Flourless Lemon Greek Yogurt Cake

The photo shows a moist, tender, flourless lemon-and-Greek-yogurt cake with a golden top and a thin lemon glaze. Because the image only shows part of the ingredient list, the recipe below is a complete version designed to reproduce the pictured texture, rather than claiming the missing ingredients from the image. Flourless versions commonly use almond flour for structure, while Greek yogurt supplies moisture and tang.

Yield: 8–10 slices
Pan: 8-inch / 20-cm round cake pan
Prep: 15–20 minutes
Bake: 32–40 minutes
Cooling: 30–45 minutes
Total: about 1¼ hours

Ingredients
For the cake
1½ cups (150 g) finely ground almond flour
1 cup (240 g) full-fat Greek yogurt
3 large eggs, preferably room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest — about 2 large lemons
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or neutral oil, optional but recommended for extra richness

Almond-flour flourless lemon-yogurt cakes commonly use Greek yogurt, eggs, lemon, a sweetener, baking powder and almond flour; proportions vary considerably between recipes.

For the lemon glaze
¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
1½–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, optional
Optional decoration
Thin lemon slices
Extra lemon zest
Powdered sugar
Blueberries or raspberries
A few toasted almond flakes only if nuts are acceptable
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the oven and pan

Preheat your oven to:

350°F / 175°C

Grease an 8-inch / 20-cm round cake pan.

Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Grease the parchment lightly as well.

Why parchment?

This cake is very moist and tender. Parchment makes it much easier to remove without breaking the bottom.

2. Prepare the lemons

Wash and dry the lemons.

Finely grate the yellow outer skin.

Avoid grating too deeply into the white pith because the pith can taste bitter.

You want approximately:

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Then squeeze the lemons and measure:

¼ cup / 60 ml lemon juice

Fresh lemon juice is preferable here because lemon is one of the dominant flavors.

3. Combine the almond flour ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together:

1½ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Break up any almond-flour lumps.

Set aside.

4. Combine sugar and lemon zest

Put the sugar and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl.

Rub them together with your fingertips for about 30 seconds.

This releases the lemon’s aromatic oils into the sugar and gives the finished cake a stronger lemon fragrance.

5. Add the eggs

Add the 3 eggs.

Beat with a whisk or electric mixer for approximately 1–2 minutes.

You don’t need to whip the eggs to a huge volume.

You simply want the mixture:

smooth
pale
slightly thickened
6. Add the yogurt

Add:

1 cup Greek yogurt
vanilla
lemon juice
melted butter or oil, if using

Whisk until completely smooth.

The batter may look somewhat loose at this stage.

That’s normal.

7. Add the almond flour

Add the almond-flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

Fold or stir gently until combined.

Do not aggressively beat the batter.

Stop as soon as there are no obvious dry pockets.

The finished batter should be:

thick, creamy and pourable.

8. Fill the pan

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Smooth the top with a spatula.

Gently tap the pan on the counter once or twice to remove any large air pockets.

9. Bake

Place the cake in the center of the preheated oven.

Bake for approximately:

32–40 minutes at 350°F / 175°C

Start checking around 32 minutes.

The cake is ready when:

the top is golden,
the edges are slightly darker,
the center feels set,
and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Don’t wait for the toothpick to be completely dry.

Overbaking is the easiest way to lose the moist texture shown in the photograph.

Almond-flour Greek-yogurt versions commonly bake around 30–35 minutes, while thicker versions can require somewhat longer.

10. Cool the cake

Remove the cake from the oven.

Leave it in the pan for:

10–15 minutes.

Run a thin knife around the edges.

Carefully remove it from the pan and place it on a cooling rack.

Allow it to cool for another:

20–30 minutes.

For the cleanest slices, let it become almost completely cool before cutting.

Make the Lemon Glaze

Put ¾ cup powdered sugar in a small bowl.

Add:

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

Whisk.

