Greek yogurt pound cake is a moist homemade pound cake recipe that uses Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. So easy and so good!
Over the years, I’ve taken family recipes and created my own versions of those recipe, like my grandma’s chocolate sheet cake. This Greek yogurt pound cake is my updated version of my great aunt’s sour cream pound cake.
I love the original sour cream pound cake, but it’s full of butter, sugar, and full-fat sour cream. After some tinkering, I ended up with a pound cake that is every bit as moist, tangy, and delicious as the my great aunt’s cake but with better nutritional stats.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cake flour: You can make a cake flour substitute with this easy tutorial. To properly measure the flour, weigh it or stir or sift it to break it up. Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and level. Don’t pack the flour or the cake will be heavy and dry.
- Greek yogurt: If your yogurt has separated (looks watery on top), be sure to stir it before measuring. You can also use 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt in this recipe.
- Almond extract: You can omit the almond extract and use additional vanilla extract if you prefer.
How to make Greek yogurt pound cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour (or spray well with a nonstick spray like Baker’s Joy that has flour in it) a 12-cup bundt pan.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large bowl, beat yogurt, butter, and sugar together until well-combined.
Step 4: Beat in eggs one at a time.
Step 5: Stir in extracts.
Step 6: Add flour mixture, and stir in until just combined.
Step 7: Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
Step 8: Bake 60-80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You may need to cover the exposed cake with foil if it starts to brown too much.
Step 9: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips!
- Greasing the pan: Bundt cakes can be notoriously difficult to remove from the pan. It’s key to grease and flour the pan well. You can also use homemade pan release to prep the pan.
- Flavoring: The cake is flavored with both almond extract and vanilla extract. You can use either flavoring and omit the other, or you can use a different flavoring, like lemon, if you prefer.
- Serving suggestions: I like to dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve it with homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberries or strawberries.
Recipe FAQs
You can. I’ve made the cake both ways. I prefer cake flour because it gives the cake a finer crumb and softer interior.
You can make your own cake flour substitute with this tutorial. However, all-purpose flour will work in a pinch.
Sure! I don’t recommend using fat-free sour cream in this recipe, though, as I’ve never had good luck baking with it.
You can! Pound cakes freeze well.
Storage
Store any leftover Greek yogurt pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake will keep for 3-4 days when properly stored at room temperature.
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Greek Yogurt Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour properly measured
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups plain, non-fat Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour (or spray well with a nonstick spray like Baker’s Joy that has flour in it) a 12-cup bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat yogurt, butter, and sugar together until well-combined.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Stir in extracts.
- Add flour mixture, and stir in until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
- Bake 60-80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You may need to cover the exposed cake with foil if it starts to brown too much.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Cake flour: You can make a cake flour substitute with this easy tutorial. To properly measure the flour, weigh it or stir or sift it to break it up. Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and level. Don’t pack the flour or the cake will be heavy and dry.
- Greek yogurt: If your yogurt has separated (looks watery on top), be sure to stir it before measuring.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 7/26/13.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Gina says
Great recipe! This is a keeper! Great taste and easy to make. Not rubbery at all! Doubled the recipe to share. Making another one today. Need to use extra yogurt. Thank you
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! It’s one of my favorite recipes. =) Thanks for coming back to comment!
GINA MOSS says
Made this cake to use extra yogurt i needed to use up. Cake came out great! Doubled the recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Easy and excellent taste. Thank you
Sarah says
My new favorite cake! I made this cake and followed the directions to a T. The cake was SO good! Everyone raved about it. This is my new pound cake recipe. Thanks!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back to comment. =)
Carissa R. says
Nice flavor, and I love the large amount of Greek yogurt in place of butter, but honestly it’s a bit rubbery. The crumb is nice, it came out of the bundt pan easily (I just buttered and sugared the pan instead of flouring, which always works great) and it rose beautifully using 1/2 tsp of soda, but my family just found it to be kind of rubbery.
Kate says
Thanks for the tip about buttering and sugaring! I’m sorry that you found the cake to be rubbery! Did the cake sink as it cooled? I’ve had that happen with batters that were overmixed, and the resulting cake was dense and sort of rubbery.
