The majority of cooks struggle with even the simplest baking recipes and it almost always comes down to a fundamental conflict in mindset and method.
In this video, we are leaving the cooking mindset at the door and put our bakers hat on to bake a classic French staple: the famous Gâteau au Yaourt (Yogurt Cake). This foolproof, ultra-moist cake is the ultimate building block for any home cook that has given up on baking and wants to build real baking confidence!
Ingredients Ratio (Gâteau au Yaourt)
Uses a standard 150g / 5.3oz yogurt pot as the unit of measurement: 1 pot Plain Yogurt (150g / 5.3oz) 2 pots Fine White Sugar (300g / ~1 ½ cups) 3 pots Self-Raising Cake Flour (225g / ~2 cups) Note: If using standard cake flour, add 2 tsp baking powder. 1 pot Neutral Vegetable Oil (150ml / ~⅔ cup) 3 Medium Eggs (at room temperature) 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Oven Settings & Timing: Bake at 180°C / 350°F Conventional Heat (or 160°C / 320°F Fan-Forced) for roughly 40 to 50 minutes—the cake is ready when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean!
Video Chapters 0:00 - Why Cooks Struggle With Baking 1:32 - The French Solution: Gâteau au Yaourt 2:04 - Step 1: Setting Up Your Space Like a Baker 3:03 - Step 2: The Ingredients & The "Wrong Flour" Trap 6:05 - Step 3: Preparing the Loaf Pan 6:46 - Step 4: Preheating & Oven Settings (No Fan!) 7:11 - Step 5: Mixing the Batter 9:00 - Step 6: Incorporating Flour Without Ruining Gluten 11:09 - Step 7: Baking & The Chef’s Slit Trick 12:09 - Step 8: Unmolding & Resting (Like a Steak!) 13:00 - Tasting & The Final Result 14:21 - How to Customize Your Base Cake (Fruits, Nuts, Liqueurs)
💡 Key Takeaways For Cooks Ditch the All-Purpose Flour: Use Cake Flour for a light, tender crumb instead of a heavy brick. Turn Off the Fan: Bake with conventional heat (top/bottom element) so your cake rises evenly without drying out. Don't Overmix: Switch to a paddle attachment or spatula when adding flour to keep gluten from becoming elastic. Rest Your Cake: Let it cool completely before slicing to lock in the moisture!
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