If it is too thick, add another ½ tablespoon lemon juice, a few drops at a time.

You want a glaze that is:

smooth
thick enough to coat the cake
thin enough to slowly drip over the sides
11. Glaze the cake

Once the cake is cool, spoon the glaze over the center.

Use the back of the spoon to gently push it toward the edges.

Let some glaze naturally run down the sides.

For the appearance in the photograph, don’t completely cover the cake with a thick layer.

A thin, glossy lemon glaze looks better.

Finish with a little fresh lemon zest.

For an Even More Lemon-Intense Cake

If you’re a serious lemon lover, make a lemon soaking syrup instead of—or in addition to—the glaze.

Combine:

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Warm gently until the sugar dissolves.

While the cake is still warm, poke several small holes across the top with a skewer.

Brush the syrup over the cake.

Then cool completely and add the powdered-sugar glaze.

This produces a very moist, intensely lemony cake.

How to Get the Texture in the Photo

The photograph shows a particularly moist, almost custard-like crumb.

For that result:

Use full-fat Greek yogurt

Low-fat yogurt can work, but full-fat gives a richer texture.

Don’t overbake

The center should be set but still moist.

Use finely ground almond flour

Coarse almond meal produces a more visibly grainy cake.

Use fresh lemon zest

The zest supplies much of the intense lemon aroma.

Let it cool before slicing

The crumb becomes more stable as it cools.

Don’t cut it hot

A warm slice can appear undercooked even when the cake is properly baked.

COMPLETE NUT & ALLERGEN INFORMATION
This recipe contains tree nuts

The recipe uses:

Almond flour

Therefore it is NOT nut-free.

Almonds are classified as tree nuts.

If you’re cooking for someone with a nut allergy, do not simply remove the almond flour—the almond flour is providing much of the cake’s structure.

Peanut-free?

The ingredients themselves contain no peanuts.

However, almond flour and other packaged ingredients can have cross-contact with peanuts depending on the manufacturer.

For a person with a serious peanut allergy, check the package labeling.

Tree-nut-free?

No.

It contains almonds.

Dairy-free?

No.

The standard recipe contains Greek yogurt and optionally butter.

You can make it dairy-free using:

thick unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
dairy-free butter or neutral oil

But the texture may change depending on the yogurt substitute.

Egg-free?

No.

This recipe contains 3 eggs.

Eggs provide important structure.

Gluten-free?

The recipe contains no wheat flour.

Almond flour is naturally gluten-free.

However, if this is being prepared for someone with celiac disease or a severe gluten allergy, use ingredients specifically labeled gluten-free and check for manufacturing cross-contact.

“Flourless” does not automatically mean that every packaged ingredient is certified gluten-free.
Vegetarian?

Yes.

Vegan?

No.

The standard version contains eggs and dairy.

Approximate Nutrition

For 10 slices, using the almond-flour version and glaze:

Nutrient Approx. per slice
Calories 250–290
Protein 7–8 g
Fat 14–17 g
Saturated fat 2–4 g
Carbohydrates 27–31 g
Fiber 2–3 g
Sugar 20–23 g
Sodium 100–150 mg

These are estimates and vary with the brand of almond flour, yogurt and the amount of glaze used.

Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without almond flour?

Not by simply omitting it.

Almond flour supplies structure and bulk. A flourless cake needs another structural ingredient if you remove it.

You could instead use a different tested flourless formulation, such as one based on semolina, but that would no longer be a nut-free version of this recipe.

Can I use almond meal?

Yes.

However, fine almond flour produces a smoother crumb closer to the photograph.

Almond meal is usually coarser and may produce a slightly more textured cake.

Can I use Greek yogurt with 0% fat?

Yes, but full-fat Greek yogurt is preferable.

Nonfat yogurt can produce a slightly less rich and moist cake.

Can I use regular yogurt?

Yes, but regular yogurt is usually thinner.

