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
I know what you mean about the Starbucks baked goods!, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever eaten one! I’ve never been a pound cake girl either, but I would DEFINITELY eat this pound cake!! 🙂 I trust your baking skills and ability to make desserts healthier for you 😉
Aww you’re so sweet to say that Marina — thank you!! ♥
Hi Amy. I’m going to try this recipe out at the weekend but I’d like to use gluten free flour. I’ve not used xanthan gum before – I’ve just bought some – can you let me know what ratio of gluten free flour to xanthan gum I need to use. Also, is the weight to be the same as in the recipe or does it depend what flour I use? I have coconut, brown rice, buckwheat or millet flour. I don’t mind which to use. Thanks so much and I’m looking forward to the cake. x
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Tania! I highly recommend that you use the types and amounts of gluten-free flours that I include in the Notes section underneath the Instructions to ensure the cake turns out properly. When baking with gluten-free flours, it’s very important to blender together multiple varieties. Each gluten-free flour has a distinct taste and texture, so mixing a few of them together better simulates the taste and texture of regular wheat-based flours. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake!
This cake looks awesome!! Is it ok to just use whole eggs? Also, I feel like I keep asking this question and I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be too much trouble to include in the notes section under your recipes whether or not whole eggs will work in place of the egg whites, if one prefers. Thanks so much! 🙂
I actually did include why it’s required to use 3 egg whites in the Notes section Anna! 🙂 Many of my other readers prefer to omit the yolks because of the added fat and cholesterol, which is why I often leave them out of recipes. You’re welcome to include the yolks, but the baking time and nutrition information will be different. I’m excited to hear what you think of the cake!
Hi, just wanted to point out that it doesn’t say in the notes that you can use the whole egg, just that you must use three whites. Glad you asked the question Anna, I much prefer to use the whole egg where necessary, otherwise I’m looking around for another recipe for the yolk (or freezing it, which I’m not keen on, I tend to forget about them!)
I am hoping to make this later with honey, thanks for the recipe Amy, it looks great!
I’m excited to hear what you think of the cake Jen! 🙂
Amy, YUM!! When I used to work at Starbucks (and was still in high school with NO idea about how to eat healthy), I used to eat this stuff on the reg’. (shudder!) When I was feeling “good,” I’d eat their “low fat blueberry coffee cake,” which I know now was still FULL of sugar and calories and probably a lot of weird artificial stuff to make it “low fat…” THIS looks to die for, though! Did you know lemon desserts are my favorite (after chocolate, of course!)? Except for lemonade, no thank you! 😉
I remembered you worked at Starbucks (I even know which one in town!), but I didn’t know about the lemon pound cake and the blueberry coffee cake. I totally would’ve gone for the coffee cake too — I didn’t care about sugar quantities at all back then! ? I’m not sure whether I knew that about lemon desserts, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind! They’re my brother’s all-time FAVORITE ones, so I’ve started baking more of them than I used to back in high school!
yum! 🙂 would it work to replace the stevia with maple syrup or honey? if so, how much?
I answered that in the Notes section underneath the Instructions! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the pound cake Leia!
Okay, I made it and it’s really yummy! 🙂 I had to cut down on the lemon (we didn’t have enough) but it’s still really lemony and good. Honey worked perfectly.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pound cake Leia! 🙂
Hello Amy! Love your blog and recipes. Just made this pound cake but it still turned out quite dense and almost rubbery. I did use all 3 eggs whites, but did use self raising flour, maybe that made a difference? Any advice?
I don’t recommend self-raising flour, when possible, so that would definitely factor into it. Also, did you use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients, or did you use a fork or spoon instead? We’ll figure out what happened so your next pound cake turns out much better Libby! 🙂
I took your advice and baked another one. It turned out great!! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad the second cake turned out much better Libby!! 🙂
Tried to make it and followed instructions to the letter, wroth the only variation being butter instead of coconut oil. It turned out tough and chewy, and worst of all, not sweet in the slightest. I wish I could say it was my fault. Please double check the recipe. I would like to try this again.
That sounds disappointing Katie. Did you make any other substitutions besides the butter (a different sweetener besides the vanilla creme stevia that I used, for example), and did you use an electric mixer or a fork/spoon to mix together the batter? I’d love to work together to figure out what happened so your next pound cake turns out beautifully!
Hi! I had the same problem! I absolutely love lemon pound cakes, but I have tried 4 recipes now trying to replace sugar with honey. I was so glad when I found out that I can substitute sugar with honey! I cut the recipe in 3, only because I don’t want to waste more lemon/flour/honey,etc, but except for that I flowed the recipe word by word! I used coconut oil and omitted the milk, mixed everything with an electronic mixer and used only egg white. I guess the only thing is that I might have mixed the liquid with flour mix for too long? I always have trouble getting rid of the clumbs… I did add in the flour by 3 equal amount… I baked them in jumbo muffin size, and they collapsed when almost right after they were on the rack… I really love pound cake and I desperately need help hire out what I did wrong…
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Gray! For my recipes, don’t use an electric or stand mixer unless explicitly directed because it’s too easy to overmix batters. (And healthy cake/muffin/etc batters are more finicky than traditional ones!) Instead, use a whisk when directed and a fork for everything else. The egg whites are what provide the structure and ensure that the pound cake doesn’t collapse while cooling, so if they were overmixed, that could be why your jumbo muffins collapsed while cooling. If you’d still like to make 1/3 of the recipe, then I’d suggest using regular muffin cups, rather than jumbo-sized, and an additional egg white. You can also sift the flour into the batter at the end of Step 2 if you’re using a brand that tends to clump. 🙂
Should we be using a whisk, spoon or mixer for this? Also, I’d like to halve this recipe and use my 8×4 loaf pan– any reason why that wouldn’t work? I guess just reduce the baking time? Thanks.
Use a whisk when the directions use the verb “whisk,” and simply use a fork for everything else. If you halve the recipe and use your 8×4″ loaf pan, the loaf won’t be as tall since there’s much less batter, and it’ll finish baking in less time like you mentioned. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the pound cake Ashley!
Tried this today and it was really awful. The only change I made was that I used all-purpose flour instead of white whole wheat. I thought it tasted like overpowering artificial lemon and it left an awful aftertaste. I’m going to have to pitch it.
That sounds really frustrating Jennifer. I’d love to work together to figure out what happened. I’m concerned by your description of an artificial lemon flavor since the recipe uses only fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. Did you happen to use bottled lemon juice, or did you make any other substitutions besides the flour? Also, did you use the same vanilla creme stevia as I did (the one linked to in the Ingredients list)?
Hello Amy, I found you on Pinterest. I’m always looking for healthy and delicious recipes to make for my family and friends. We are constantly baking healthy and delicious treats, muffins and cakes. When I saw that your blog was dedicated towards healthy baking, I was eager to start planning what we would bake first!
Your Greek Yogurt Lemon Pound Cake intrigued me, we bake using the same ingredients that you listed in your recipe. Sadly, this did not turn out well. It was very dry – almost like a scone, and despite the lemon zest and lemon juice, it was very bland. I’m not sure what was more disappointing, that I wasted so many delicious ingredients or that the new blog that I thought I found must not test the recipes.
I appreciate your interest in my recipe Theresa. That outcome sounds very disappointing. I assure you that I did test this recipe many times before publishing it, and when I made it yet again today, I didn’t experience any of the issues you described. I’d like to work together to figure out what happened. Did you use the same brands of white whole wheat flour and vanilla creme stevia that I did (the links in the Ingredients list)? Also, did you mix together the batter with an electric mixer or simply a spoon or fork?