Baked Yogurt Cake Squares
A simple oven-baked yogurt cake with a tender, dense crumb. The yogurt keeps it moist, and the top bakes to a light golden finish.
- Total
- 62 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 37 · Rest 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Whisking · Folding
- Sweet
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of a 23 cm round baking tin with parchment paper.
~10 min
Lining the tin ensures the cake releases cleanly and the parchment protects the batter from direct metal contact.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 150 g sugar and 0.25 tsp salt for 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
~2 min
Whisking eggs and sugar aerates the mixture, helping the cake rise and giving a lighter texture.
Whisking Whisk vigorously in a circular motion to incorporate air; the mixture should pale and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.
-
Add 250 g yogurt and 80 ml oil to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth and fully combined.
~2 min
Yogurt adds moisture and acidity, while oil keeps the crumb tender by limiting gluten development.
-
Sift 200 g flour over the wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and slightly dense.
~3 min
Folding gently prevents overmixing, which would develop gluten and make the cake tough and dense.
Folding Use a spatula to cut down and lift gently, rotating the bowl, until just combined; stop as soon as no dry flour remains to avoid toughening.
-
Pour the batter into the lined tin and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
~35 min
Baking until a skewer comes out clean ensures the eggs are fully set and the cake is cooked through.
If the top browns too quickly before the centre is set, lay a piece of parchment paper loosely over the tin and continue baking.
-
Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it out and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 8 squares.
~10 min
Cooling on a rack prevents condensation from making the bottom soggy and lets the crumb set for clean cuts.