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. It’s a powerhouse ingredient in this grapefruit Greek yogurt cake, too.
- 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.
More Lemon + Berry Recipes
- Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Tart
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake
- Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting
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* (spooned & 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 (16 Tbsp; 226g) 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 silicone 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 silicone 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 cooling 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 links): 10- to 12-cup Bundt Pan (I love this one and this one) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- 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
Mine turned out very soggy. I think my tin wasn’t big enough it I wasn’t sure on the quantity of the frozen berries. I feel like it added to the extreme sogginess.
I’d make it again but would probably half all the ingredients.
★★★
Hi Egle, Thank you for trying this recipe. You want to use 2 cups (325g) of mixed berries. You can see the recipe notes for details on which berries we recommend.
I used margarine instead of butter (cuz I didn’t have butter) and cut the sugar by 50g, the cake was wonderful and soft but just a bit crumbly, I’m wondering what could be the cause?
But my family thoroughly enjoyed the cake thank you!
★★★★
Love it! First time making it and it was a success! I used 2 loaf pans since I didn’t have bundt pan. I used fresh lemons snd frozen mixed berries. I run cold water on the berries and sliced the big raspberries & black berries. Then i pat them dry before mixing into the batter. Turned out perfect! I will make it again but will use a muffin in instead. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Sally, I made this cake twice – the first time with chopped fresh mango and chopped fresh strawberries and it was delicious. The second time I used chopped frozen strawberries exactly per the recipe, but it turned out soggy and not very good.
★★★★
Amazing! So flavorful. It makes a huge cake and it will be definitely a hit. Next time I will use a bit less sugar though.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
Is it possible to use dried blueberries instead?
Hi Samaara, You could try dried fruits in this batter with no other changes to the recipe. We haven’t personally tested it, but it should be ok.
I made this last night with blueberries and was thrilled with the results. While obliviously nothing about this recipe sounded bad, but I didn’t expect to be quite as good as it turned out. The texture of this cake was amazing and it was so moist. Would this cake bake well in 2 9-in pans? I’d like to make it again soon.
★★★★★
My favorite recipe by far. The best.
And now I want to try it on a tube pan (angel food pan) is it possible? Before I use a loaf pan.
Thank you
★★★★★
Hello! I just baked this cake yesterday using 1 1/2 cups of monk fruit and whole wheat flour and it is absolutely amazing! I also used powdered monk fruit for the icing. Totally recommend it 🙂
Hi Sally! This cake sounds wonderful. I am planning to make it on Wednesday afternoon, for an event on Thursday. (I have a cake storage container for travel.) My question is, does it need to be refrigerated overnight, before serving?
Thank you for all your beautiful recipes!
I am also making your Lemon Berry Trifle for a different event on Wednesday evening. I made the Lemon Curd yesterday. It did not thicken much as it seemed to look like in your photos, so I am hoping it turned out okay. It did thicken more as it cooled. I’ll post again, after I complete the whole recipe.
Hi Cathee, 1 day covered at room temperature is completely fine. The refrigerator definitely keeps the cake fresher for longer, but a day or two on the counter isn’t a problem.
Hi Sally,
I made this recipe and the cake tastes great. Unfortunately the berries made the cake look wet. I used fresh berries. This is the third time I am making this cake. I had similar results when I used frozen blueberries. However, the cake was perfect the first time I made it when I used a combination of fresh blueberries and fresh raspberries. Any idea how I could prevent the “wet” look? Just to elaborate more, the area surrounding the blueberries looked “soggy”. So I could see that there were two textures in my cake. The fresh berries were in the fridge just before mixing them into the batter. I even coated the blueberries in a light coating of flour before mixing into the batter. I live in a tropical climate, if that makes a difference. Thanks!
Hi Melanie, If the berries are extra juicy/wet you can blot them dry before adding them to the batter. That should definitely help if you try this recipe again!
Hello,
Can I substitute butter with oil ?
Thanks
Hi Sonia, We haven’t tested it but you can try solid coconut oil. You need a solid that you can cream with the sugar. Of course the flavor of the cake will change.
I absolutely love this recipe. My family devoured it. I compared it to the Great Harvest Lemon Berry teacake and hands down this was sooo much better.
Question… can you use frozen cherries? My Dad can’t eat berries and I love this recipe and hoping to adapt to something that would work for him. Thanks!
★★★★★
Frozen cherries should work, Cindy. Enjoy!
Thank you for such a quick response. I’ll post how it turns out with the cherries!
★★★★★
I love love this recipe and I tried it with the cherries. It still tasted great but if I were to use cherries again I would definitely cut them at least in half. The frozen cherries were a bit big and sunk to the bottom.
