Consider this Fresh Lemon Cake a dazzling celebration of the humble lemon, that most-frequently used citrus that adorns our kitchen counters. I don’t know this for fact but I do on instinct. I put lemon in everything from warm water, to savory dishes that need brightening up to baked goods that need some sunshine. Yes, the humble lemon is a kitchen workhorse.
In regards to this cake, lemon is the star of the show with lots of flavor layered into the cake base, the soak, as well as the glaze that perfectly coats the top. But what makes this cake ever-so dazzling, is her chameleon-like abilities as she’s here to serve your every citrus whim. Think of her as a choose your own adventure cake having been tested with blood oranges, limes (SO GOOD) and cara cara oranges. Let your citrus freak flag fly here my friends…let her fly.
This cake uses zero butter, a modest amount of delicious olive oil and heaps of lemon flavor to make a cake that is both hella good and ridiculously easy to make. She also uses my olive oil + almond extract exacta of flavors that I’m obsessed with right now. So freaking good. You can see some a recent example of this with these Cherry Jam Muffins.
Before you get started, take a peek at my Top 10 Cake Tips for perfect cakes, every time!
If you’re feeling especially frisky and want to dazzle your friends, I highly recommend going the extra mile and candy-ing your lemon peel. It’s stupid easy and turns this casual beauty into a showstopper.
If you’d like some more bright citrus flavor, check out these Margarita Cupcakes With White Chocolate Lime Buttercream, these Blood Orange Scones or this Lemon Raspberry Cake…which leads me to my other note which is (drumroll) that I’m going back and revamping old recipes, adding in more tips and re-photography them!! Alas none of the just-recommended recipes have received said treatment, but I will share the first revamped + rephotographed recipe next week — stay tuned!
Before We Get Started
- PANS. You’re going to need a 1.9 quart (9 x 5-inch) loaf pan. I tested the cake in this Ikea one (which I think is pretty, but it browns up the sides of the cake a bit more than I’d like). I also tested it in a pan similar to this on Amazon + an old battered loaf tin from my mom. To make sure the pan you’re using is the correct size, pour 5 cups of water in there…it should roughly fill it 3/4s of the way full. That is the perfect-sized pan. If the water fills it up higher or significantly lower, you’ll need to find a better sized pan for the cake. One last pan note: the battered lighter-colored pan and the darker, second-linked pan (on Amazon) produced the prettiest cakes. The Ikea pan let the sides get a little too done (scroll down to the last photo and you’ll see the far-right cake was baked in the Ikea pan).
- MIXER. As usual, I give instructions with an electric stand mixer. HOWEVER, feel free, as always, to use a bowl, whisk and your well-sculpted arms to get the job done.
- CITRUS. I tested this cake a ton over the past several weeks. I made this lemon version several times over, a lime version (that I absolutely love), several blood orange as well as cara cara cakes too. They all work beautifully! You can use one specific type of citrus in the recipe or use a combination of whatever you have lying around.
- ZEST. Use 4 lemons for the lemon zest to get that big bright pop of lemon flavor we’re looking for. Use those same lemons to get the fresh lemon juice you’ll need for the cake soak as well as the lemon glaze. You’ll need one additional lemon if you decide to candy the lemon peel for the top of the cake. A note on zesting: make sure to use a light hand and only zest the top, colored rind of the citrus and avoid the second layer of white pith, which is bitter.
- JUICING. A quick way to get all of the juice out of your citrus is to use a fork. Cut the fruit in half and press the tines of the fork into the flesh in a twisting motion. Amazing, right? PS Always zest your fruit before juicing.
- OLIVE OIL. When baking with olive oil reach for an olive oil that you could drink by the spoonful — you want it to taste delicious! I’m a huge California Olive Ranch and Lucini fan. While we’re baking with olive oil, check out my Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Made with Olive Oil.
- REST. I want you to rest your batter for a minimum of 30 minutes before baking it. This helps the flour absorb some of the moisture and allows the cake to bake up nice and puffy.
- SOAK. I wanted to add a soak to this cake to reinforce all of those delicious lemon flavors — and it delivers. Bonus it also keeps this cake hella moist!
