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Lemon cake with fresh lemon zest and icing sugar dusting
Lemon cake baked golden brown, decorated with fresh lemon zest and icing sugar.

Zesty lemon cake

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
This lemon cake is the perfect marriage of freshness and buttery softness. The secret lies in lemon zest oils and beating air into the butter. During baking, the cake structure sets, but the acidic medium and fat ensure the crumb remains moist and crumbly for days. An ideal companion for afternoon tea or coffee.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 50 mins
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 460 kcal
🌍 Cuisine International

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Mixing bowls
  • Hand mixer or whisk
  • Baking tin (approx. 20x20 cm or loaf tin)
  • Grater (for lemon)

Allergen Information

⚠️ Gluten
⚠️ Egg
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Preheat oven to 180°C (conventional). In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.

Tip: Never skip salt in sweet cakes either, as it highlights (catalyses) flavours.
2 ✓

Beat soft butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy and pale (approx. 3-5 minutes).

Tip: Creaming butter and sugar traps tiny air bubbles in the fat, which expand from oven heat, making the cake light (physical leavening).
3 ✓

Add eggs one by one, beating thoroughly after each, then add lemon juice and zest.

Tip: If eggs are too cold, the butter may curdle. Use room temperature ingredients for a perfect emulsion.
4 ✓

Fold the flour mixture into the butter mass, mixing only until the flour disappears.

Tip: Overmixing activates gluten proteins in the flour, making the cake chewy and dense instead of crumbly.
5 ✓

Smooth batter into the buttered tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and fragrant. Check with a skewer.

Tip: The skewer test is reliable: if the inserted skewer comes out clean, the centre is cooked.

Recipe FAQ

Why was the cake dense?
You likely overmixed it after adding flour. Only fold until just combined!
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Better not. The essential oils in fresh lemon zest provide the real flavour that bottled juice cannot replace.

Ingredients

  • 200 g Plain flour
  • 100 g Butter (room temperature)
  • 150 g Granulated sugar
  • 2 pcs Eggs (Large)
  • 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pc Lemon zest (unwaxed)
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp Salt
  • 50 g Icing sugar (for dusting)