★★★★
Hi, need to bake this bundt cake for my best friend’s bday party this weekend. Cannot find cake flour. Would cake & pastry flour be a good substitute ?
Would I have to tweak the recipe ?
Thanks
Rita
Hi Rita, If you cannot get your hands on cake flour, you can make a homemade cake flour substitute. I hope your friend enjoys this cake!
I’m slowly working my way through baking all of Sally’s cakes & I’ve made probably 15 so far & this is not only Sally’s best cake recipe but it is the best cake I have ever had in my life. It’s incredible. I cannot express this enough. It’s dense & fluffy all at once. I used blackberries, raspberries, & blueberries, but I am adding a little extra next time & using strawberries instead as recommended as the raspberries do bleed a little.
Sally, you are my idol!! Everything you make is pure gold but this recipe takes the cake.
★★★★★
https://pin.it/2ZneLjp
So tasty! I was worried that I undermined it (I was so afraid of over mixing!). But it turned out beautifully! Very dense, but moist and tender.
★★★★★
Hi Sally! Can I use cake and pastry flour ?
I love this cake and I have done it so many times with cake four. Unfortunate I can’t find just cake flour anymore.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Wow!! I just made this today and this is definitely one of the best cakes I have made in my life… it has a warm and comforting taste and texture.. followed the recipie to a T and I am so happy with the result.
★★★★★
Soooo GOOD! I did make this using low sugar (1/2 baking stevia and 1/2 real sugar) and it turned out perfect–no discernible difference.
★★★★★
Can I substitute orange for the lemon? Do I need to cut the sugar at all or any other tweaks? Also, would this be good with the glaze you use for the lemon pound cake or would that be too sweet?
We absolutely LOVE this recipe and I wanted to make it for someone who is not a fan of lemon.
Thanks for all your wonderful goodies!
★★★★★
Definitely. Sub fresh orange juice/zest for the lemon, no other changes needed. The glaze from the lemon pound cake would be delicious. Glad you love this cake!
Delicious. Period. Was wondering if I could make this with orange in lieu of lemon? Same exact amounts, etc.?
Thank you, LOVE your recipes!!
★★★★★
Definitely. Sub fresh orange juice/zest for the lemon. Glad you love this cake!
This is pure happiness. One of the best ones I have tries so far.
★★★★★
Baked my 3rd one. Flavor explosion in your mouth. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Absolutely delicious. So creamy and moist and such great flavors.
★★★★★
Made this today with fresh lime zest and juice. This is the best summer cake I’ve had in a long time. I cut the sugar too as suggested by another reader. I used 1 1/2 cups and it is plenty sweet. The cake is moist, fluffly, and tastes heavenly. Highly recommend! Thanks for sharing; this recipe is a keeper
★★★★★
Hi Sally!
Can I bake this in regular round cake pan instead of bund or loaf pan? My birthday is coming soon and I thought this one will be perfect for my birthday cake. Can I stack it and icing it with buttercream too?
Thanks!
Hi Ane, A Bundt pan is best for this cake. The layers would be pretty dense and heavy and taste super sweet with a layer of frosting. You might enjoy this lemon blueberry layer cake and you can use mixed berries instead of all blueberries.
I chose this recipe based on Sally’s own assessment of it. I have been baking since I was a child. This may be the best cake I have ever had. My 9 yo agrees and was literally inhaling crumbs off the cake stand every chance he had. The only change I made is using half lemon and half orange (for both the juice and the zest) and the cake flour substitute. I already had oranges in the fridge and lemons can be expensive. I actually purchased a bundt pan afterwards because I am hoping to make this many more times (although the loaf pans were super convenient because I froze 2 and ate 1). I (reluctantly) followed the advice regarding not too many rasberries– I agree they were quite wet albeit tasty. It is hard to express how good this cake is. Unfortunately it only lasted 18 hours and I am sad I put the other loafs in the freezer. My advice is to not skip the glaze, which changed both the taste and the texture of the top of the cake.
★★★★★
This is cake is yummmmmyyyy!! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
I made this yesterday, and we had it for breakfast, it was delicious! A couple of things: I cut the sugar by 25% and it was plenty sweet for us; for the same reason I skipped the glaze; I used your cake flour substitute recipe so there’s a little cornstarch; and I did have a bit of a flour explosion when I put everything in the KA mixer at once but that inspired me to get a splash guard. Overall, a great success! Plus this was my first Sally’s Addiction recipe but I’m guessing it won’t be my last.
★★★★★
It is so gooooood. I made 2/3 of the recipe and replaced the greek yoghurt with my froyo (creamcheese+greek yoghurt+condensed milk) leftover. The cake is creamy, rich, and soft and is already good without the drizzle. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★