Kylie says
Mmm will definitely be trying. I have the worst sweet tooth ever and it seems like “healthy” desserts are an oxymoron.. this gave me hope. Wondering how many calories in a slice…
Kate says
Hope you enjoy it! =)
Amanda says
I made this and it was AMAZING! My guests gobbled it up, even the ones that weren’t “dessert” people. I ended up using 2% greek yogurt, because that was what I had on hand and I had to cook it a bit longer….about 10 more minutes. A total winner! I’m done using my old sour cream recipe!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad that you and your guests liked it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! =)
Deb says
I also didn’t put 3 cups of sugar I did 2 and it still was enough!
Kate says
I’m glad you were able to change that for your tastes!
Deb says
I don’t think 1/4 tsp was enough!! Really heavy too much . If I try this recipe again I will put the 1 1/4 tsp for sure!!
Kate says
The pound cakes that I’ve had have always been dense, so if that isn’t what you’re looking for, please feel free to play around with the recipe to suit your tastes.
cathy says
3 cups of sugar is a lot. I don’t think I will try this.
Kate says
Ok. =)
Colleen says
You took time out of your day to post that? Must be nice to have so little on your plate.
I WILL be trying this. Sugar can always be cut back, and no one is saying to eat the entire cake yourself.
katherine says
1/4 tsp baking soda seems like not enough leavening for a cake this large. should it be 1 1/4?
Kate says
I double checked my original recipe, and it is 1/4 tsp. The cake isn’t going to rise a lot, so the 1/4 tsp. works. However, if you feel uncomfortable with that amount, feel free to play around with it.
Joan@Chocolate and More says
Kate, this cake sounds so refreshing and I love the idea of using a fruit dip instead of whipped cream! Thanks for sharing at Thursday’s Treasures, I’m featuring you this week!
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much, Joan!! That’s awesome!! =)
martha@simple nourished living says
I saw this on lil luna and boy did it catch my eye. I love using Greek yogurt in baking and the idea of lighter pound cake is so appealing, especially when topped with fresh fruit. I’ve bookmarked this to try. Thanks!!
kateheartseating says
Thanks for coming by to check it out!! I hope you enjoy the cake! =)
Jen Nikolaus says
YUM! This looks fantastic! I LOVE pound cake and a lightened version sounds great! Thanks for sharing, Kate!
~Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much, Jen!! And thanks for stopping by! =)
Shannon @ Searching For Dessert says
The pound cake looks so moist and has a beautiful crust! I can’t wait to try this recipe :)
kateheartseating says
Thanks!! It was extremely moist, and it kept well. Two days after I made it, it still tasted fresh. I hope you enjoy the cake!! =)
domestic bliss squared says
This is awesome! I will be checking out the other recipes for sure, and I’m now a follower! I love using greek yogurt in my recipes too, and now I’m inspired! I’ve already pinned this and several of your recipes, I’m loving your blog!
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much for checking them out and for following along!! If you like using Greek yogurt, I have a ton of recipes on here that you may like. Thanks so much, and I’m glad to have you here!! =)
Amy @ swiss miss in the kitchen says
Oh Kate this cake looks fantastic!! Love the addition of greek yogurt I’m sure the cake tasted amazing moist with it!
xox Amy
kateheartseating says
Thanks so much, Amy!! Yeah, I’m a huge fan of baking with Greek yogurt. =)
Kim of Mo'Betta says
I love pound cake, but I love this lighter version even more. My MIL makes an incredible pound cake, that weighs about 10 lbs full of shortening, butter, eggs! I gain 10 lbs just looking at it, so I’m going to pin this to try soon!
kateheartseating says
I hope you enjoy the cake! It’s always hard to beat a family recipe, though! =)
Krista @ joyfulhealthyeats says
Yum! This sounds delicious, I love that you used greek yogurt to make it healthier and that you have fresh fruit on the side. Definitely have to try this one. Pinning!
kateheartseating says
Thanks, Krista!! I hope you enjoy the cake! =)
marcie@flavorthemoments says
I rarely ever eat pound cakes because of all the butter, but I’d eat this one! I just love baking with Greek yogurt.
kateheartseating says
Me too!! I grew up with pound cake having pound cake on special occasions, and I love it. I don’t eat it very often, though, because they usually have 3 (or more) sticks of butter in them. You and I are totally on the same page with the Greek yogurt! I hope you enjoy the cake!! =)
Debra Elliott says
Yummy in my tummy
kateheartseating says
Thanks!! =)