If you want to control the sugar and flavourings in your cake, start with plain Greek yoghurt or Greek-style yoghurt and check the ingredients list. Then compare the fat content and pack size to suit your recipe and how many batches you plan to make. These details can help you choose a base, but they don’t guarantee a soft cake once baked. If you use sweetened yoghurt, adjust the amount of sugar you add to the mixture.
For a family cake, plain yoghurt lets you choose the recipe’s additions without having to work around an existing flavour. The ingredients lists published by Carrefour for Carrefour Extra and Danone include milk, cream and cultures. Yoplait’s Nature Sucré, on the other hand, contains 8.2% cane sugar and is not plain Greek yoghurt.
If your recipe gives you a choice of yoghurt, compare the fat content per 100 g rather than assuming every product will give you the same cake. The product information published by Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc lists between 7 and 10 g per 100 g for the products mentioned here. These figures don’t measure the result after baking.
A 1 kg tub could be suitable for several batches, provided you can use it within the time and storage conditions stated on the packaging. E.Leclerc lists this size for Delisse plain Greek yoghurt. Check the use-by date and storage instructions on the tub you buy.
For cake batter, start by considering which ingredients you want to add yourself, then compare plain yoghurts on a like-for-like basis per 100 g. Pack size and the information on the packaging also matter if you’re planning to make several batches or cooking for someone with dietary requirements.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and flavourings | Check the ingredients for added ingredients, then look at the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. | I want to choose how sweet my cake is, without a yoghurt that’s already sweetened or flavoured changing my recipe. Around 36% of consumers are thought to prioritise checking for added ingredients. |
| Texture | Compare the fat content per 100 g and stick to the amount of yoghurt specified in the recipe. | If I change the yoghurt in a batter I know well, I want to see how the nutritional composition differs without assuming what the cake will be like once baked. Texture is thought to be the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| How much you need | Choose between individual portions and a large tub, depending on how many batches you plan to make and how much you can use. | If I’m making several cakes, I’d rather choose a container that suits the total amount I need than be left with yoghurt that’s difficult to use up. Pack size is thought to be the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Labelling and storage | Check the allergens, use-by date and storage instructions on the tub you buy. | When I’m cooking for someone with dietary requirements, I need to check the product I’m actually using and store it as instructed. Around 14% of consumers are thought to put these checks first. |
Yoghurt that’s already sweetened changes the amount of sugar in your batter. Yoplait’s Nature Sucré contains 8.2% cane sugar and 10.8 g of sugars per 100 g.
If you choose this product for a recipe that calls for it, take its sugar content into account when measuring the other ingredients. Otherwise, start with a plain version.
Product information from Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc lists 7 g of fat per 100 g for Danone Greek-style plain yoghurt, 8.2 g for Auchan, 8.5 g for Carrefour Extra and 10 g for Delisse. These figures describe the yoghurts, not how soft the cake will be once baked.
Stick to the amount specified in your recipe and compare the nutritional information before switching products.
A large tub can be used for several batches, but you’ll need to be able to use and store the remainder according to the product instructions.
Estimate how much you need before buying, then check the use-by date and storage instructions on the tub.
Auchan says that the composition of its plain Greek-style yoghurt may vary depending on the store and purchase date. This is particularly important if your choice depends on a specific ingredient or allergen.
Before making your cake, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging of the product you actually bought.
The details below apply to the products named, not to each brand’s entire range. If you’re comparing two tubs for the same recipe, check the label on each one.
Carrefour lists plain Greek-style yoghurt in a pack of 4 × 150 g, as well as a 1 kg size.
Carrefour’s product listing presents a Danone plain Greek-style yoghurt in individual portions.
Auchan lists plain Greek-style yoghurt in a pack of 4 × 150 g.
E.Leclerc lists Delisse plain Greek yoghurt in a 1 kg tub.
Lidl says its Eridanous Greek-style yoghurt can be used in sweet or savoury dishes.
Yoplait offers advice on baking with yoghurt, but its Nature Sucré product is not the same as plain Greek yoghurt.
Plain Greek or Greek-style yoghurt lets you choose the sugar and flavourings you add to the recipe. Still, check the ingredients list: the Carrefour Extra and Danone products described by Carrefour are plain, while Yoplait’s Nature Sucré contains cane sugar. A mild flavour doesn’t guarantee that a product is suitable for every child.
You can replace some of it if the recipe allows for this substitution. Yoplait suggests using yoghurt this way, but doesn’t give a universal ratio. Replacing all the butter or cream without adapting the recipe won’t tell you what the result will be like.
Compare their ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g, particularly the fat and sugar content. Then choose a pack size that matches the amount required by the recipe. Don’t assume you can predict the result after baking from the figures on the tub alone.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the tub you actually bought, along with its use-by date and storage instructions. For its plain Greek-style yoghurt, Auchan says the composition may vary depending on the store and purchase date, so an old product listing isn’t a substitute for checking the label on the product you’re using.