Orange Yoghurt cake, or Gâteau au Yaourt, is a French classic and a winter staple in my kitchen. It’s incredibly easy one bowl cake that turns out beautifully moist with a bright citrus flavor that isn’t overpowering.
My favorite part? The way the whole house gets filled with deliciously orange aroma while it bakes. If you love baking with citrus like i do, try out my recipe for Lemon Loaf cake and Lemon Blueberry loaf cake.
Unlike traditional sponges, this recipe uses no butter—relying on yoghurt and oil instead. This keeps the crumb light and tender, making it the perfect quick loaf for a morning treat or afternoon tea. While some serve it with cream or orange syrup, I think it’s best enjoyed plain with a hot cup of tea.
Why You’ll Love This French Orange Yoghurt Cake
One-Bowl Easy: No stand mixer or beaters required—just a whisk and 10 minutes of prep.
Stays Moist for Days: Unlike butter-based cakes that can dry out, the yogurt and oil keep this crumb tender for up to 4 days.
Light but Rich: It’s a lighter alternative to pound cake but still feels indulgent and zesty.
Make-Ahead Friendly: It actually tastes better the next day and freezes perfectly for later.
IngrEdients for French Orange Yoghurt Cake
To make this classic French orange yoghurt cake, you will need a few simple pantry staples:
Plain Flour – Standard plain (all-purpose) flour works beautifully here when paired with baking powder for lift.
You can use the exact same quantity of self-raising flour instead—just remember to omit the baking powder entirely.
Yoghurt – I highly recommend using full-fat Greek yoghurt. Its natural acidity interacts with the baking powder to create an incredibly light, fluffy lift while keeping the crumb dense and moist.
Oil – Any neutral-tasting vegetable oil (like canola or sunflower oil) is perfect. Unlike butter, which can solidify and dry out a cake as it cools, oil keeps this loaf soft and tender for days.
Orange – The star of the show! I love using Navel oranges because they offer a deep, sweet citrus profile. You will need both the finely grated zest (where all the intense aromatic oils live) and the fresh juice.
Eggs – 2 eggs at room temperature. Room-temperature eggs emulsify perfectly into the oil and yogurt, resulting in a smooth batter. Cold eggs straight from the fridge can shock the fats and cause the batter to curdle. If you’re short on time, place cold eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes before cracking.
Sugar – Caster sugar is needed for the cake and little bit of icing sugar to dust on the top( but that’s optional)
Step by Step – French Orange Yoghurt Cake Recipe
- Prep Your Oven and Tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a standard loaf tin—I recommend a size around 26cm x 13cm—with baking paper.
- Whisk the Wet Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the caster sugar, neutral vegetable oil, Greek yoghurt, and room-temperature eggs. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth, pale, and emulsified.
- Incorporate the Aromatics: Whisk in the fresh orange juice and the finely grated orange zest until evenly distributed throughout the liquid base.
- Fold in the Dry Ingredients: Sift the plain flour and baking powder directly into the bowl with your wet ingredients. Switch to a spatula or use your whisk gently to mix just until the flour disappears and a smooth batter forms. Pro-Tip: Do not overmix at this stage, or the cake can become dense instead of fluffy.
- Bake to Perfection: Pour the smooth batter into your prepared loaf tin. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is done when the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the deepest part of the center comes out clean.
Watch How to Make French Orange Yoghurt Cake
Choosing the Right Cake Pan
While a classic French Gâteau au Yaourt is incredibly forgiving, using the right pan ensures it bakes evenly without overflowing or staying raw in the center.
- The Ideal Pan Size: I highly recommend using a standard loaf tin measuring approximately 26cm x 13cm (with a depth of 6.5cm). This size gives the batter plenty of room to rise into a beautiful, tall loaf with a classic cracked top.
- Using Smaller Tins: If your loaf tin is slightly smaller (such as a standard 21cm x 11cm tin), do not fill it to the brim. Only fill the tin 3/4 of the way up. You can use any leftover batter to make 2 or 3 mini muffins or cupcakes!
- Alternative Pan Options: If you don’t have a loaf tin, this versatile batter can also be baked in a Bundt mould or a 20cm round cake tin. Just keep a close eye on the clock, as round or Bundt pans have a larger surface area and may bake 5–10 minutes faster than a deep loaf tin.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Because this recipe relies on yogurt and oil instead of traditional butter, the batter is beautifully dense and moist. Here is how to ensure it bakes perfectly every single time:
- How to Fix a “Wet Center”: Because ovens vary, you might find the top of your cake is browning beautifully, but a skewer inserted into the center still comes out wet. If this happens, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the tin for the last 10–15 minutes of baking. This stops the top from burning while allowing the center to cook completely through.
- Don’t Skip the Room-Temp Eggs: If you use cold eggs, they will shock the oil and yogurt mixture, causing the batter to curdle or separate. Ensuring they are at room temperature guarantees a smooth, perfectly emulsified batter that rises evenly.
STORING ORANGE YOGHURT CAKE
This cake is incredibly make-ahead friendly. In fact, the fresh citrus flavors often deepen and taste even better on day two!
