Homemade Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake

These Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cakes are delicious, moist and so easy to make. They are topped with a thick Lemon flavoured Fondant Icing. It's a great recipe for using Plain or Greek Style Yogurt. 

One of my favourite cakes to make is a Lemon Cake. I much prefer to make them in 1lb loaf tins. That way I can keep one and give one away. Cakes of this size bake much quicker than in larger tins.

If you love Lemons, this is for you. The Lemon flavour is very strong and sharp throughout. This is created by adding a Lemon Syrup to the baked sponge. And Lemon Juice and zest to the Fondant Icing Topping. 

But you can reduce the Lemon flavour by using preboiled water, as an alternative to Lemon Juice, in the Fondant Icing Topping. But don't omit the Lemon Syrup. 

Does yogurt make cakes moist?

Yogurt adds moisture and fat to cake recipes. Which is why I often add a couple of tablespoons to some of my recipes.

If you wonder what to do with any leftover Yogurt try these Blackberry and Oat Muffins or a Vanilla Bundt Cake with a Blueberry Sauce. Or this Nordic Spice cake, which uses just a few tablespoons of Yogurt. 

If you have an excess of Lemons or Limes for that matter. I have a great Lemon Curd Recipe or this Lime Curd Recipe that you can try.

I also have a delicious Coconut and Lime Cake recipe which uses the same 1lb loaf tins. This Marmalade Cake recipe is a great way of using up the last few tablespoons from your jars of Saville Marmalade.

This Orange Madeira Cake is made using a 2lb loaf tin. It has an Orange flavoured Icing topping and decorated with slices of fresh orange.

List of ingredients

• Butter - Always at room temperature. It's much easier to beat together with the sugar.
• Self Raising Flour - This contains a raising agent so that you don't have to use plain flour.
• Eggs - Medium sized
• Lemons - Unwaxed.
• Caster sugar - Granulated sugar will be fine. But as the granules are larger than caster sugar, it will take much longer to break down. So you will need to beat the butter and sugar together for longer.
• Icing sugar - Sieve to avoid creating lumps in the fondant topping.
• Yogurt - Plain or Greek Style will be fine. Always use a thick variety to avoid creating a runny cake batter.

Step by Step instructions

Once you've switched on the oven. (Fig 1) - Grease and line 2 x 1lb loaf tins with baking parchment or cake liners. 

Using an electric mixer. (Fig 2)- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the eggs, one at a time. Adding a little flour between each one to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until well combined. Add the yogurt. Mix until well combined

(Fig 3) - Add the Lemon zest. Using a wooden spoon or spatula and not the electric mixer. This will avoid much of the zest getting stuck around the beaters. Mix until well combined. 

(Fig4) - Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 40 – 45 mins. Or until baked, testing the centre of each cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.

(Fig 5) Leave in the tins to cool. Do not turn them out at this stage.

While the cakes are cooling. Make the sugar syrup.

Gently warm to sugar, zest, and lemon juice in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved.

(Fig 6) - While the cakes are still slightly warm, spoon the syrup over each loaf. Leaving them in the tins allows for any syrup to soak through the cakes rather than pour over the sides. Leave the cakes in the tins to cool completely.

How to make the Fondant Icing Topping

(Fig 7) Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice - a little at a time, until you have a thick spreadable, but not runny, fondant paste. Add the lemon zest and mix well.

(Fig 8) Spread the fondant evenly over the top of each cake.

If the icing is too thin, add more icing sugar. If too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice.

Tips and FAQ's

These 1lb loaf cakes will keep in an airtight container for a few days.

You will need a total of 3 lemons to make this recipe

If you don't have enough lemon juice to make the fondant icing topping. Or if you want to reduce the Lemon flavour in the cake as a whole. Use cooled preboiled water instead.

Although I haven't tried this yet, you could substitute the Lemons for Oranges. However, you may need to adjust the amount of Orange juice and zest.

Keen to bake more?

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Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake

Lynn Hill

Makes 2 x 1lb loaves.

4.34 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Afternoon Tea, Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 16 slices

Calories 258 kcal

Equipment

• 1lb Loaf Tin
• Baking Parchment
• Hand Mixer

INGREDIENTS

• 225 grams butter softened
• 200 grams caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 225 grams self raising flour
• 150 grams plain yogurt or Greek Style Yogurt
• Zest of 1 Lemon

Syrup

• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 5 tablespoon Lemon Juice approx 2 Lemons
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar or granulated sugar

Fondant Icing Topping

• 120 grams icing sugar sieved
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 170 deg fan assisted. Grease and line 2 x 1lb loaf tins with baking parchment or cake liners.
• Using an electric mixer. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the eggs, one at a time. Adding a little flour between each one to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining flour and mix until well combined.
• Add the yogurt. Mix until well combined
• Add the Lemon zest. Using a wooden spoon or spatula and not the electric mixer. Mix until well combined.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 – 45 + mins. Or until baked, testing the centre of each cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
• Leave in the tins to cool. Do not turn them out at this stage.
• While the cakes are cooling. Make the syrup
• Gently warm to sugar, zest, and lemon juice in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved.
• While the cakes are still slightly warm, spoon the syrup over each loaf. Leaving them in the tins allows for any syrup to soak through the cakes rather than pour over the sides. Leave the cakes in the tins to cool completely.

Fondant Icing Topping

• Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice a little at a time, until you have a thick spreadable, but not runny, fondant paste. Add the lemon zest and mix well.
• Spread the fondant evenly over the top of each cake. Leave to set before serving.

Notes

Baker's Tips

• These 1lb loaf cakes will keep in an airtight container for a few days.
• You will need a total of 3 lemons to make this recipe
• If you don’t have enough lemon juice to make the fondant icing topping. Or if you want to reduce the Lemon flavour in the cake as a whole. Use cooled preboiled water instead.
• Although I haven’t tried this yet, you could substitute the Lemons for Oranges. However, you may need to adjust the amount of Orange juice and zest.

Keyword easy bake, Loaf cake