By Nicki Sizemore

INTENTION: I will dedicate this dish to myself.

While it’s wonderful to bake for other people, it’s a powerful thing to make something for yourself.

There’s nobody to impress, and there’s no pressure.

There’s just the act of making something with your own two hands because you want to.

Dedicate this yogurt cake to you. Allow the process to feel like a hug, then feed yourself with gratitude and joy, even if you decide to share the final results!

MAKES: one (8-inch) cake
PREP TIME: 15–30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 35 minutes
DIET: DFO, GFO, VG

Cooking spray or oil for the pan

Yogurt Cake Ingredients

Dry:

1 cup (148 g) gluten-free flour or
1 cup (136 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet:

1 cup (235 g) full-fat Greek yogurt
3 eggs
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 small lemon)

Blueberry Snack Cake Version:

1 1/2 cups (222 g) blueberries
1 tablespoon turbinado or demerara sugar

Strawberry Shortcake Version:

2/3 cup strawberry jam, slightly warmed (this will make it easier to spread)
Cardamom Yogurt Whipped Cream (recipe to follow)
1 pound strawberries, very thinly sliced

Yogurt Cake Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle.

2. Spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray or rub it with oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and fold to combine.

Blueberry Snack Cake:

1. Stir in 1 cup of the blueberries.

2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining ½ cup blueberries on top.

3. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

4. Bake the cake for 52–55 minutes, until it’s golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife along the edge to loosen it from the pan. Let it cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes longer. Run the knife along the edge again, then remove the cake from the pan (to do this, flip the cake over onto your hand, pull off the parchment paper, then invert the cake back onto the cooling rack so it’s right side up).

6. Let it cool completely.

Strawberry Shortcake:

1. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

2. Bake the cake for 35–37 minutes, until it’s golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

3. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife along the edge, then remove the cake from the pan (to do this, flip the cake over onto your hand, pull off the parchment paper, then invert the cake back onto the cooling rack so it’s right side up).

4. Let it cool completely.

5. Cut the cake in half horizontally into two layers (see the notes below).

6. Drizzle or spoon the strawberry jam over each cut half, then spread it into a thin, even layer (it will be a generous layer).

7. Place the bottom cake layer (jam side up) on a serving platter or plate.

8. Dollop half of the cardamom yogurt whipped cream over the top and spread it all the way to the edges.

9. Scatter half of the strawberries over the whipped cream.

10. Arrange the second cake layer on top, jam side down (like a sandwich).

11. Dollop the remaining whipped cream on the top of the cake and spread it into swirls.

12. Scatter the remaining strawberries over the cream.

Refrigerate and Serve: Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving. It gets even better with time, and I prefer to serve it the next day. Refrigerate any leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes:

• I highly recommend making the strawberry version the day before you intend to eat it, as the flavors and texture get better with time.
• Refrigerate it under a cake dome or large bowl.
• To cut the cake in half for the strawberry shortcake, place it on a board or cake stand and arrange several toothpicks horizontally around the center of the cake, like rays of the sun. Run a large serrated knife around the cake, working from the sides to the center, using the toothpicks as your guides.
• If using a 9-inch cake pan, change the baking times to 35–40 minutes for the blueberry cake and 25–30 minutes for the strawberry cake.

Variation:

• For a dairy-free blueberry cake, use a thick unsweetened dairy-free yogurt. I prefer Cocojune plain coconut yogurt.

Cardamom Yogurt Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1 cup (235 g) full-fat Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla, and cardamom (you can omit the cardamom if you’d like, but it adds a wonderful spiced depth to the cake).

2. Beat the cream to soft peaks.

3. Add the yogurt and beat to stiff peaks.

4. The yogurt whipped cream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

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Well Being Journal adapted the above excerpt from Mind, Body, Spirit, Food by Nicki Sizemore. Copyright © 2026 by Nicki Sizemore. Printed with permission from Storey Publishing, an imprint of Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Recipe photography by Ricki Snyder.