Nearly every time I stop by Starbucks, whether in the early morning or shortly before lunch or mid-afternoon, I always seem to time my visits abysmally. Whenever I walk inside, I repeatedly find myself greeted with a line that snakes through the coffee shop, around multiple tables and chairs, and ends a few steps from the door.
After planting myself behind the last patron, I typically start biding my time by people-watching. (Please tell me I’m not the only one!) What drinks do they order, what newspapers do they tuck under their arms, what milk do they add from the self-serve station, what novels do they read while slowing sipping…
Once I’ve slowly shuffled about halfway up the line, I switch to staring at the shelves of ceramic cups, travel mugs, and exotic new freshly ground bags of coffee. Although I often pick them up to read their descriptions or admire the painted designs on the cups, I never purchase anything—but it’s still fun to look!
Finally, when I can count the number of people between the register and me with one hand, the internal struggle begins. I rarely glance at the menu boards since I typically order the same thing (black coffee, usually decaf, and no room please!), but…
The glass display case of breakfast pastries and rich desserts always calls my name! I try so hard not to look, knowing how tempting each option will be, but that’s nearly impossible. As a baking-obsessed food blogger, I constantly think about recipes and sweet treats!
Plates of buttery croissants and cinnamon raisin bagels, old-fashioned glazed donuts and vanilla bean scones, blueberry muffins and streusel-topped coffee cake… Trays of chewy chocolate chip cookies and iced sugar cookies, fudgy double chocolate chunk brownies and rice krispie treats, banana nut bread slices and marbled loaf cake pieces…
By the time I place my order with the barista, it requires all of my self-control to simply ask for the coffee and nothing more!
The last time I stopped by Starbucks, I accidentally visited with a slightly hungry stomach, so I nearly walked away from the register with a slice of their lemon pound cake to nibble on as well… Until I saw the calorie count and thought better of it!
But because I couldn’t shake those sweet citrus thoughts out of my head, I came home and baked this Greek Yogurt Lemon Pound Cake instead! It has the same tender texture and bright sunshiny flavor, but with absolutely no refined flour or sugar, it comes with just 123 calories and none of the guilt!
Absolute perfection.
Pound cakes earn their name from their ingredients—traditionally, a pound each of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar—but boy oh boy, that adds up to a whole lot of calories. My waistline is cringing at the thought! So let’s go over how we’re going to make this recipe much, much healthier.
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, very similar to that of all-purpose flour, which is perfect for this cake’s tender texture. And white whole wheat flour still has the same health benefits (like extra fiber) as regular whole wheat flour!
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be a great substitute, and I’ve included my preferred gluten-free option in the Notes section as well.
Next, you’ll use egg whites instead of whole eggs and just 1 tablespoon of butter (or coconut oil!). That’s right—just 1 tablespoon! (Whereas a pound of butter would be 2 whole cups… Yikes!) The rest of this healthier pound cake’s tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking…
Greek yogurt! Although you probably guessed that already from the recipe’s title… Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and with around 21g of protein per cup, it gives this pound cake a big protein boost too. I always buy the big tubs of Greek yogurt, rather than the individual serving cups, because I use it in so many of my baking recipes. Muffins, scones, cupcakes, cheesecakes, even donuts and frosting!
Instead of granulated sugar, you’ll sweeten this cake with another one of my favorite ingredients: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way—you’ll only need 2 teaspoons to sweeten this entire cake! This is the kind that I buy because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t detect any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Now for the most important part… That bright citrus flavor comes from two sources: freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. The latter actually provides the majority of the sunshiny taste, so don’t skip it! I baked this recipe with varying amounts of lemon juice and zest, and my taste testers all agreed that they loved the final version with the largest amount of both. It added that exact bright lemon punch they love from the Starbucks lemon pound cake!
Guilt-free cake… That’s perfect for pairing with coffee… And even healthy enough for breakfast… Pure bliss!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see the notification from you! ?) I’d love to see your cake and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Greek Yogurt Lemon Pound Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 2 ¾ cups (330g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp (15g) freshly grated Meyer lemon zest
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla crème stevia
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (150mL) nonfat milk
- for the drizzle (optional)
- 2 tbsp confectioners’ style powdered stevia
- 1 ¼ tsp nonfat milk
- ⅛ tsp almond extract
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the optional drizzle, stir together the stevia, milk, and almond extract in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle on top of the cooled cake just before serving.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake will be less tender and have a distinct wheat-y flavor.
