Speedy Lemon Yogurt Cake

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If you are a lemon lover like me I got you covered with this low spike super moist lemon yogurt cake. No messy kitchen is required when making this cake.

Why you will love this yogurt cake?

This is a cake I keep making again, again and again. Not only is it super easy to make but it is one of those fail-proof recipes. No previous baking skills required. No scales or fancy equipment needed. All it takes is 10 minutes to combine the ingredients and the oven does the rest. It's versatile and can be served both warm and cold which makes it perfect for anytime of the day.

Ingredients

Shopping Tips

  • Make sure to select unflavoured greek yogurt or another strained/thick variety. The yogurt should NOT be runny.
  • For best results use super fine almond flour as you get better consistency with the batter. I prefer this option.
  • The extra virgin olive oil flavour in this cake is not very pronounced. That said, the flavour of a poor quality olive oil will come through strongly so use one that tastes nice to you.

Recipe Tips

  • Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating an easier batter to work with which will help to create a light tender consistency. Room temperature eggs will emulsify with the olive oil a lot better than cold eggs. Same goes for the yogurt.
  • Mix wet ingredients separately. Combine all of your wet ingredients before stirring them into the dry ingredients. Why? Overmixing batters and dough will toughen the mixture and create denser baked goods.
  • Don’t overcook the cake or it will be dry. Test it at 35-40 minutes and give it only 5 more minutes if you think it needs more time.
  • Don't open the oven door too early. Never open before 25-30 min of baking time as there is a risk the cake will collapse due to the cold air coming in.

Sugar Substitutions - My take

I believe that sugar is sugar without exception. It has to be consumed in moderation. So, rather than trying to find sugar shortcuts or alternatives, focus on enjoying your sugar in moderation. The occasional sweet indulgence can still be part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Swapping table sugar with another variety listed below does not make it automatically healthier for you. Anyone that has used a CGM device can see this quite clearly. Many so called "healthier" alternatives still spike blood sugar to levels that are dangerously high. After testing so many sugar swaps, it is better to accept them for what they truly are. Once you accept this reality, you will not be fooled into clever marketing tricks and claims on packaging that are essentially meaningless.

Credit : British Heart Foundation

What about natural sweeteners?

When looking at different ways to sweeten baked goods or desserts there are plenty of alternatives out there. The most known sweeteners that minimally impact blood sugar are monk fruit, stevia, erythritol and allulose. Does this mean we can go and substitute these alternatives and eat sweets for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Absolutely NO.

These natural sweeteners are derived from plants but are much sweeter than sugar, so you only need to use a tiny amount for the same sweet taste. They’re still made of chemicals though, just like all the rest of our food, and produced through modern manufacturing processes. There are many challenges with artificial sweeteners and they still remain a heavily debated subject in the health and wellness space.

One thing worth noting is that the many types of sweeteners that are found in commercial food products are metabolised differently and impact different pathways that may influence health differently. This is still a relatively new area of research, and as such there is an urgent need for more rigorous studies in humans, comparing different sweeteners at relevant doses in large numbers.

There are many unknowns with using natural sweeteners. The most concern among health advocates is the impact on your microbiome.

Allulose is an exciting name to watch out for in the natural sweetener space, it has the potential to change the sugar substitution game.

Allulose is about 70% as sweet as cane sugar and doesn’t typically cause big spikes in blood sugar or insulin—likely because the body cannot easily break down the compound. As such, allulose can be a good sugar substitute in many desserts. Still, it is best to use any sweetener in moderation, as excessive consumption will keep your brain and taste buds craving sweet foods. Additionally, we don't have long enough sufficient testing on these new alternatives so it is good to exercise a degree of caution.

What sweetener should we use for this cake?

For this recipe, I have tried 3 ways to sweeten the cake:

  1. Allulose (Current gold standard)
  2. Pure Monk fruit extract
  3. Sugar

All options produced similar results when it comes to taste/texture.

Allulose was the best performer as it produced the best blood sugar response. One of the challenges of using allulose or pure monk fruit extract is that it is not widely accessible to many people and is a lot more expensive than regular sugar. You need to source them through specialty stores and finding them can be difficult.

For those who would like to try allulose, I recommend using this one and following instructions on the label for conversions.

Monk fruit is another challenge to source because most of the varieties circulating supermarkets are not the pure version. You can try to this one that is a pure monk fruit variety.

I have used normal sugar in the recipe so it can be more economical and accessible for people, without compromising on blood sugar results.

Pairing Suggestions

Can be enjoyed plain or with strained yogurt and berries. Both are delicious.

Plain serving with fruit

Served with yogurt and fruit

How to store yogurt cake?

I prefer to store the cake as individual slices as it makes an excellent on the go treat. I wrap each slice in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

Blood Sugar Analysis - How does it perform metabolically?

What makes this cake special is how the ingredients come together to create a low spike cake that we can all enjoy. The star nutrient here is fiber.

This recipe uses almond flour instead of wheat flour. Compared to wheat flour, almond flour has fewer sugars and carbohydrates and produces a better blood sugar response. Almond flour contains a lot of prebiotic dietary fiber which helps to offer fantastic metabolic perks.

By being more strategic with ingredients, we can create amazing dishes that not only satisfy our sweet cravings but also support our metabolic health.

A lemon drizzle cake using wheat flour gives a blood sugar response like below, which is not optimal.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Happy Baking! 

Takeaways

  • Sugar is Sugar, enjoy in moderation no matter if it is artificial or natural.
  • Adding healthy fats and fiber can slow down the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream which can help us create better blood sugar responses.
  • Next time you are baking, try almond flour instead of wheat flour.

Disclaimer

FreeStyle Libre 2 CGM was used in all recipe testings for a healthy, non-diabetic subject. Individual results may vary.

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Speedy Lemon Yogurt Cake

The easiest cake you will ever make that is blood sugar friendly and delicious. It’s rich in protein, not too sweet and it’s also gluten free. The marriage between the lemon zest and yogurt creates an old fashioned flavour that is light and fluffy.

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

  • 2½ cups almond flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt unflavoured (no runny yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 large lemon
  • ¼ cup olive oil plus extra to grease baking pan

To Serve Optional

  • Fresh berries
  • Unflavoured Greek yogurt / strained yogurt

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 175 C.
  • Bring cool ingredients (yogurt, eggs, lemon) to room temperature by letting them sit on counter before starting the recipe (approx. 15min)
  • Line baking pan with parchment paper, use a 18cm circular pan.
  • Grease generously with brush using olive oil, making sure to cover up the sides and the bottom of the pan.
  • Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  • In seperate bowl combine all wet ingredients listed, whisk thoroughly.
  • Combine wet ingredients together and mix together until batter is well combined. No not over mix.
  • Using a 18 cm pan, pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15min.
  • Serve with berries and thick yogurt. anything else you wish.

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