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Did you know you can make one of the best cakes ever with NO scales or measuring cups? What is this magic?! Yoghurt Pot Cake is a thing, and it’s SO easy and flipping delicious. Cake baking at its simplest, just measure with the pot, stir and bake!
Using yoghurt to make a cake?
I know it’s an unexpected ingredient for a cake, just like it is in my Flatbread recipe too, but while it may not be traditional, it really does work, trust me.
One little pot makes a wonderfully light sponge that is fluffy and moist (sorry, I know we hate the word but it is 100% called for here). The yoghurt gives a tang and a creaminess to our cake.
What’s more, we then use the empty yoghurt pot to measure out the rest of our ingredients instead of all the faff that comes with scales, extra bowls etc etc. WHAAAT?!
If you’re looking for a super easy cake to make, this Yoghurt Cake is so simple, you have to give it a go!
Why you’ll love this Yoghurt cake recipe
⭐️ Cake baking simplified!
⭐️ Only a few ingredients
⭐️ Delicious, fluffy results
I am gluten free and I make this cake every week with gluten free self raising flour. It always turns out really well. I use it as a base recipe and add different flavours. So far I’ve tried: banana, blueberry and coconut, apple and cinnamon, lemon and orange drizzle and strawberry. Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s amazing.
Sarah’s notes
I show how easy this cake is to make in my step-by-step videos below, but if you’d rather measure everything out instead of using your yoghurt pot (if you’ve not found the right size, for example), I have detailed these amounts in the recipe below.
Yoghurt Cake Ingredients
- Yoghurt – One 150ml/5.3oz pot of natural or Greek full-fat. This will make it nice and moist.
- Oil – Sunflower or vegetable, or anything that’s flavourless (not olive oil unless you want the distinctive taste.)
- Self-raising flour – Also called all purpose flour outside the UK.
- Caster sugar – This is finer than granulated sugar, and if you’re outside of the UK may be called superfine, bar or baker’s sugar.
- Eggs – I use medium free-range in my baking.
- Vanilla extract – NOT essence, which is synthetic.
- Raspberries – Or your preferred fruit.
How to make Yoghurt Cake
1. Put the contents of your yoghurt pot into a bowl, then use it to measure the flour, sugar and oil, using the full recipe below. Add the eggs and whisk together.
2. Add the vanilla and raspberries, and gently stir.
3. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour in the cake mixture.
4. Bake according to the recipe below or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool and slice.
Hint: Cover the cake with foil if the top is browning too much before it’s cooked through.
Substitutions
- Fruit – I have added fresh raspberries but go ahead and use whatever you like to add additional flavour. A blueberry yoghurt cake would go down a storm too, or perhaps blackberries. Be careful with any fruit like strawberries as they may be too wet and make the cake quite gooey.
Storing
Store this in a cake tin or sealed container. You don’t need to refrigerate it because it’s got yoghurt in. It should last up to 3 days (if it hasn’t been devoured by then!)
Baking time
We’re baking this cake at 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Cooking the cake low and slow means that the inside has time to cook before the outside gets too brown.
If the top is browning too much when you check at 45 mins but inside isn’t cooked, cover it with tin foil and return to the oven to carry on.
Please note that the timings are what work for me when testing this, but your oven could mean this takes slightly less or more time, so use your judgement and the skewer test – pop it into the middle and if it comes out clean, it’s baked inside.
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FAQs
I like to bake this in a loaf tin, and this recipe and timings are for a loaf tin. Loaf tin sizes can be very confusing, but I think a small one is better as you get a lovely dome shape on the top of the cake.
This will work in any type of tin though, just adjust the cooking time.
The cake uses yoghurt and oil, so no need to add butter.
Yes! Use dairy free yoghurt and you are good to go.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Yoghurt Pot Cake {No Scales Needed!}
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) Yoghurt, x1 POT
- 250 g (9 oz) Self-raising flour, x2 YOGHURT POTS-FULL
- 175 g (6 oz) Caster sugar, x1 YOGHURT POT-FULL
- 75 ml (1/3 cups) Sunflower oil, x1/2 YOGHURT POT-FULL
- 3 Eggs, Medium
- 125 g (4.5 oz) Fresh raspberries, x1 YOGHURT POT-FULL
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Measure your ingredients using the yoghurt pot and add to a bowl.
- Stir the ingredients together well until the mixture is smooth. Carefully fold in the raspberries.
- Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour in the cake mixture.
- Cook at 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 45-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Did you make this recipe? Click here to let us know how it went and give it a ⭐️ rating! Your feedback helps us to make more recipes you really want.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This recipe was first published here on March 13th, 2023. It was updated again on February 9th, 2026 to add additional step-by-step videos.
I make this cake all the time, and have used both fresh and frozen berries. It turns out perfectly although I do need to cook slightly longer than the 60 minutes if using frozen berries.
Do you think this would work with lactose free yoghurt?
Hi, I had never baked before, wanted to surprise my wife, for her birthday, as she’s the baker in the family, came across the Yogurt pot recipe and thought, I can do this, and I did, and have now made 4 cakes, and are so easy to make, and taste fantastic .
Added White chocolate to the raspberry recipe👍.
So simple to make and cook. Great texture and taste!
What favour yoghurt did you use x
I am gluten free and I make this cake every week with gluten free self raising flour. It always turns out really well. I use it as a base recipe and add different flavours. So far I’ve tried: banana, blueberry and coconut, apple and cinnamon, lemon and orange drizzle and strawberry. Thank you so much for this recipe; it’s amazing.
Brilliant recipe. I make this once a week for the children’s packed lunches. It’s such a versatile recipe – I use different flavoured yoghurt and add various additions depending on the yoghurt. Favourites are white chocolate and raspberry, blackberry and apple , chocolate chips or fudge chunks , banana, lemon, decaf coffee so on. I do reduce the sugar drastically – if I want it sweeter I’ll add caramel essence. Definitely a favourite recipe we will continue to use and recommend.
What a beautiful cake. Love it . Became our family favourite ❤️
The nutrition advises this cake is 319 Calories, is this per slice or for the entire cake? Thanks
per slice
So quick to make, literally 5 minutes and minimal washing up, great recipie to make with young children. I added chocolate chunks aswell as raspberries, approved (and very quickly eaten) by all! I’d probably half the sugar in future – personal preference , loved it, thank you!
Fabulous recipe. I had some yoghurt to use and this came up in my search. I only used 120g sugar and it was sweet enough for us. I also used extra virgin olive oil as this was all I had – so much easier than melting butter as in other recipes. I only had strawberries which tasted great but sank to the bottom – raspberries or blueberries would have been better. The cake was delicious – soft, light and fluffy!
My 8 year old daughter helped me make this afternoon. A really easy and delicious cake
I’ve made the yoghurt pot cake with lemon juice and rind in the mix. Then when you bring the cake out and it’s hot pour a lemon juice and sugar mix on top to form a lemon glaze. Delicious