The cake requires 3 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 3 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the vanilla crème stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) However, if you really prefer to omit the vanilla crème stevia from the cake, substitute ¾ cup (180mL) of honey or agave. Omit the milk if using this substitution. The baking time may vary slightly. I do not recommend substituting pure maple syrup; it will overpower the lemon flavor. In place of the vanilla crème stevia, you may also substitute ¾ cup (144g) granulated sugar and decrease the milk to 6 tablespoons, but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. The baking time may vary with this substitution as well.
This recipe is specifically designed for Meyer lemons. Regular lemons often give the cake a somewhat gummy or rubbery texture. (But the flavor remains the same—lemony, bright, and sweet!)
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Regular powdered sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style stevia powder in the drizzle. If using regular powdered sugar, you’ll need less milk as well. Start with ½ teaspoon and gradually increase as necessary to achieve your desired consistency.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, sugar-free}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Simple Strawberry Lemon Cake
♡ Simple Orange Poppy Seed Cake
♡ Simple Raspberry Lemon Cake
♡ Small-Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins
♡ Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Cookies
♡ Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Loaf
♡ Strawberry Lemonade Protein Cookies
2nd time I tried this recipe ~ both times came out rubbery. 2nd time with new recipe using vanilla stevia, this new version has no sweetness at all. So disappointed again??
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Tera! That sounds really disappointing. 🙁 I’d love to work with you to solve those issues! I only recently discovered why that gummy texture sometimes appears. I actually developed this recipe using Meyer lemons. They’re sweeter and have a different acidity than regular lemons. For some reason (I’m still figuring out the science of why — as an ex-chemist, I’m just nerdy like that and want to know!), the less sweet and more acidic regular lemons are what cause that gummy texture… Whereas Meyer lemons yield a really soft, moist, and tender pound cake. I just updated the recipe to reflect that fact!
Did you use the same vanilla stevia that I used? Or was it a different brand? What sweetener did you use in your first pound cake? I’d love to help solve that sweetness issue as well! 🙂
This recipe needed a whole lot more milk than what was called for!!!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Cathy! That’s so strange, so I’d love to work with you to figure out why that happened to you. 🙂 How much extra milk did you use? Did you make any modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? And how did you measure the flour, with a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If you used the latter, can you describe in detail what you did? Did the cake taste sweet enough to you? Once I know the answers to all of those questions, we should be able to narrow down the reason why that could’ve been that you needed so much more milk!
Hi Amy, I would like to make the cake in the coming days. I am wondering whether oat flour could be a substitute for white wheat flour. If it is possible, how much oat flour should I be adding in? Once again thank you for sharing this healthy version of pound cake!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Cyrstal! If you substitute oat flour, your pound cake will likely turn out denser and not rise properly. It will also have a very distinct oat flavor. As long as you don’t mind that flavor and texture difference, then it’s fine to use oat flour as a 1-for-1 substitute. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pound cake if you try it!
The consistency came out like bread and the taste is… not really my thing. My family didn’t like it either, even tho we’re big lemon cake lovers. Something is just off and it lacks sweetness to balance the acidity. The added salt adds too weird flavor to the lemon taste too. And something is missing, that other lemon cakes do have. Idk what it is tbh but I’m not a fan… sorry!
I’m so honored that you tried making my recipe Jaenelle! That sounds disappointing and not like how this cake should turn out, so I’d love to help figure out what happened and how to fix it. 🙂 Did you make any modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? What sweetener did you use — was it the same exact stevia that I did? How did you measure the flour, with a kitchen scale or measuring cups?
This came out horrible!!! I followed the recipe exactly and the consistency was off. Please review this recipe
I’m honored that you tried making my recipe Nailah! That sounds really disappointing and not like how this cake should turn out, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. 🙂 What was off about the texture? Was it dry, dense, gummy, something else? Did you use any of the modifications or substitutions in the Notes section of the recipe? What flour did you use, and how did you measure it? Did you use Meyer lemons and the same vanilla stevia that I did?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but once I know your answers to all of them, I’ll have a much better idea of what happened and how to fix it!
