Event: Sunday Funday
Theme: Yogurt
Recipe: Lemon Yogurt Cake – Eggless
Lemon Yogurt Cake – Eggless is so easy to make, moist with a soft crumb and refreshingly delicious. Slightly tangy, the addition of black poppy seeds adds a delightful texture to the overall flavour.
A Bit About Lemon Yogurt Cake – Eggless
The first time I baked a lemon yogurt cake, with eggs I simply fell in love with the flavour and soft texture. My friend tasted the cake and asked if I could bake one without eggs. I just increased the amount of yogurt and voilà it worked. Subsequently, baked it several times without eggs.
I just cannot resist the lemons we get here in the grocery stores. So different from the Indian lemons that I’ve been using in Kenya and India. Eureka and Lisbon ones are mostly available throughout the year. The fragrance of these lemons are so so good and I love the flavour too. Not too tangy, just the right amount for any desserts or cakes. The zest or peel too adds so much flavour and fragrance.
Sunday Funday
By the way, Sunday Funday is a group of Food Bloggers. Every Sunday we share some fun, traditional, hearty or easy recipes to make Sunday Family Meals a bit more exciting. To join this fun group, visit the Sunday Funday Facebook Page. Request to join in.
Theme: Yogurt
Okay enough about lemons.. let us come to the main theme for this week… Yogurt. My all time favourite, cannot imagine life without yogurt. That is probably why I cannot follow a vegan diet. I would miss the real flavour of yogurt.. and butter…and cream…and cheese.. and milk…okay I guess you got my point. I just feel the vegan versions are not the same.
For this theme have decided to share Lemon Yogurt Cake, an eggless or egg free version. I actually baked it last in Feb for my birthday and took photos so that I could post the recipe on my blog. However, didn’t get round to it and the recipe remained in the draft till Sue who blogs at Palatable Pastimes suggested Yogurt as the theme. And finally, time has come to post my favourite cake recipe.
Recipes With Yogurt
For most Indian kitchens, yogurt is an integral part of the cuisine. Added to curries, rice, drinks, desserts, etc. I go through tonnes of yogurt. If I am not adding yogurt to my smoothies for breakfast then a bowlful of yogurt with fresh fruit is what I love to have. Lately, I am obsessed by the Liberte Coconut Yogurt. Real yogurt with coconut flakes and taste.. not the vegan version.
I wouldn’t go into the facts on how healthy yogurt is and why you should include it in your diet. But here are some recipes you can check out where yogurt is used:
Now that is it summer, Tzatziki is a dip I make often to go with vegetable sticks, pita chips and even potato chips.
Check Out How Fellow Members Of Sunday Funday Have Used Yogurt
- Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Dahi Kachumber (with Yogurt) by Palatable Pastime
- 2 Ingredients Mango Yogurt Smoothie by Cook with Renu
- Gola Bhaat With Kadhi – Varhadi Thali by Sneha’s Recipe
- Lemon Yogurt Cake, Eggless by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip by Food Lust People Love
- Strawberries with Minted Yogurt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Some Tips For That Perfect Soft Texture
- don’t use watery thin sour yogurt. Yogurt must be thick. If your home made yogurt is watery, remove the water or whey by putting the yogurt in a muslin cloth. Line a colander with the cloth. Add yogurt and allow the excess water/whey to drain out in a bowl placed under the colander.
- don’t throw away the whey. Add it to curries (kadhi), or use it to make the dough of roti or paratha.
- Adding poppy seeds is optional.
- Make sure the lemon is fresh. Don’t used ready made lemon juice.
- Grate the peel. Make sure you don’t grate the white part as it tends to be bitter.
- Depending on the consistency of the yogurt, you msy need to add 1-2 tbsp milk or water to the batter. Do the dropping test, pick up batter with a spatula and allow it to fall. If it does not fall easily add 1-2 tbsp of liquid.
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge. Will last for about 5-6 days. Can wrap it in cling film and then store in a container.
