Greek Yogurt Lemon Pound Cake

Yields: 1 cake, 12 slices

This healthy pound cake is a dream come true! It has the same tender texture and bright sunshiny flavor but absolutely none of the guilt that comes with traditional pound cakes. Leftovers will keep for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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.

Notes: For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 ½ cups (180g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 2 teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work as well, if measured like this.

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}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/07/05/greek-yogurt-lemon-pound-cake/