- CANDIED. I’m always looking for jazz hands and for this cake, it comes to us in the form of candied lemon peel. I give you directions below (it’s super easy to do). You will need to make it the night before serving to give it time to dry out a bit before adding to the cake. As an alternative, you could put fresh lemon zest over the top of the cake just prior to serving, if you can’t be bothered with candying things this week.
The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour
One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!
More Citrus Recipes
Mega Delish Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Perfect French Meringues with Blood Orange Curd
Foolproof Vanilla Orange Madeleines
Chocolate Orange Meringue Cookies
Lemony Brussels Sprout Pignoli Pizza
Let’s make some delicious Fresh Lemon Cake, shall we?
Fresh Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- Zest of 4 lemons (about 1/4 cup (8 g))
- 3/4 cup (144 g) granulated sugar
- Β½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (289 g) all-purpose flour (how to measure flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk, room temperature
For the Lemon Soak
- ΒΌ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- ΒΌ cup (48 g) granulated sugar
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (130 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy whipping cream or milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
For the Candied Lemon Peel
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup (96 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
Instructions
For the Cake
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the lemon zest and sugar. Run the machine for 1 minute on low to completely combine the two. If you're feeling it reach in there with your hands and massage the lemon zest into the sugar to really infuse the lemon flavor in there. With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the olive oil until it's completely blended with the sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is well blended before adding in the next. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well blended. Add the almond extract and run the machine on medium for 1 minute more.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt. Add to the sugar mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk. Again, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated. Let your batter sit for a minimum of 30 minutes.
For the Lemon Soak
- To prepare the Lemon Soak, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside to cool a bit.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan (23×13 cm) and line with parchment paper. Let some excess hang over the sides so that it's easy to get the cake out of the pan when it's done baking. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap several times on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Bake in the center of the oven for about 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick pressed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes and then brush the Lemon Soak over the top of the cake. If you don't have a pastry brush, then just slowly pour it all over the top giving it time to absorb into the cake. After another 10 minutes use the parchment overhand to lift the cake out of the tin and finish cooling completely on the rack. Set a baking sheet underneath the cooling rack.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cream and lemon juice until smooth. Pour all over the top of the cake; tap the baking sheet on the counter several times to settle the glaze and have it drip down the sides.
For the Candied Lemon Peel
- Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to cut the top layer of peel away from the lemon. If you get some pith that’s ok, because we’re going to sweeten the heck out of it. I like to try and cut long, wide pieces. Fill a small, heavy-bottommed saucepan with the lemon peel, sugar and water and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. After 30 minutes, flip the pieces over and cook for 20 minutes more. Set them on a layer of parchment paper to dry out (ideally overnight) before using. When dried, arrange over the top of the cake. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature.
I also struggled with the weights on the zest. I zested 3 and had 76g of zest; 8 g was only about a Tbsn. I erred on the side of lemon and put in 1/4 cup. The batter does not taste very lemony but maybe baking brings it out…? Currently on the 30 min batter “rest”. I’ve been trying to bake more using weights rather than “cups”. I did find that my smaller but riper lemon yielded heavier zest than the slightly larger but less ripe lemons.
Hi Pat!
When your zesting your lemons, you want to make sure you’re only getting the bright lemon-colored exterior and not the white part beneath (the white, spongy pith) as that can taste bitter.
I’ve found 1 tbsp = 2 g pretty consistent for zest, but since the size of citrus can vary widely, perhaps that’s why your’s yielded more. I hope you enjoyed the cake!! xoxo
May I use honey instead of sugar?
any suggestions on what I can do for next time? my icing didn’t come out white like yours, it ran all down the sides. it’s very runny and clear- more like a clear glaze. I’m still excited to try it. =) thanks in advance
This cake is so exquisitely lemony and rises high perhaps thanks to the direction to βrestβ the batter before baking. The olive oil & lemon combo is like a dream come true! Itβs Now my absolute favourite lemon cake recipe!
Ahh Lorraine!! You made my day! So happy you love this cake as much as I do!! xox
Hi, this looks gorgeous! Do you know if I could replace oat or coconut milk for the cows milk here? :)
Hi! I have not tried that, but I think you could. I would probably use the coconut milk because of the protein and fat. If you make it like this let me know how it goes, I would love to hear!!! xox
The second time I baked this cake I used oat milk and there was no difference at all in the end result:-)
The second time I baked this cake For my neighbour who is GF, and I used oat milk AND Bobs Red Mill GF cup-for-cup flour and let the batter rest a little longer and the end result was STILL spectacular!
