Say you were going to a casual brunch or dinner party, and you wanted to bring something sweet for everyone to eat and enjoy.
But you don’t want anything too heavy or overpowering – just a simple, effortless dessert to finish the meal without weighing anyone down.
This recipe is definitely what I’d make – a moist yogurt cake with marmalade glaze.
This cake offers a subtle sweetness and a light, spongy texture. The citrus adds to the fresh taste, and the whole-milk yogurt makes the center very moist. Plus, the marmalade glaze sweetens everything perfectly.
Though I am tempted to use our hot chili zucchini marmalade to see if I can play with the combination of sweet and spicy!
It’s an extremely simple recipe, made with ordinary kitchen staples like flour, sugar, lemon, eggs, and yogurt. But even with these basic ingredients, you can still make a delicious dessert that you’ll want to bring to every gathering.
Enjoy playing around with the flavorings – use your favorite citrus peel and orange marmalade in the recipe. Substitute the marmalade for a few tablespoons of lemon curd, or any other homemade jams or jellies you like.
Your next party is coming up soon, so make the recipe below now!
PrintYogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze
- Total Time: 24 minute
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Need a dessert that’s not too heavy? Make our light, spongy, and moist yogurt cake, subtly sweet with a marmalade glaze.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon packed finely grated citrus peel, like lemon or orange
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup melted butter
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon or orange juice
- 3 tablespoons marmalade
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Position rack in center of the oven, and preheat to 350°F (325°F if using a glass loaf pan). Generously butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine yogurt, sugar, eggs, grated fruit peel, and vanilla in a separate large bowl. Whisk until completely blended. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients. Mix in the butter and oil. Transfer batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, the edges are brown, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a cooling rack for about 15-20 minutes. Cut around the pan sides to loosen it, and remove the cake. Cool completely on the cooling rack.
For the Glaze:
- Place the powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice, then whisk in the marmalade. It should be very thick, but still pourable. Add more sugar or juice to achieve the desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Let dry for 15-20 minutes before serving in slices.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Gather and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F (325°F if using a glass loaf pan). Generously grease a loaf pan with butter.
For the cake, measure the flour, baking powder, salt, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Zest the citrus fruit.
For the marmalade glaze, measure the powdered sugar, marmalade, and salt. Juice your citrus fruit.
Don’t know what to do with the rest of the fruit? Be sure to know how to properly store your citrus!
Step 2 – Sift and Combine Dry Ingredients
Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt for the cake in a medium bowl.
Step 3 – Whisk Wet Ingredients
Combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs, shredded fruit peel, and vanilla in separate large bowl. Whisk together until completely blended.
Step 4 – Combine
Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
Mix in the butter and oil. Continue stirring until everything is completely combined to form a smooth, uniform batter.
Step 5 – Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until it begins to pull away from sides of pan, the edges are brown, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes. Cut around the pan sides to loosen it. Remove from the pan, and let it cool completely on the cooling rack.
Step 6 – Make the Glaze
Place the powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice, then whisk in the marmalade. You want the glaze to be fairly thick, but still pourable. Add more sugar or juice to achieve the desired consistency.
Step 7 – Decorate and Serve
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. You can let it drizzle over the sides, if desired. Be sure to use a cooling rack over a pan lined with aluminum foil or paper towels to catch any excess icing that drips off.
Let the glaze dry for 15-20 minutes before serving in slices with fresh berries.
Yogurt in a Dessert? Yum!
Sweet and refreshing, this dessert stays so moist with the addition of yogurt. And with a handful of other simple ingredients, it’s an easy treat to make when you want to enjoy something delightfully light.
A small slice of this cake, accompanied by fresh strawberries and blackberries, will be the perfect ending to any meal.
Looking for other desserts you can easily make in a loaf pan? Try our recipes for pumpkin spice bread and zucchini bread. And the marmalade glaze recipe would be great drizzled over my cranberry orange bread!
Do you use yogurt in any of your baked goods? How else would you use this glaze recipe? Cookies, maybe? Give us all your ideas in the comments below!
For more sweets that introduce a little tang with yogurt, try these recipes:
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Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on August 29th, 2008. Last updated: September 27, 2023 at 19:07 pm.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
this looks so simply perfect. and i can see it, at that party. the prefect end to a perfect meal.
Thanks, Amy!
I there, I stumbled across your blog while checking out Montague and had to comment because I am absolutely inspired to try this recipe. I love all yogurt based batters, and this cake sounds so easy and tasty. Thanks!
looks yum! what a handy recipe to have in the back of your brain!!
i know ill be cooking lots of goodies once we get our foster kiddos to share with!!!
I shall try this next week for book club! Yes, I confess; I’ve been know to take shortcuts with my pies on occasion. It’s so hard sometimes to slave in the kitchen for so long to see something go so quickly. So, when I know a pie is going to go like that, I use a pre-made shell.
Elizabeth: I’m so glad you commented because it led me to your blog, which I already know I will love. The post about your grandma’s recipes was heart-touching.
Rae: Do you know the official date that you’ll get to start yet? I’m so happy for you; you will be a WONDERFUL foster mommy.
Nealy: Aw, book club! What are you guys reading? Bring back some fond memories…
This one looks like it’s going into the recipe file!
★★★★★