Description
This vibrant lemon cake is bursting with fresh citrus flavor and a tender, moist crumb. Infused with lemon syrup and topped with a zingy glaze, it’s the perfect sweet treat for brunch, afternoon tea, or any special occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk
For the Syrup:
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp milk (any kind)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper to ensure easy removal after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy, which should take roughly 3 minutes with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add Eggs and Flavor: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice until well combined.
- Alternate Wet and Dry: Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour, mixing on low speed after each addition. Stop mixing as soon as everything is combined to avoid overmixing.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake starts to brown too quickly, tent it loosely with foil halfway through baking.
- Make Syrup: While the cake is baking, whisk together the fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth and well combined.
- Soak the Cake: After removing the cake from the oven, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake and brush on the lemon syrup while the cake is still warm. This will infuse extra lemon flavor and moisture. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Glaze It Up: In another small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk until you have a smooth and pourable glaze. Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze over the top and allow it to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Using room temperature ingredients ensures your batter mixes together smoothly and evenly.
- Avoid overmixing after adding the flour, as this can make your cake dense rather than light and fluffy.
- Always use fresh lemons for both juice and zest—a big part of this cake’s flavor comes from their brightness. Bottled juice is not recommended.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 cake)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
