Lemon Cake
This recipe creates two moist and flavorful lemon loaf cakes. The process involves creaming butter and sugar, incorporating dry and wet ingredients alternately, baking until golden, soaking the warm cakes in a lemon syrup, and finishing with a simple lemon glaze once cooled.
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer with paddle attachment
- 2 Loaf Pans 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch
- 3 Mixing Bowls (at least)
- 1 Small Saucepan for syrup
- 1 Wire Whisk for glaze
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar divided
- 4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup grated lemon zest 6 to 8 large lemons
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice divided
- 3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
- Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
- For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.
Notes
Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are truly at room temperature for optimal creaming and batter consistency. When zesting lemons, only remove the yellow part, avoiding the bitter white pith. Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added; stop mixing as soon as combined to prevent tough cake. Spoon the warm lemon syrup over the cakes immediately after removing them from the pans while they are still warm to maximize absorption. Allow cakes to cool completely before applying the glaze to prevent it from melting off.