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
Thank you Amy for replying so quickly. The only variance in the recipe is that we use the conventional King Arthur White Whole Wheat.
We whisked it together with a whisk, as per your recipe.
When you remade your recipe, did you follow your recipe or go from memory? I agree. It’s very strange that those of us who have made the recipe ( well, those who left comments) had a similar result of a dense, dry, artificial tasting cake.
Please know, I usually only leave good reviews. I tend not to publish the poor reviews, because I feel awful for the home cook creating the recipe.
Thanks for the information Theresa. To confirm, did you use the same SweetLeaf stevia that I linked to? Also, were your egg whites fully at room temperature, and what variety of lemons did you use? Were they completely yellow without any green spots? You included that you used a whisk to mix together the recipe. Did you use a whisk the entire time or only where the instructions said to whisk? We’ll figure out what happened so you don’t see the issues again in the future! 🙂
Also, how did you measure ingredients? Did you use a kitchen scale or measure with standard measuring cups (using the spoon-and-level method)?
Hi Amy I am from Argentina , and here we dont have vanilla crème stevia.
can I use the regular stevia ? I really want to make this recipe!
Yes, regular stevia will work. I’m excited to hear what you think of the pound cake Pili! 🙂
Can I use powdered stevia? How much should I usr?
Yes, you can! The amount depends on the brand since different brands contain different concentrations of sweetness. You’ll need your brand’s equivalent of ¾ cup granulated sugar. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake Kristi!
Hi! I was just wondering how dense this cake was because I’m not familiar with the aspect of pound cake.
I also wanted to ask if it could be baked in a 8 inch round cake pan?
By the way, I love this site! The idea of healthy desserts is AWESOME. Whenever I look for desserts to make, I always look for the healthiest option. :]
Hi again Alyssa! 🙂 My pound cake recipes aren’t quite as dense as traditional ones sold in grocery store bakeries because I use both baking powder and baking soda. It’s about as “dense” as a traditional cake — and definitely nowhere near as airy as an angel food cake! Since you’re making it for a class party, I actually think baking it in the loaf pan as directed may be best, rather than trying to adapt the recipe to an 8″-round pan, since you can pre-slice it into individual servings and still create a nice presentation. 😉 And thank you so much for your kind words about my blog — I truly appreciate it!
Hi Amy,
thanks for this recipe.
Warning: Stevia vanilla cream has natural flavors in it. Check out foodbabe. She’s researched this and those natural flavors are natural alright. It comes from the anal gland of a beaver. Gross.
I’m going to use maple syrup and maybe a splash of vodka to enhance the moisture and flavor. Let me know what you think!
I appreciate your interest in my recipe Amy! The foodbabe isn’t actually a credible source. She isn’t a scientist, and I choose not to believe what she says unless it’s backed by scientific evidence that has been published in a scientific journal article. Most of her claims are not. (I was an organic chemist before I became a baking blogger, so I’m very interested in and aware of what’s in the food/science are of news. 😉 ) I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pound cake!
Hi Amy,
I’m fairly new to your website but already loving the look of so many healthy receipts. Last week I made the strawberry cheese cake bars and my partner and two little daughters all loved it!
Just a question regarding the oven temperature you specified in all the recipes – are they for conventional ovens or fan ovens? I live in England and use fan oven mainly although I do have conventional oven setting on my Rangemaster cooker.
Thanks
Thank
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the strawberry cheesecake bars! That really means a lot to me. 🙂 All of my temperatures are for conventional ovens. If using a convection (aka fan-assisted) oven, then you’ll typically want to reduce the oven temperature by about 25°F. Consult your oven manual to make sure that’s the correct amount for your oven make and model, if you’re concerned! 🙂
Hi Amy..
Lydia from Kingwood again .. Well , I just finish making both this delicious looking lemon pound cake and the banana-cranberry bread( keep our fingers )??
I was just making the icing and with the tiny amount it made, I only got a couple of drops of the icing for the lemon pound cake and curious about: 2. Tbsp of powdered stevia sugar , 1 1/4 tsp of nonfat milk( have skim) and 1/8 tsp of almond extract ?
