Lemon Cake
This lemon cake is moist, fragrant and topped with a salted lemon glaze. It is made with lots of lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice. You don’t need a mixer, the olive oil based batter comes together quickly, and you’re not much longer than an hour from having a beautiful cake to share.
If you love to bake, you likely have a lemon cake in your repertoire. This is mine and I’ve been making variations on it for just about ever. I love it for many of the reasons people celebrate a good cake. It is moist and beautifully fragrant. It makes people happy and it sings with lemon flavor. You fold an arguably aggressive amount of hand-chopped lemon zest into the batter along with a good jolt of juice. I like to make this cake with sourdough discard, but just as often don’t. Instructions for both methods are included in the recipe below. This is the perfect picnic cake. No mixer necessary, and the batter comes together in a flash. Give it a try!
Lemon Cake: Ingredients
The ingredient list for this cake is relatively short. Considerations for some of the main ingredients have notes below.
- Yogurt: I like to use Greek yogurt for this cake. Either low-fat or full-fat will work.
- Sourdough Discard: Sourdough discard works beautifully in this batter. It adds a dimension of flavor and contributes to a fluffy crumb. Also, I’m eternally trying to use my discard up in things like crackers, quick breads, and the like. If you don’t have discard, you can still make the cake (see the asterisk in the recipe). I do it all the time. Basically, add an extra 1/4 cup of flour to the flour mix, and add an extra 1/4 cup of water as well. The crumb is a bit more dense, but in a good way! The cake below was made with discard and you can see the fluffy crumb.
- Olive Oil: You are going to want to use a mild tasting olive oil here.
- Almond Extract: I love almond extract and use it in a lot of my baking. I especially love the combination of lemon and almonds here. But if you don’t have it on hand, by all means swap in vanilla extract. It’s not a big deal at all.
- Lemon: As I mention above, I’m particular about how I like to use lemon in this cake. For bursts of lemon zesty flavor, I suggest that you take the time to peel the zest from the lemon, scrape off any pith and cut it into the the thinnest whispers of strips (below). See photos. The rest of the cake is such a breeze, it's worth it to make a bit of extra effort at this step.
You can see above, all the bitter white pith is stripped from the peel. And below, the lemon peel is cut into long, thin strips.
Lemon Cake Variations
These are all variations on this lemon cake I've baked in the past. Lemon pairs well with so many other ingredients, I'm sure you'll come up with other wonderful variations!
- Boozy Lemon Cake: Brush 1/4 cup whiskey (or whisky) across the top of the cake after it comes out of the oven, before topping with the lemon glaze. Limoncello is another option, and I also love amaretto here.
- Glazed Citrus Cake: Experiment beyond the lemon! You can make this cake with a wide range of citrus. Or even a blend of zests and juices. Consider blood orange, lime, grapefruit, etc. Or a blend.
- Berry Lemon Cake: Fold in room-temperature berries along with the final addition of yogurt mixture called for in the recipe. Use as few or as many berries (within reason) as you like. I also prefer to finish off berry versions of this cake with a dusting of crushed freeze-dried berries after drizzling the warm cake with glaze. Raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries and huckleberries are all fair game. Or combine into a mix!
- Glazed Sourdough Lemon Cake: This is the version of the cake you see in the recipe below. I love the crumb in the sourdough discard version — it is super fluffy, like a fluffy banana bread. The version with no discard has a more dense crumb - not quite in the poundcake realm but in that direction on the spectrum. The instructions for both are included below.
- Lemon Cake with Pretty Flowers: Add some edible flower petals after drizzling the lemon glaze - rose, calendula, violet, rose geranium, etc. You can add fresh or dried. (Edible Flowers)
Please let me know if you try this one! Or if you explore any fun variations. Or(!) if you bake one and take it somewhere wonderful on a picnic. It's the kind of cake that loves an adventure and loves to be shared!
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More Lemon Recipes
And, for anyone wanting more lemon inspiration, here's where you can browse all the lemon recipes. A couple favorites include these lemon ricotta pancakes, this lemony olive oil banana bread, this lemon focaccia, this roasted lemon chutney, and these limoncello macaroons.
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Lemon Cake
A couple notes before you get started. Start with all your ingredients at room temperature. And, as I mentioned up above, to zest your lemons for this cake, peel each lemon with a vegetable peeler and then slice the zest into whisper-thin slivers. If you use a microplane zester, please reduce the amount of zest to 2 tablespoons. Lastly, If you don’t have almond extract swap in vanilla extract.
- 1 1/2 cups / 190g all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup / 135g sourdough starter discard*
- 1/2 cup / 100g plain Greek yogurt (full fat or low-fat)
- 1/4 cup / 60ml / 55g water
- 3/4 cup / 150g granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup 120ml / 95g olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- scant cup / 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
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Prepare a 1-lb loaf pan by lining with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the center.
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Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Use a fork to stir for 20 seconds or so, and set aside.
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In a separate small bowl, combine the sourdough discard, yogurt and 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 55g water. Use your fingers to squish and break up the discard and work everything into a somewhat uniform mixture. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, olive oil, eggs, almond extract and lemon zest. Mix until everything is combined and the mixture is a pretty, uniform yellow. Add half of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, folding it in. Add half the yogurt-sourdough. Stir until just incorporated, then repeat with the remaining flour followed by the remaining yogurt-sourdough mixture and lemon juice. Fold until uniform, but be mindful to avoid over-mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake for 50-60 minutes. I like to let the top of the caked get golden brown, so I’m typically closer to 60 minutes with this cake in my oven. Make sure a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for ten minutes while you make the glaze.