It stays moist and fresh for up to 2 days when kept in an airtight container on the counter.You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Wrap the cake (or individual slices) tightly in cling wrap and freeze for up to a month.
To Reheat: Thaw at room temperature. For that “just-baked” feel, pop a slice in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
Other Cake Recipes to Try
Got any questions? Ask Me! I’m happy to help if you have any question. If you try this recipe and like it or have some suggestions, leave some comments below.
French Orange Yoghurt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups Plain flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 cup Caster Sugar
- ¾ cup oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Plain Yoghurt or Greek Yoghurt
- ¼ cup Freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ tsp Orange Zest
- 1 tbsp Icing Sugar Optional for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a standard loaf tin (approx. 26cm x 13cm) with baking paper, leaving a slight overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the caster sugar, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and room-temperature eggs. Whisk vigorously by hand until the mixture is completely smooth, pale, and well combined.
- Whisk in the freshly squeezed orange juice and the finely grated orange zest until distributed evenly through the liquid base.
- Sift the plain flour and baking powder directly into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Switch to a spatula or use your whisk gently to fold the mixture just until the flour disappears and a smooth, thick batter forms. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin, smoothing out the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. (If the top is browning too quickly at the 30-minute mark but the center is still wet, loosely tent a piece of foil over the top). The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then use the baking paper handles to lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with a little icing sugar right before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Yogurt Selection: For the absolute best texture, use a thick, full-fat Greek yogurt. If you only have regular plain yogurt, strain it through a paper towel or fine mesh sieve for a few minutes to remove excess liquid whey before measuring. Avoid flavored or overly watery yogurts, as they can alter the chemistry and bake time of the batter.
- Preventing the Cake from Sticking: Because this cake is incredibly moist, it can sometimes stick to the corners of the tin. Always grease your tin and line it with baking paper. Leaving an extra inch of baking paper overhanging the long sides creates “handles” that let you lift the cooled cake out cleanly without it breaking.
- The “Toothpick” Test: When testing the center of the loaf with a skewer or toothpick, a few tiny, moist crumbs are perfectly fine! However, if you see wet, shiny batter on the stick, it needs more time. If the top is already deep golden brown, simply tent it loosely with aluminum foil and check again in 5-minute increments.
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Substitutions & Alterations:
- Flour: If swapping plain flour for self-raising flour, remember to omit the baking powder entirely to avoid the cake overflowing in your oven.
- Why Weighing Your Flour Matters: If you are using measuring cups instead of a kitchen scale, fluff your flour with a fork first, then spoon it gently into the cup and level it off with a knife. Packing flour directly from the bag into a measuring cup can accidentally add up to 25% more flour, making the cake heavy and dry.
This is my favourite cake to make. I made this several time hence had to post the review about it. It turns out perfect every single time. Thanks for sharinh this recipe !
Very nice recipe. Love this cake with delicious hint of citrus. It smells amazing and is very soft and fluffy.
Thankyou ! I love the citrusy smell too when its baking, its lovely.
The best cake ever !!! I love it, its so moist and light. Never knew a cake could be so nice without butter.
Thankyou !! Really nice to hear that you liked the cake and it turned out good.
I’d like to make this cake but am unsure as to what size tin to use. Ideally I’d like to use a 3lb loaf tin but I’m wondering if I need to use a smaller one. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Judith, Apologies for late response. My loaf tin is 26.5cm x 13.5cm x 6.5cm. I bake this cake in this tin and it fits perfectly. I think 3lb loaf tin would be probably too big for this. I hope this helps.
Has anybody ever substituted the sugar with orange blossom honey before either wholly or in part? I’m curious as to what it would taste like.
Hi Jazz, Never substituted sugar for honey. If you do, let me know how it goes.
I’ve made this cake twice in 3 days, my favourite cake so far, especially using fresh oranges from my garden, thank you from Australia!!!!
Best cake ever, loved the delicous soft cake with hint of citrus. Simply loved it !!
What type of oil do you recommend using for this recipe?
Hi, I made this cake and it just wouldn’t cook through. I used a oblong cake tin.
I think that the batter was too wet despite me measuring everything accurately. I thought that was a lot of oil and reduced it slightly.
Hi Cynthia, The batter for this cake is a bit dense. I wouldn’t change the quantity of ingredients rather consider baking for longer. Sometimes the cake takes longer to cook through due to varied oven temperatures. You can bake it for longer than the mentioned time. If it gets brown on the top, cover it with foil so that it cooks from center without getting darker on the top. Hope this helps.
I have made it twice since winter has started. Its so nice moist and fluffy. Beautiful.flavours of organge and yoghurt. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe
Thankyou Adin. Its my winter favourite recipe too ! 🙂
Made this cake twice now…….. just gorgeous and so light to eat…….making it on a weekly basis🙏
I’m so glad to know that you liked the cake. I agree its very light, yoghurt makes it very moist, light and fluffy.
Wonderful recipe and so easy to make. I used coconut oil and reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup so it won’t be too sweet. The hint of orange with the creaminess of yogurt makes this cake memorable and perfect for tea. Thank you for the recipe.
Thankyou for trying this recipe. Its great to know that it works well with coconut oil.