Gâteau au Yaourt de Mon Enfance
(gah-TOE oh yah-OORT)
Le Matin: The Uncomplicated French Morning
In France, this is the very first thing a kid learns to bake. No digital scales, no high-anxiety pastry techniques—just a simple ratio using an emptied yogurt pot. Born in the post-war era, it remains the undisputed king of the French domestic kitchen because it is unpretentious, deeply comforting, and entirely doable on a chaotic weeknight. It delivers the unadulterated taste of a French childhood, translated for the American pantry with just three immutable, grandmotherly rules: use room-temperature ingredients, respect the twenty-minute rest period, and for the love of God, don't overmix the flour.
Before you start
Bring the eggs to room temperature.
Cold eggs will shock the oil and prevent a smooth emulsion; if you're in a rush, plunge them into a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan.
Set the oven to 350°F and generously butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, tapping out any excess.
Ingredients
- plain whole milk yogurt1/2 cup
- eggs3 large
- granulated sugar1 cup
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- unbleached all-purpose flour1 1/2 cup
- baking powder1 tbsp
- fine sea salt1/4 tsp
- neutral oil1/3 cup
Method
- 01
Whisk the wet ingredients until pale and frothy.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the yogurt, eggs, sugar, and vanilla for about two minutes to incorporate crucial air into the batter.
- 02
Fold in the dry ingredients gently.
Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt just until the flour streaks disappear to avoid developing tough gluten.
- 03
Seal the batter with oil.
Pour the neutral oil over the top and gently fold it in until the batter is completely smooth and glossy.
- 04
Let the batter rest for 20 minutes.
Leave the bowl on the counter; this brief, non-negotiable rest allows the flour to hydrate and guarantees an airy, beautifully domed cake.
- 05
Bake until golden brown.
Pour the rested batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until the tip of a paring knife inserted into the center emerges clean.
- 06
Cool before slicing.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack so you don't crush the delicate, tender crumb.
Notes
The traditional measurement.
If you buy standard 5.3-ounce single-serve American yogurt cups, you can skip the measuring cups entirely. Empty the yogurt into the bowl, wash and dry the plastic cup, and use it to measure the rest exactly as a French grandmother would: 2 pots of sugar, 3 pots of flour, and a heavy half-pot of oil.
From Cook French in America.