I recommend discarding the excess liquid and try to look for fruit that isn’t packed in a sugar syrup.
Love this recipe! Blueberry lemon is one of my all time favorite flavor combos! I’ve used this recipe THREE times for different occasions in the last two weeks and each time it has turned out PERFECTLY! Thank you Sally!
★★★★★
This cake is fantastic! I was a little doubtful when I read in the recipe that the cake crumb was “creamy” as I had no idea how that could be… but it is! And it’s amazing! It’s the best cake I have ever made and I have eaten and made a lot of cake… I am a bit of a cake maniac lol. This one is a true keeper and will go in my recipe box for years to come. Heck, maybe even this week again as I took this to some friends today and I only have one piece at home. I am longing for more!
★★★★★
I baked this recipe this afternoon and it was a huge hit! Even my super picky pants daughter LOVED it from the first bite. I’m going to bake again tomorrow for the ladies at work to enjoy:)
Your baking books/website are always my go to for recipes. Thanks for sharing your talent.
★★★★★
Sally,
Do you think using freeze dried fruits would work in this cake? Would I need to add more moisture to keep the cake from being dry from the fruits re-hydrating? I freeze dry my own fruits, so there are no additives, just fruit.
Hi Pat! You could try freeze-dried fruits in this batter with no other changes to the recipe. I haven’t personally tested it, so I can’t predict the exact result.
Fantastic! I made this for my husband and he loved it from the first bite. Thank you for such a yummy recipe. I’ll be making this again.
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I love your recipes, they bake into heavenly goodness! I want to make this cake for my lovely grandparents. But I wanted to ask that how can I adjust the sugar so that the cake is neither too bland nor too sweet (which is normal sweet for us). I want to have some guidance on how to adjust sugar in both cakes and frostings. Xoxo!
★★★★★
Hi Farwah, thank you! Feel free to adjust the sugar based on your taste preference, but keep in mind that reducing in large quantities will not only change the flavor, but the texture of the cake as well. I would start by reducing the sugar down to 1 and 1/2 cups.
I made this tonight. It was DELICIOUS !
★★★★★
This cake is everything I hoped it would be. Definitely the most moist cake I’ve ever made!
I upped the amount of lemon zest I used, and used full fat yogurt in lieu of greek since that’s what I had on hand. I will say, my batter did not have the silky texture it seems that was displayed in the pictures. It was thick and delicious, and still very smooth, but it seems my cake had more of a rough crumb texture as opposed to the outcome of the one pictured. Either way, it tastes amazing. Not complaining, just noting some differences.
I do have one question, would slowly adding the dry ingredients as opposed to a dump and mix have created a smoother texture? I know over mixing was a concern.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and reporting back, Lyndsey! Slowly incorporating the dry ingredients may make a slight difference and you can certainly try it. The batter won’t be smooth, however, unless the cold ingredients are brought to room temperature. Your ingredients may not have been warm enough. That would be my 1st thought!
Is it possible to bake this into mini bundt cakes?
Yes, you sure can! I’m unsure of the exact bake time but they will be finished when a toothpick comes out clean.
Hi sally, I made this cake yesterday and there is nothing left! This cake is spectacular! My family loved it because of it being so light, moist, and having fresh blueberries and strawberries inside. Making it again this weekend for friends. Best cake ever!!!!!!
★★★★★
OMG Sally! I made this last night and it was Amazing!!! It’s super moist and creamy! I’m not a huge fan of lemon and blueberry but I can’t stop eating this! You’re right! This yogurt base is the best! I want to make a chocolate marble out of it. Can you give me some tips please? About the chocolate batter part and should I lessen the sugar?
Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!
★★★★★
Hi Hailey! I’m so glad you love this yogurt cake! I would start by adding some melted pure chocolate to the batter. You could also add a little unsweetened cocoa powder too, but I’m really unsure of the amount without a round of recipe tests. Let me know if you try anything!
Hi Sally! I tried this recipe today and baked it in two loaf pans instead of a bundt pan. The flavor is incredible but I’m having some trouble with the texture and wondering what I did wrong. The texture is a bit mealy and a looser crumb than I’d want with a sweet bread. They also stayed soggy and sunk in the middle and eventually I took the loaves out because the edges were getting too brown and the centers didn’t seem to be improving (I baked them for about 50 minutes total). I tried not to overmix, but do you think that overmixing might be the problem? I also used half frozen blueberries and half frozen raspberries, and didn’t notice your note until later about not using as many raspberries. Maybe that’s to blame also?
★★★★★
Hi Lucy, Yes it was probably the berries! If using frozen berries the bake time might be a bit longer. You can cover the pans with foil part way through the bake time if you notice the tops are browning before the center is baked through. Also the raspberries release a lot more liquid which can cause the cakes to be too wet.
Hi Sally. I dont have a bundt pan so can I use a 9×11 cake pan instead or do I have to modify the recipe?
Hi Gail, This recipe works beautifully in loaf pans! See recipe note #2 for details.
I did not have a Bundt pan either so I used a 11 by 13 glass cake pan and turned delicious.
★★★★★
Is it possible to adapt this to a 8×8 or 9×9 pan? Would half of it work and what would be baking time n temp in that case
Hi Niyatee, I haven’t tested this in a square pan, but it works beautifully in loaf pans (9x5inches)! See recipe note #2 for details.
This cake is divine! It smelled so good I couldn’t wait for it to cool. I bet it tastes even better once it’s no longer piping hot haha Thanks for another great recipe! I will definitely be making it again.
Will the berries suspend in the batter – or should the berries be coated in flour before they go in the batter?
Hi Tanner! I don’t coat the berries in batter and they stayed suspended in it with each test recipe. The batter is thick enough to hold them up. However, feel free to coat if you’re worried.
Always nervous about unmoulding bundt cakes – some instructions say to cool no more than 15 mins before unmoulding to prevent potential sticking when cooled. Is the 1 hour cool time just based on this particular recipe? Thank you so much – can’t wait to make this!
★★★★★
I find letting the Bundt cakes cool for longer– especially when the pan is generously greased– allows the shape to set a little nicer. Less chance of the warm cake falling apart. Generously grease the pan with nonstick spray and you’ll be fine!
Hi Sally! This looks so good I’ve never made anything like it! I can’t wait to make it! Thanks for all the recipes!
★★★★★
This looks delicious! I have a Nordicware Heritage bundt pan, and it’s a 10-cup bundt pan. Will that work for this recipe? I love making bundt cakes, but don’t do it as often as I should! Do you think this could be converted into a cinnamon-apple cake? I’m thinking replacing some of the granulated sugar with brown sugar, using apples (some shredded and some in chunks) in place of the berries, omitting the lemon components, and incorporating cinnamon. Do you think that would work? Thanks, Sally! 🙂
Hi Erin! Yes, your 10 cup Bundt pan should be just fine here. I think a cinnamon apple version would be delicious with your modifications, let me know how it turns out!
Can you use Meyer lemons instead of regular lemons? I know Meyer lemons are milder/sweeter and I didn’t know if the lemon flavor would come through in this recipe. I have a tree full of Meyers and would like to use them!
Sure can! Feel free to slightly reduce the sugar if desired. (I don’t find that necessary, but you can.)
Hi Sally,
Do you think that this would work out with nondairy yogurt substitute?
Thank you!
Hi Brenda! I haven’t tested this recipe with any nondairy yogurt alternatives, so I can’t say from experience. Shouldn’t be a huge issue. Let me know how it goes!