Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins | Total time: 1 hr | Servings: 10
Make this fluffy, tangy, and moist Lemon Cake from scratch any time you like. Made with simple ingredients, prep this in just fifteen minutes. Bursting with lemon flavour, this easy cake is supremely moist in every bite. Just like your favourite Starbucks Lemon Loaf but way better!
INGREDIENTS
LEMON POUND CAKE:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. buttermilk
LEMON SYRUP:
1/4 c. lemon juice, about 1 lemon
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
LEMON ICING:
1 c. powdered sugar sifted
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk
HOW TO MAKE MOIST LEMON CAKE
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F or 177 degrees C.
Step 2: Ready a 9 x 5 or 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Grease and set aside.
Step 3: Combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 4: Add the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or if using an electric mixer. Cream the butter and sugar for about 4 to 6 minutes at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 5: Add the eggs a piece at a time while the mixer is running at low speed. Adjust the speed to medium-high and beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice until combined.
Step 6: Add about a third of the flour mixture and mix at low speed until almost combined. Now, add in half of the buttermilk and continue to mix until just combined. Do this for the other third of the flour mixture, half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
Step 7: Into the prepared loaf pan, transfer the batter. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes until the cake is golden brown and when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Note that the baking time varies.
Step 8: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
Step 9: In the meantime, mix the juice and confectioners’ sugar to make the lemon syrup.
Step 10: Invert the loaf pan to a cooling rack and brush with the syrup while still warm, then let the cake cool completely.
Step 11: To make the icing, combine the icing ingredients starting with a tbsp lemon juice and milk. Adding in the rest of the lemon juice as needed until you have a thick and not runny consistency. Pour this over the cake and allow it to dry.
NOTES:
If buttermilk is not available simply combine a half cup of milk with 1.5 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Leave it for a couple of minutes until it begins to curdle.
To ensure a fluffy and tender cake, beat the sugar and butter well. This process helps to incorporate air into the batter.
For this recipe, I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice but if not available, you can substitute it with bottled lemon juice.
You can add lime or orange juice to the cake as this tastes great as well.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 98mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 350iu | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Ingredients
- LEMON POUND CAKE:
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 c. buttermilk
- LEMON SYRUP:
- 1/4 c. lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- LEMON ICING:
- 1 c. powdered sugar sifted
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350 degrees F or 177 degrees C.
Step 2: Ready a 9 x 5 or 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Grease and set aside.
Step 3: Combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 4: Add the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or if using an electric mixer. Cream the butter and sugar for about 4 to 6 minutes at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 5: Add the eggs a piece at a time while the mixer is running at low speed. Adjust the speed to medium-high and beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice until combined.
Step 6: Add about a third of the flour mixture and mix at low speed until almost combined. Now, add in half of the buttermilk and continue to mix until just combined. Do this for the other third of the flour mixture, half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
Step 7: Into the prepared loaf pan, transfer the batter. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes until the cake is golden brown and when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Note that the baking time varies.
Step 8: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
Step 9: In the meantime, mix the juice and confectioners’ sugar to make the lemon syrup.
Step 10: Invert the loaf pan to a cooling rack and brush with the syrup while still warm, then let the cake cool completely.
Step 11: To make the icing, combine the icing ingredients starting with a tbsp lemon juice and milk. Adding in the rest of the lemon juice as needed until you have a thick and not runny consistency. Pour this over the cake and allow it to dry.
Notes
If buttermilk is not available simply combine a half cup of milk with 1.5 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Leave it for a couple of minutes until it begins to curdle. To ensure a fluffy and tender cake, beat the sugar and butter well. This process helps to incorporate air into the batter. For this recipe, I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice but if not available, you can substitute it with bottled lemon juice. You can add lime or orange juice to the cake as this tastes great as well.
