Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

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Love a delish pound cake?  Would you like to indulge, but find a healthier version? I’ve got a great, great option for you!  How about giving this Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake a try?  It’s lightened up and delicious with yummy vanilla flavor!

More yummy bread ideas? Check out these 20 Dessert Recipes Using Greek Yogurt, this Banana Pound Cake & Milk Chocolate Glaze and this Pumpkin Walnut Bread!

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

Where Did Pound Cake Originate From?

Pound cake originated in Europe in the first half of the 18th century. Originally, the recipe called for one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs (10 eggs equals a pound!) before written recipes.

Easy to remember, right?  Notice they didn’t use leaveners, like baking soda and baking powder and with the Fab 4, this had to be a very dense, very rich, high calorie delicious pound cake, back in the day, don’t you think?

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

What Makes This Greek Yogurt Pound Cake So Irresistible? 

It’s so moist and delicate, and it’s deliciously flavored with vanilla!  That’s what makes it irresistible! Vanilla Greek yogurt, combined with eggs, sugar, flour, and leaveners, give it a slightly subtle, tangy vibe with that fragrant vanilla aroma wafting under your nose. Mmmmmm…Yes!

We used Oikos® Triple Zero Greek Yogurt in the recipe.  It has zero added sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, and zero fat—plus 15g of protein per 5.3oz. cup. Feel free to use whatever yogurt brand you love, if this isn’t available to you or

I also added vanilla bean paste, because I’m addicted to the way it makes food taste.  However, the Vanilla Greek Yogurt already has vanilla in it, but I wanted to boost up the vanilla flavor by using the vanilla bean paste.

The extra-virgin olive oil gives it a mildly, fruity essence.  Together, it all harmonizes happily like a beautiful vanilla pound cake dream.  This pound cake loaf is not heavy, but healthy, lightened up…and totally yummy!!

I absolutely love using olive oil and Greek Yogurt together when baking. Plus, it’s nice knowing it’s going to make my desserts more healthy.  I would also suggest using a really good extra virgin olive oil.  If you use a low-quality oil, the flavor of the oil could overpower the rest of the pound cake and leave a noticeable aftertaste.

Olive oil is a very good way to cut saturated fat. It’s loaded with monounsaturated fat, which will promote “good cholesterol.”  Yay!!

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

Ingredients You Need

  • all-purpose flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill
  • salt
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • vanilla or plain non-fat Greek yogurt (I used Dannon® Oikos® Triple Zero Greek Yogurt – Vanilla)
  • extra virgin olive oil, or any oil of choice or melted butter, cooled
  • granulated sugar
  • eggs
  • pure vanilla extract, I use Nielsen-Massey
  • vanilla bean paste, I use Nielsen-Massey

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

How to Make Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.  (I like to line my loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal.)
  2. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together using a whisk, the Greek yogurt, sugar and olive oil together, then add the eggs one a time, whisking in each egg one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract and/or vanilla bean paste.
  4. When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the flour mixture.
  5. Pour batter it into the pan and smooth the top.
  6. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and starts to come away from the sides of the pan; a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean or touching the top of the cake to make sure it’s done. If your fingerprint leaves an indentation, it needs to bake more.  You can also use a toothpick and if it comes out clean with no batter a just a few random crumbs, you’re good to go.
  7. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan.

Olive Oil Substitution

  • If you don’t want to use olive oil,  you can use butter and I have it in the directions in the recipe below. But I urge you to try the olive oil version!
  • Of course, you can always substitute with canola, vegetable or avocado oil if you don’t have olive oil.  It will still be amazing!

Storing & Freezing Vanilla Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

  • You can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days, longer in the fridge up to a week or freeze it for up to 2 months completed wrapped in saran wrap & foil.

More Variations

  • Slices of Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake is wonderful alone, but also can be served with fruits, whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar, covered in dessert sauces, used in trifles, grilled french toast style and more!
  • Add some orange zest and orange juice in place or lemon zest and lemon juice instead of the vanilla extract for another flavor explosion.
  • You can also use this cake recipe for a layer of olive oil cake and frost it with some delicious frosting or double it for a double layer cake.
  • Double the cake recipe and make a bundt pan cake!  Top it with a simple vanilla glaze and enjoy!

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

In conclusion, the combination of vanilla Greek yogurt and olive oil in a pound cake recipe is not only delicious, but also adds an unexpected and healthy twist to a classic dessert. This moist and flavorful pound cake has a tender texture that will have your taste buds singing. Happy baking!

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Love Greek Yogurt Healthier Recipes?