If using thin yogurt, strain it through cheesecloth or a fine sieve for a while so the batter doesn’t become excessively wet.

Why did my cake sink?

A small amount of sinking is normal in a moist flourless cake.

Significant sinking can result from:

underbaking,
opening the oven too early,
too much liquid,
very cold ingredients,
or excessive mixing.

Make sure the center is genuinely set before removing the cake.

Why is the middle wet?

First, distinguish between moist and raw.

A properly baked almond-flour yogurt cake should be moist.

If there is actual liquid batter in the center, it needs more baking.

Return it to a 325–350°F / 165–175°C oven for another 5–10 minutes and check again.

Why is my cake crumbly?

Possible causes include:

overbaking,
insufficient yogurt,
insufficient eggs,
cutting while hot,
using very coarse almond meal.

Allowing the cake to cool completely usually improves the slice considerably.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

You can, but fresh lemon juice is strongly recommended.

Because this recipe has relatively few ingredients, fresh lemon flavor makes a noticeable difference.

Can I use Meyer lemons?

Yes.

Meyer lemons are sweeter and less sharply acidic than standard lemons.

If using Meyer lemons, you may want to add a little extra zest for a stronger citrus flavor.

Can I reduce the sugar?

Yes, but don’t remove too much.

Sugar contributes not only sweetness but also moisture and texture.

For a less-sweet cake, reduce the cake sugar from ¾ cup to ½ cup and keep the glaze light.

Can I use honey instead of sugar?

Yes.

A version using honey or maple syrup is possible, and flourless Greek-yogurt cakes are commonly made with either.

For this particular cake, however, granulated sugar gives you a lighter-colored crumb and a texture closer to the photograph.

Can I add blueberries?

Absolutely.

Fold approximately ¾ cup fresh blueberries into the batter.

Toss them in a teaspoon of almond flour first to help distribute them.

Can I add poppy seeds?

Yes.

Add 1–2 tablespoons poppy seeds to the batter.

Lemon + poppy seed + Greek yogurt works particularly well.

Can I add coconut?

Yes, but coconut changes the texture.

Add approximately ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut.

Can I add white chocolate?

Yes.

Fold in approximately ½ cup finely chopped white chocolate.

The cake will become sweeter and richer.

Can I make it in a loaf pan?

Yes.

Use an approximately 8 × 4-inch loaf pan.

The cake will be deeper, so expect a longer baking time—start checking around 40 minutes.

Can I make cupcakes?

Yes.

Divide the batter between approximately 10–12 muffin cups.

Start checking around 18–22 minutes.

Don’t overfill the cups.

How should I store it?

Because it contains yogurt and eggs, refrigerate it once cooled.

Store covered in the refrigerator for approximately 3–4 days.

Allow individual slices to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving for the best texture.

Can I freeze it?

Yes.

Freeze the cake without the glaze if possible.

Wrap it tightly, place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Add fresh glaze after thawing.

Can I make it a day ahead?

Absolutely.

In fact, the flavor often improves after several hours.

Bake it the day before, cool completely, cover and refrigerate. Add the glaze before serving.

Best Serving Combination

For the closest presentation to the photograph:

Slice of chilled lemon yogurt cake + thin lemon glaze + fresh lemon zest.

For a more elaborate dessert:

lemon cake
Greek yogurt whipped cream
fresh blueberries
raspberries
lemon zest
tiny amount of powdered sugar

The cake is also excellent with a spoonful of lightly sweetened Greek yogurt.

My Recommended Exact Version

If your goal is to get as close as possible to the pictured thick, moist yellow slice, I’d use:

1½ cups / 150 g fine almond flour
1 cup / 240 g full-fat Greek yogurt
3 large eggs
¾ cup / 150 g sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest
¼ cup / 60 ml fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter

Bake in an 8-inch round pan at 350°F / 175°C for about 32–40 minutes, cool completely, then finish with the thin lemon glaze.