I didn’t have enough to drizzle at all..PLEASE
Take care and god bless
I’ve got my fingers crossed for you too Lydia! 😉 I’m not a huge drizzle fan, which is why the ingredient amounts are so small. You’re welcome to double or triple the drizzle if you prefer! (And nonfat milk = skim milk. Not sure why they have multiple names for the same thing!) I can’t wait to hear how the finished treats tasted! 🙂
For the millet flour do I also use the xanthan gum with it or is that just with the brown rice flour? My family and I really love your recipes.
If you’re using the gluten-free option, then you need all 3 flours listed plus the xanthan gum. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake! 🙂 And I’m so glad you and your family are enjoying my recipes — that means a lot to me Alaa!
Hi Amy,
I plan to try your lemon pound cake recipe tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it goes. Several of your recipes look very intriguing and I will likely try a few more of them, depending on how the first one turns out. I found the vanilla creme stevia at my local Publix so I did not have to order it and wait. It’s great to find recipes that are healthy and not too fattening that allow us to enjoy some desserts that we could otherwise have to skip. Thanks for all the effort you put in to this .
I really appreciate your kind words about my blog and your interest in my recipes Tim! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pound cake! 🙂
Quick question, Amy….. I just put the cake in the oven and have a question. Hopefully you see this in the next few minutes and can reply. My loaf pan is the dark metal type as opposed to the lighter colored metal. My wife says that things bake faster in the darker pans. So I’m wondering if you would expect the baking time for this cake to be be decreased, and if so by how much. For now I set the timer at only 30 minutes and will check in it at intervals after that to hopefully avoid over baking it. Thanks.
The cake came out pretty good but not perfect. Slightly dry and just a little bit firm, but perfectly edible and very good paired with a small scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt. The only substitution I made was using all purpose flour, and a slightly more lemon zest (I ended up with 18 grams and used all of it). I measured and weighted everything in grams as I always do, and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. I baked it 43 minutes because at 40 minutes the toothpick was clean except for about 1/4 inch at the bottom. I probably should have taken it out at 40 minutes. But not a bad first try at this recipe.
If you have any suggestion to ensure that I can get a more moist result on the next try, let me know.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pound cake Tim! Next time, try covering the top of the pan with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking. That will help seal in moisture without the top turning overly brown or burnt! 🙂
Hi Amy! Thanks for sharing all these healthy recipes. I’ve just made the cake and it turned out good, except for two things that I hope you can help me with.
First is that the surface wasn’t smooth like on your pictures, it sort of cracked (like when you bake a loaf of bread). I don’t mind it that much, but would like to figure out why some cakes crack and some don’t.
The second is that the cake wasn’t sweet enough (almost like it wasn’t sweet at all).
I am from Serbia and can’t find Stevia that you’re using. I used “Sugarel – Table top sweetener based on steviol glycosides”. It looks like powdered sugar and it says that 0,5g of powder is equivalent to 3,5g of sugar. So when I read in the recipe that I can substitute Stevia for 140g of sugar, I calculated that it is 20g of this Stevia powder. I also, used only 6 tbs of milk (as you suggested when using regular sugar) and 3 whole eggs. The texture of the cake was great, but I feel I could have easily doubled the sugar amount.
Anyway, my question is: is there anything I can make aside from the cake that would go well with it and make it sweeter? Maybe some really sweet cream or frosting?
Also have to say that I loved your carrot cake. I didn’t make the frosting and enjoyed it as a coffee cake. I used the same sweetener and it was good.
I apologize for long comment and thank you again for this great blog.
Tamara
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipes Tamara! Don’t ever feel the need to apologize for long comments — your descriptive detail is really helpful! 🙂 If your stevia sweetener looks and acts like powdered sugar, you can easily make a glaze to go on top using that! Or did you already make this recipe’s optional almond glaze and still felt like it didn’t add enough extra sweetness? If so, go ahead and double or triple the glaze. That should help! If you try remaking this recipe in the future with your stevia, try using an additional 10g or slightly more. I’ve often found that stevia companies’ conversion rates aren’t accurate and I actually need more stevia than they say I would to sweeten like 1 teaspoon of sugar. 😉 I’m so glad you enjoyed my carrot cake as well! That means a lot to me!