- After adding the flour mixture don’t mix it too much. Just enough so that the flour is incorporated into the butter yogurt mixture.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin before removing it. Usually eggless cakes tend to break when you try to remove it from the pan while it is hot.
- For the cake to bake evenly, don’t bake it in a small tin. If the cake batter is high, it will remain raw in the middle. If that happens, lower the heat to 150°C and allow it to bake for a further 5 minutes.
Ingredients Required For Lemon Yogurt Cake, Eggless
- Plain Flour – all purpose flour. I don’t use wheat flour for this as I would that slight lovely summery yellow colour to show up without adding any food colouring.
- Sugar – granulated white.
- Plain Yogurt – should be thick and not watery. Strain out excess water or whey if necessary. Best to use Greek Yogurt if available.
- Lemon – for the juice and the zest. Depends on the size you may need 1-1½ lemons. Need the juice and zest for both the cake and the glaze. If you are using Indian lemon then add only 2 tbsp as they are quite sour.
- Butter – I have used salted. Must be soft but not melted.
- Baking Soda – soda bicarbonate
- Salt – Add a bit more if you are using unsalted butter.
- Black Poppy Seeds – I love adding them to any lemon dessert as they compliment each other. You can omit them.
- Icing Sugar – confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar for the glaze. I highly recommend the glaze as the cake tastes awesome with it.
- Liquid – milk or water. You may need more if the batter is not soft enough. Add a tbsp at a time.
LEMON YOGURT CAKE - EGGLESS
Ingredients
FOR THE LEMON YOGURT CAKE:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup plain yogurt thick, preferably Greek Yogurt
- 150 g butter soft
- 1 tsp soda bicarbonate baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp black poppy seeds
- ¼ cup milk
FOR LEMON GLAZE:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp zest
Instructions
PREPARATION OF THE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Grease and dust or line your cake tin. Line it with parchment paper. I prefer to rub butter all over the inner side and dust it with flour.
- I have used a 9 X 5 inch loaf tin. You can use any tin of your choice.
- Sift or sieve flour, baking soda and salt together into a bowl.
- Add poppy seeds and mix well.
- In another bowl add sugar, butter and yogurt.
- Cream the mixture till it becomes light and creamy. It will turn pale in colour. Use your hand held cake mixture or any your any appliance you use for mixing and whisking.
- Add lemon juice and zest. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture. Using a spatula, fold in the flour gently.
- If the batter is thick then add a tbsp of liquid at a time.
- Mix gently.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
- Bake the cake at 180°C for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake. It should come out clean.
- If the cake is not done, then lower the temperature to 150°C and bake for 5 minutes till it is done. Don't bake more than that otherwise the cake will become dry.
- The cake should be done. If it is not, then there is something wrong with your oven temperature.
- Remove the cake from the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 -20 minutes before you remove it from the tin.
- Temp : 180°C and it took about 30 minutes to bake used a 9"X 5" loaf tin.
- Run a spatula around the edges to loosen the cake.
- Place a wire rack over the tin. Turn the rack and tin over.
- The cake should come off the tin easily.
- Cool the cake if it is still warm.
PREPARATION OF THE LEMON GLAZE:
- Add the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Sieve it if it has lumps.
- Add 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and mix. Add another tbsp. Mix.
- If the glaze is still thick and pasty then add about ½ tbsp more of the lemon juice. Mix well. Add lemon zest and mix.
- Pour the glaze over the cake only when it has completely cooled down.
Notes
- Don't use watery sour yogurt.
- Don't over mix the batter after adding the flour.
- Adding poppy seeds is optional.
- You may need to add extra 1-2 tbsp of milk or water depending on the consistency of the yogurt.
- Add the glaze only when the cake has completely cooled down. If you pour it over warm cake the glaze will melt.
- For the cake to bake evenly, don't bake it in a small tin. If the cake batter is high, it will remain raw in the middle. If that happens, lower the heat to 150°C and allow it to bake for a further 5 minutes.
- If you are using Indian Lemons, then add only 2 tbsp.
Pin For Later
A Little Request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962 preferably