Hi Amy,
You have egg whites in a lot of your recipes and it states whisk. Do i want to whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks? I’ve also found it makes a difference if i whisk the egg whites first then add the butter and whisk.
So, I went and bought the right kind of lemons, spent a bit, and the only thing I didnt use in the recipe was the Stevia, because I’m allergic to it, instead uses liquid monkfruit, which I’ve used before in recipes with great results. The bread was gummy in the middle, even after repeated trips back into the oven, the texture was like others have mentioned, breadlike, and was basically tasteless.
It means a lot that you tried our recipe, Cindy! That sounds disappointing and not like how this cake is supposed to turn out, so we’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
Would you mind elaborating a bit on what you mean by tasteless? Was your cake just not sweet enough? Or could you not taste the lemon either?
Did you make any other substitutions or modifications to the recipe (including those listed in the Notes section!), other than the monk fruit?
Which flour option did you use?
Did you use nonfat milk?
What’s the exact liquid monk fruit (brand + product name!) that you used? Many stevia and monk fruit products have different sweetness levels and aren’t necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other, so knowing the precise sweetener that you used would be really helpful!
How much of your monk fruit sweetener did you use?
Did your Meyer lemons come in a bag or package, or were they offered in bulk at the grocery store (like standard produce!)?
If you have any Meyer lemons left, would you be willing to try a quick experiment? That would really help us out! If you cut a small slice from one and eat it, like you would with an orange segment, how tart is it? Really tart and sour, like regular lemons? Or is it on the sweeter side, where you could actually foreseeably eat a few sections?
What was the consistency of your cake batter? Thin, moderately thick (like muffin batter), as thick as cookie dough, or something else?
How long did you bake your cake, in total?
Once you removed it from the oven for the final time, what color was the top? Light golden, golden brown, dark brown, or burnt?
Did it collapse while cooling — whether completely (so the top was entirely flat), somewhat, or not at all?
Would you mind elaborating a bit more on the inside texture too? To us, gummy and bread-like are two different things (we think of gummy as wet and chewy, whereas a bready texture would be more dry and sturdy — but without the delicate crumb of cakes!), so we want to make sure we fully understand the texture of your fully baked and cooled cake. 😉
Thanks for your patience, Cindy! I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but we’ll have a much better idea of the culprit and how to fix it once we know your answers to all of them! 🙂
Hello from Denver, Colorado.
I gave this recipe a try. I was happy to find white whole wheat flour. I did as written but I put in 2 Tbsp of sugar substitute due to that’s what I had.
I was amazed I didn’t have to beat the egg whites by themselves lol
I baked it for 45 min min at 355 Fahrenheit oven.
I’d say texture is not like using all purpose flour, don’t expect that this is a healthier version. If you want the usual texture and flavor just make a regular lemon pound cake. Lol
I am very happy about the outcome and will make it again.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hello from Denver, Colorado.
I gave this recipe a try. I was happy to find white whole wheat flour. I did as written but I put in 2 Tbsp of sugar substitute due to that’s what I had.
I was amazed I didn’t have to beat the egg whites by themselves lol
I baked it for 45 min min at 355 Fahrenheit oven.
I’d say texture is not like using all purpose flour, don’t expect that this is a healthier version. If you want the usual texture and flavor just make a regular lemon pound cake. Lol
I am very happy about the outcome and will make it again.
Thank you for the recipe.
I need to mention to those who are having troubles. Read the tips and tricks.
For example flour measuring…. I had my flour spooned out in to the measuring cup…. I said alright I will measure it as Amy suggested. Instead of fork I just swift it. I had over a half cup leftover flour. So do read tips and tricks.
Thank you again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake, Eva! Those are the best kind of compliments, if you’d rate this recipe as 5 stars and already think you’ll make it again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — it truly means a lot! ♡ I really appreciate you sharing your recipe modifications too. I always love to hear what tweaks work out! 🙂