This homemade lemon cake is delicious, moist, and easy to make. Topped with lemon glaze and made with simple pantry ingredients. It is the best lemon cake recipe.
Lemon cake is high up in my top 5 things I love to have as a teatime treat. So easy to put together, this lemon cake recipe calls for simple ingredients you most probably have sitting in your pantry. Plus, it is delicious. This is the best lemon cake recipe ever: it is moist, super tasty and the perfect balance of acid and sweet. And to make it even more perfect you can cover it with lemon cake icing (glaze).
To make this lemon loaf cake you basically need to add on ingredients in a certain order to your mixer (which should always be turning), following some practical advice.
You just need to follow the tips I list below to make this easy lemon cake recipe the best you have ever made.
First off you should cream the eggs and sugar: it takes about 10 minutes. You should mix until the eggs and sugar have grown in volume, changed its color to a pale yellow and change its texture.
I use an electric mixer, but you can also do this by hand. It will take a little longer. Patience. This is the first key to success.
The second secret is related to whipping cream. I have discovered that if you add the cream once it already been whipped to the batter you end up with a very moist lemon cake. If you do not feel like doing this extra step, no big deal. You can always add the cream to the egg/sugar mixture before they have reached that pale-yellow colour and mix for 8 extra minutes. If you can, the effort pays off.
And finally, the third super key to super moist lemon cake is butter related, obviously. You should add melted butter, slightly warm but not hot. And to make things even better, let your lemon cake batter rest in the mould for an hour before baking.
Lemon zest or peel should be added to the batter freshly grated. This way it will not dry up and lose all its flavor. You can keep your lemon zest fresh either by grating it directly over the batter when it needs to be incorporated. Or you can grate it when you prepare and weight all the other ingredients for the lemon cake. In this case, grate over parchment paper and then wrap the lemon zest with it. I prefer to have everything ready before I start baking. I choose the latter option. Always.
Whenever I mention baking/cooking times in this blog, it is an approximation. Do not forget. So, the 45-minute baking time for this easy lemon cake is to be taken with care. The baking time will be determined by the oven you have and by the size of the mould you chose to bake your lemon pound cake in.
So, if you decide to bake mini lemon cakes, baking time will be shorter. The important thing to take into consideration: the cake is ready if golden and set.
When you think your cake is ready, insert a skewer at the center. If it comes out clean, then your lemon cake is ready. If it has crumb stuck to it, it needs to go back in the oven.
Finally, do not open the oven during the first stages of baking this lemon loaf cake. Your cake will end up with a crater at the centre. To test with the skewer, wait at least until it has risen properly, and it is golden.
You will notice that powdered sugar absorbs a lot of liquid. So maybe you might have to adjust quantities. I suggest you add in the lemon juice to the powdered sugar slowly. The amount of lemon juice you will use, will depend on the glaze consistency you are looking for. If you like your lemon cake icing real dense then you will not be adding all the juice. I sometimes like it on the liquid side, which will give a nice effect on the cake, I use a little more juice in this case. Make the lemon glaze for this pound cake however you like it best!
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How much flour? 500 gr? the ingredients list don't have this information. THX
Hi Alma! If you scroll down to the end of the post youll find the ingredients with quantities and the step by step :) Let me know if you found them!
Hi Belula! Can you please clarify - what does '3' lemon zest mean? Also is '1' under lemon juice - lemon juice from 1 lemon? Thank you!! :)
HI Valerie!
sorry for the late response (computer glitch)! it means de zest of 3 lemons, and the juice of 1 lemon. Hope that clarified a bit! sorry for the mix up.
best,
Belen
Belen!
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
It's delicious and easy to make, but it gets devoured very quickly! ;-)
Hi Sandy!
It is my pleasure! So happy you enjoyed the recipe :) It has that upside, at home it also gets devoured very fast ;)
I made this last weekend and the whole family simply love it! I see many more in our future. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Michelle!! So happy to hear you and your family loved the lemon cake 😊 Thank you for feedback, I really appreciate it!
Tested today and it is the best lemon cake ever!
Isabelle!!!! So so happy you enjoyed the cake! 😃This comment has made my day! Thanks for making it!
Pastry Chef & Food Photographer
My name is Belén. I am Argentinean living in Paris where I received my training in Cuisine & Pastry at Le Cordon Bleu and L'École Lenôtre. To learn a little more about me click here Belén Gowland.
It looks absolutely amazing! and it definitely brings back memories of home ;) I always leave the parts with icing for last!!
Martu, me tooooooooo!! I love love the icing... the best for last, right?