Lemon Cake Recipe

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe

This lemon cake recipe has been in the making for a looooong period. For ages, I’ve tried to make this Starbucks lemon loaf on and off. I can’t actually tell you how obsessed I have been with, tried, tried, to now.

YIELD: 10
PREP TIME 10 MINUTES
COOK TIME 50 MINUTES
COOLING TIME 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

LEMON LOAF
3 large eggs
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) of sour cream or Greek yogurt (lite okay)
1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon extract, to taste (not teaspoons)*
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
LEMON GLAZE
1 cup of confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency

INSTRUCTIONS

To 350F, preheat the oven.
Spray a 9-5-inch floured cooking spray loaf pan or grease and flour the pan; set it aside.

MAKE THE LOAF:

1. Add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream to a big bowl and whisk vigorously till smooth and blended. While whisking to combine, drizzle in the oil.

2. To blend, add lemon zest, lemon extract, and whisk. Note: I used 2 tablespoons of lemon extract because the loaf does not use any real lemon juice and I discovered 2 tablespoons of lemon extract needed for full-bodied lemon flavor but added to taste.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and stir till mixed, and do not overmix. There will be some lumps, and all right, don’t try to stir them smoothly. Turn out the batter in the prepared pan and lightly smooth the top with a spatula.

4. Bake for around 50 to 52 minutes, or until the top is domed, set, and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter inserted in the middle crack. Tent pan with foil (loosely drape a sheet of foil over the pan) in the last ten min of baking to avoid excessive browning on the top and sides of bread before the middle cooks through.

5. Enable the loaf to cool for at least 30 min (I cooled for 4h) in the pan on top of a wire rack before turning on the rack to cool entirely before glazing.

MAKE THE LEMON GLAZE:

1. Add the confectioner’s sugar to a small bowl and slowly drizzle with the lemon juice while whisking till smooth and mixed. For the desired level and flavor, you might have to play with the amounts of sugar and lemon juice as desired. Sprinkle the glaze evenly over the bread before slicing and serving.

2. So you’d spread butter on toast, the extra glaze can be spread on the cut surface of the bread and it soaks right to make the bread even moister and lemony. Or since you’re not a glaze person, you can cut the glaze recipe by half.

NOTES

Lemon oil and lemon extract should not be used interchangeably because they are not; oil is much more powerful and intense. In place of lemon extract, shouldn’t use lemon juice because it’s not strong enough and the acidity could even change the overall results.

Bread would be kept airtight for up to 5 days at room temperature or up to 6 months in the freezer; I do not advise storing it in the fridge because it will dry out.

PIN THIS FOR LATER!