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Make the Salted Lemon Glaze:
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Whisk the powdered sugar, most of the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and almond extract together in a jar. Keep stirring until smooth and all lumps are dissolved. If the mixture is too thick to drizzle, add more lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Pour the glaze over the cake in the pan preferably while the cake is still warm. Finish by sprinkling any remaining zest across the top of the cake.
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Once the glaze has hardened, remove the cake from the pan and allow to finish cooling on a rack.
Makes one cake, about 10 slices.
*To make a version without sourdough discard, omit it and bump the flour up another 1/4 cup / 47g all-purpose flour and up the 1/4 cup / 60 ml water instead. - so your total flour will be 1 3/4 cups / 237g and 1/2 cup / 120ml of water.
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Comments
This was delicious! I modified it with no starter and used coconut yogurt. Turned out great for an Easter picnic! Everyone loved it.
Thanks Anna!
This is one of the best sourdough discard lemon loaf cakes I’ve ever made. I used a mix of lemon and lime since I had both on hand. It turned out beautifully. The crumb is so fluffy and it smells AMAZING! Using lime zest in the salted glaze was also a nice mod. Would absolutely make again. Might try orange and lemon next time. High five Heidi!
Fantastic – I love reading this Adrienne!
DELISH! IOUS
Thanks Claude!
This is an excellent recipe! I’ve been eyeing it for a few months and I’m always on the lookout for good sourdough discard recipes. You weren’t kidding about the fluffy crumb! I did make two substitutions: Wren’s Abruzzi medium rye flour (from Carolina Ground) and light brown sugar, for the all purpose and white granulated, respectively. Sooo good. (It’s become almost a regular sub for me in simple cakes, the rye flour.) I adore the almond extract in here too. I just can’t say enough good things about this cake. Lemony, not too sweet, perfect balance of plush and wholesome. Thank you Heidi!
Oh! Love reading this Kristin!
Oops, forgot to rate. 5 stars for sure.
Another delicious recipe Heidi! Normally I would make something tried and true for guests, but knowing that your recipes are always trustworthy, I decided to change things up a bit and everyone loved it. I made the sourdough starter version along with the almond extract. My cake came out super fluffy and tall and had a nice depth of flavor. I liked that it was not too sweet. The only minor change I made was to tone down the salt a bit in the batter and in the glaze. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Pat!
By error I made the glaze too runny but it gave the cake a gorgeous texture and was the first plate to be emptied at a recent event.
Love it Rose!
The sourdough discard version is one of my favorite cakes. I don’t make any changes. It is a perfect summer treat!
How do i get sourdough discard?
Hi KS – If you bake sourdough regularly, you would have some onhand from feeding and deiscarding part of your starter each day. But you can still make the cake without it by using the substitution in the recipe.
Delicious! Despite accidentally forgetting the yogurt when I omitted the sourdough discard, and using all brown sugar because I did not have white.. and finally, added ground cardamon and white pepper to the glaze. Perfect with a cup of desi chai post easter lunch. Guests were happy! Thank you
Thanks Rashmi – glad it turned out!
Is the yoghurt mainly for flavor / fat / rising agent / other?
The recipe (including the yoghurt) sounds heavenly! But I don’t tolerate dairy, so I’m trying to think of a substitute to try it anyhow
Hi Olga – you could use a dairy-free yogurt. For example, a coconut milk or cashew milk yogurt.
Delicious! Simple to make. I didn’t have a sourdough discard so I followed the instructions for omitting it. My daughters helped me bake it, too!
So happy it went well Karah!
This is FANTASTIC. I usually make Ina Garten’s lemon yogurt cake, and I didn’t think it was possible to improve on that one. But here it is. The sourdough addition is genius; I can’t get over the soft pillow of a crumb. I added amaretto to the glaze instead of almond extract — perfection. Though I’m typically tempted to use an aggressive(ly delicious) olive oil in desserts to get that fruity and just barely bitter aftertaste, lighter flavors work here best. On my second go round, I added serviceberries from my shrub in the garden and they added a complementary almond flavor once baked. But I might prefer the as-written version with its unadulterated zip of sunshine.
So happy you enjoyed it Jocelyn! And, agreed, the pillowy crumb in the sourdough version is such a treat!
I’m super excited to try this! I was gifted English lavender stems…thoughts on sprinkling that on after the glaze is poured?
I like the idea of a strong lavender sugar? Maybe with a few bits of the flower.
I didn’t have sourdough starter so subbed the extra flour with almond flour and the recipe still turned out delicious with a slight almond flavor. Definitely more dense than what the crumb looks like in the picture though! I also mixed by hand, so I suspect if I had whipped up the eggs a bit more in my stand mixer that would have made it lighter.
Hello, this looks beautiful and delicious! I am going to make it next weekend. Question: I wondered if you have ever tried swapping out the white granulated sugar with date sugar (which I realize has a tan color to it). Do you think that would be OK to do? Thanks!
Hi Christina – Tbh, I’m not 100% sure. I think my first test would be to swap out 1/3 or 1/2 of the sugar with date sugar, and see how that goes….
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