This yogurt apple cake is a classic French apple cake that’s tender and moist and effortless. Topped with juicy apples and a crunchy buttery cinnamon brown sugar topping, you can serve this simple cake for breakfast with coffee, for an afternoon tea, or with a scoop of ice cream for dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Yogurt Cake Recipe
- It’s effortless. Gateau au yaourt is the first recipe many French kids learn to make at home. It’s so commonplace and the ratios so simple that when I asked my friend, Solene, for the original recipe, she told me she was giving it to me off the top of her head, from memory.
- It’s a one-bowl recipe. It’s a no fuss, no muss cake. Traditionally, the French use a yogurt container to measure out the cake’s ingredients. Although I’ve provided cup measurements for this recipe, you still dump everything into one bowl and give it a quick mix. That means minimal cleanup for you, hurray!
- It’s soft, moist, and light. For that, you can say thank you to full-fat greek yogurt and oil. Fun fact: butter has water content in it that evaporates during cooking. So when you use oil in a cake, you’re left with more fat in the final cake for tenderness.
- It’s worth the wait. Sweet apple goodness in every bite, warm spices, and a buttery crunchy cinnamon topping. It’s indulgent comfort food that isn’t too indulgent. and the whole thing comes together in less than an hour!
- It’s versatile. Swap apples for some other fruit that is in season – peaches at the height of summer, plums at the end, or pears in the fall. You don’t even have to use fruit. You can let your inner chocoholic take over and use chocolate chips. Omit spices based on personal preference. If this cake is the world, it’s your oyster, baby!
Ingredients
- Apples like Honeycrisp, Gala or Granny Smith are sweet and tart and have an ideal texture even after being baked.
- All-purpose flour for the cake.
- Baking powder for leavening.
- Granulated Sugar to sweeten the cake.
- Brown sugar for deep caramelized notes that go with the melted butter and cinnamon.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom for that classic apple-cinnamon spice.
- Canola oil or other neutral oil. Optionally, you can use melted butter, but note it may make the cake less moist and tender.
- Full fat greek yogurt is thick and tangy and will hold up to the weight of the apples, keeping them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. (For this reason, I don’t recommend subbing the yogurt for milk, as it may make the batter too liquid.)
- Vanilla extract for a bit of warmth.
FAQs
What does yogurt do in a cake?
The yogurt will add extra moisture to the cake. It’ll also make the cake slightly lighter than a cake that uses sour cream.
What type of yogurt should I use?
You can use either full-fat Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt.
Can I use low-fat or non-fat yogurt?
Technically you can. But, here’s the thing: The fat in the yogurt and the oil helps create the tender crumbs you want in a cake. Lowering or reducing the fat in your yogurt will result in a less tender, tougher cake.
Can I use olive oil in this cake recipe?
You can. Olive oil has a distinct and pronounced flavor, though. So, unless you want to call it a Spiced Apple Olive Oil Cake, I recommend a neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil.
How do I store French Apple Cinnamon Yogurt Cake?
Store it at room temperature and eat it within three days. If you want to refrigerate, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To store frozen, simply tightly wrap and cover cake and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature.
How to Make Yogurt Apple Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8” springform pan or a round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, spray the parchment with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and the eggs. Whisk for about 1-3 minutes or until light and frothy. Then, add in the butter, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Using a medium bowl, pour in all of the dry ingredients – flour, spices, salt, and baking powder and mix. Using the spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until there are no more streaks of flour in the cake batter, without overmixing.
- Toss fresh apples in spice mix and then fold them into the batter.
- Pour into the prepared pan.
- Measure out brown sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl, combining with your fingers or a spoon. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds or until just melted. Stir into the cinnamon sugar until it looks like wet sand. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out smooth. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring. Serve your delicious apple yogurt cake with a piping hot mug of tea, coffee, or a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Looking for More Desserts That Contain Fruit?
Apple Snack Cake – and almost pudding-like cake that is bursting with tart, juicy apples.
Strawberry Pavlova – An elegant pink dessert that has layers upon layers of textures. It’s crispy, it’s creamy, it’s got bite, it melts in your mouth. Fresh strawberries. What’s not to love?
📖 Recipe
French Apple Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
Yogurt Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup full-fat greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- Apples
- 2 large apples peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Cinnamon Sugar Crunch Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8” springform pan or a round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, spray the parchment with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and the eggs. Whisk for about 1-3 minutes or until light and frothy. Then, add in the butter, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Using a medium bowl, pour in all of the dry ingredients – flour, spices, salt, and baking powder and mix. Using the spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until there are no more streaks of flour in the cake batter, without overmixing.
- Toss fresh apples in spice mix and then fold them into the batter.
- Pour into the prepared pan.
- Measure out brown sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl, combining with your fingers or a spoon. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds or until just melted. Stir into the cinnamon sugar until it looks like wet sand. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out smooth. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring. Serve your delicious apple yogurt cake with a piping hot mug of tea, coffee, or a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
