Greek Desserts
Yiaourtopita Recipe (Greek Yogurt Cake)
Γιαουρτόπιτα yah-oor-TOH-pee-tah · Yiaourtopita
Photo: Vanilla Yogurt Pound Cake (140490155).jpeg by J Doll, CC BY 3.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Yiaourtopita is a simple Greek cake built around thick strained yogurt, which replaces much of the fat and liquid a standard cake would use, giving a genuinely moist, tender crumb with a faint tang. It is lightly citrus-scented and one of the more forgiving cakes in Greek home baking.
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.
Tips from my kitchen
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.
Yiaourtopita Recipe (Greek Yogurt Cake)
Γιαουρτόπιτα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 40m
- Total
- 1h
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 170C fan 150C. Oil and line a loaf tin or 22 cm round tin.
- Beat the oil or melted butter with the sugar until well combined.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the yogurt and citrus zest.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold into the wet mixture in three batches, mixing only until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Nutrition, per 1 slice
- Calories
- 268
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions 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.
How long does yiaourtopita keep?
Four to five days at room temperature, well wrapped, staying moist for longer than most cakes thanks to the yogurt.
