Greek Yogurt Cake Recipe (Yiaourtopita)

Yiaourtopita takes the same strained yogurt found in countless savoury Greek dishes and folds it into a cake batter instead, where it does real structural work rather than simply flavouring the top. The yogurt's acidity reacts with the raising agents to give a lighter crumb than the amount of fat in the recipe might suggest, and its thickness keeps the finished cake genuinely moist for days.

It is a plain, honest cake rather than an elaborate one, lightly scented with lemon or orange zest, and it is exactly the kind of thing a Greek household bakes on an ordinary Sunday rather than saving for a special occasion.

This is a forgiving recipe for anyone nervous about cake baking, since the yogurt's moisture buys real insurance against a slightly overbaked or underbeaten batter that a leaner cake would not have.

Key preparation steps

Beat oil or butter with sugar, then whisk in eggs and yogurt.
Fold in flour, baking powder and citrus zest gently.
Bake until well risen and a skewer comes out clean.
Cool before slicing, dusting with icing sugar if you like.

Choosing the yogurt

Thick, full-fat strained Greek yogurt gives the best result, both for flavour and for the moisture and slight tang it brings to the finished cake. A thinner, low-fat yogurt can be used but gives a noticeably less rich, less moist crumb.

Building the batter

Beat the oil, or melted butter if you prefer a richer cake, with the sugar until well combined, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the yogurt and citrus zest. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder gently, in two or three batches, mixing only until no streaks of flour remain, since overworking the batter at this stage toughens the crumb.

Baking

Bake in a moderate oven until well risen, deeply golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, generally thirty-five to forty minutes depending on the tin shape. Cool in the tin for ten minutes before turning out, then finish with a dusting of icing sugar or, for a slightly more festive version, a thin lemon glaze.

What matters in this dish

Use thick, full-fat yogurt

It gives real moisture and a slight tang that a thin, low-fat yogurt cannot replicate.

Do not overmix once the flour goes in

Fold gently until just combined. Overworking the batter at this stage toughens the crumb.

Let it cool before slicing

Like most yogurt-based cakes, it firms up and slices more cleanly once fully cooled.

Questions people ask about Yiaourtopita

Why does yogurt make cake moist?

Its thickness and acidity both help. The moisture keeps the crumb tender for days, and the acidity reacts with the baking powder to give a lighter rise than the fat content alone would suggest.

Can you use flavoured yogurt instead of plain?

Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt is what this recipe is built around. A flavoured yogurt would add unwanted sweetness and throw off the recipe's balance.