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake

Kim Lange
Love pound cake?  Would you like to indulge, but would like to find a healthier version? How about giving this Vanilla Greek Yogurt & Olive Oil Pound Cake a try?  It's lightened up and delicious!!!
4.08 from 213 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 48 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. (I like to line my loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal.)
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat together using a whisk, the Greek yogurt, sugar and olive oil together, then add the eggs one a time, whisking in each egg one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract and/or vanilla bean paste.
  • When the mixture is well blended, gently whisk in the dry ingredients.
  • Pour and scrape the cake batter it into the pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and starts to come away from the sides of the pan; a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean or touching the top of the cake to make sure it's done. If your fingerprint leaves an indentation, it needs to bake more
  • Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan.

Notes

Storing: You can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months
 
Keyword Greek yogurt, olive oil, pound cake
Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!

Hi! I'm Kim! As you may know, I'm cookie, brownie and chocolate obsessed! You'll find hundreds of decadent and healthy dessert recipes to choose from here! So, let's bake something easy and never forget the chocolate!

68 Comments

  1. I can’t bake but I tried this and it was fantastic. I love the use of olive oil and yogurt. I want to make a chocolate version of this. Do I just need to add cocoa powder? (How much?)

  3. Absolutely delicious! I rarely comment on food blogs but I really liked this recipe.

  4. Pingback: Yogurt Pound Cake | The Foodies' Kitchen

  7. I want to make this tomorrow but I will use butter instead of olive oil. Why are the measurements for olive oil and butter different? 1/2 cup olive oil but only 1/4 cup butter? Is this correct?

  10. Holy smokes this was fantastic! I almost never comment on food blogs but I had to tip my hat off to you. My hubby was singing my praises all night. The Cake was almost gone in one sitting lol.

  14. I would like to make this cake. It looks delicious. Can I add chocolate morsels? Would 1/2 cup be enough?

  16. I have full fat Greek yogurt. Should i still use the olive oil as well? The same amounts? Thanks!

  17. I’m so happy you tried it Maret and enjoyed it with the olive oil! Thank you for sharing your experience and what brand you used for others. You are so kind!!xo

  18. Delicious! I’ve been missing pound cake since I decided my recipes were too unhealthy to make! And I’ve been wanting to try baked goods with olive oil, but couldn’t get up the nerve. The sound of this “healthy” pound cake finally made me take the plunge. So glad I did. It is as you described, moist with a little tang. I don’t have vanilla paste, so I added the vanilla extract. For those who are wondering on a brand of olive oil, I used California Olive Ranch (Destination Series) Extra Virgin olive oil.

  20. I think it may have needed to bake more Jim. Applesauce is heavier so I would try to bake it 5-8 more minutes and I use fingertip and lightly touch the top of the bread to check for doneness. If it stays indented it’s not done. Glad it still tasted great though! Thanks so much for trying it! xo

  21. I tried this recipe but substituted Apple Sauce for the sugar. It looked great when I pulled it out of the oven but then lost all of its rise and collapsed while cooling, what did I do wrong? PS: It still tasted great!

  22. Tried this recipe and it turned out great! Very moist. I don’t eat too sweet so I halved the sugar content and it turned out great! I also added 1 tablespoon of rum to enhance the flavor. Thanks!

  24. I just made this and served it with whipped cream and berries. Delicious!
    I reduced the sugar to 1 cup and it’s plenty sweet.

  25. Pingback: Banana Pound Cake & Milk Chocolate Glaze

  26. You could, but I would double the recipe for a 10 inch bundt pan. Otherwise the cake won’t be very tall and of course the time would vary. Hope that helps?

  28. Pingback: Orange Cream Glazed Pound Cakes

  34. I just made this last night. It smelled awesome while baking. It was so moist and full of flavor.

  40. I have to say, this looks like the perfect cake to eat at breakfast with a warm coffee. I love having leftover cake in the mornings, it just makes my day!. It really looks awesome. Great job!

  44. I love pound cake and this looks delicious, Kim! Greek Yogurt is not only more healthy, but I love the great moisture and texture it adds to baked goods! Thanks for the recipe, Kim!

  47. I love the lightened version and I actually think it tastes better than the full fat version, but that’s just me! Tea time for sure would be good as well! Thank you Deepika! xo

  49. I love pound cakes!! They are so rich and decadent! Perfect as a teatime treat! But I don’t make them often only because they are so high on sugar and butter! I would love to try this lightened version with olive oil! Looks lovely!

4.08 from 213 votes (202 ratings without comment)

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