Oh I loveeee this!!! Thank you so much for leaving your adaptations here for others!!
So happy you liked it Lorraine!! xox
Hi! Recipe looks lovely. Was wondering if I could sub the flour to grounded fine almonds instead to make it gluten free? Would resting the batter be needed in that case? βΊοΈ Also, may I know whatβs the secret to having a puffed up centre when baking loafs? Thanks in advance!
Hi Geraldine!
I haven’t tested it with ground fine almonds, so I would be hesitant to recommend that straight away. If I was going to adapt this to gluten free (and wanted the almond flour in there), I would probably go for half almond flour and half gf flour (my favorite is Thomas Keller Cup4Cup). If you go the gf route you should definitely rest your cake batter…the longer the better. Fake flours ;) as I call them need more time to absorb extra moisture.
Getting a puffed up top is a lot about how the recipe is written. Also, making sure your oven is the correct temperature will help as well. One last tip, resting the cake batter. If the flour has a bit of time to absorb that extra moisture, it will puff up into a pretty dome. Let me know if you go the gf route and how it goes! xox
Lemon cake is so delicious. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!! I’m so happy you liked it!! xo
Itβs the best!! Glad you liked it!! xox
Is the lime version a 1:1 substitute for lemons ?
Hi Mark! Yes, just sub in 1:1 any citrus. The lime is INSANE!!! Let me know how it goes!
xo
If I want to freeze half of this cake, any recommendations on doing so? Thanks!
Hi Amelia!
If I was going to freeze this, I would probably slice, put parchment paper between each slice and then wrap tightly and stash in an air-tight bag. That would work if you wanted to grab a slice whenever you feel like it. If you want to serve it all at a later day, then I would wrap tightly and then store in an air-tight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge and then unwrap!
xoxo
Have you ever tried to bake this with almond flour?
Hi Anita — I have not tried it with almond flour. If I was going to start playing around with flour, I would start with using it for a partial amount of flour. If you do use it, please let us know how it goes! xoxo
hi, i would love to try this recipe! if i replace the olive oil with butter, is it still half cup?
Hi Jaime! I haven’t made it this way, if I was going to test it out I would probably try 1/2-2/3 cup of butter. Have fun!
xo
When I saw this recipe I knew I wanted it for my birthday! We used an egg replacer and almond milk since we have vegans in the house. It was amazing! Thank you!
Hi Shelly!! Happy Birthday to you!!! I’m so happy that you loved it and thank you so much for the recipe notes you shared — I know these will help others when making adjustments. Hoping all of your birthday wishes come true!!! xoxo
Finally going to bake this! What is your insight into poking it and then pouring the glaze in? I donβt want to ruin it, but maybe I will experiment. Heck, maybe I will soak it in whiskey!
I’m so glad you’re going to make this — it is SOOOOOOO GOOD!!! I think you could totally poke + pour — if you do, let me know how it goes!!! Have fun! xoxo
Recommend the poking! Came out great! And just so happened to have whipping cream, wow!! So happy I tried that. No going back!
I want to try this wirh orange and put mini chocolate chips in it.
If you try it with the orange + chocolate please let me know how it goes — that sounds delicious!!! I can’t recommend the lime enough as well. So happy you loved it!!! xoxo
Hi there! I was wondering on the weight measurements for the lemon zest in the cake…is it really supposed to be 36g/ ΒΌ cup? Iβve already zested 5 lemons and Iβm only at 6g/maybe 2T….granted their on the mediumish side? Thanks!!
Hi! I was hesitant to add the weight for the lemon zest and this question confirmed my gut! Go with zesting 4-5 medium-large lemons. For me, that fills 1/4 cup (theyβre big lemons). I like lots of lemon so I would go for 4 tbsp…but 2 tbsp would be delicious too if youβre tired of zesting!! Changing this in the ingredients now to make everyone’s life easier. :)
xox
Thank you! Went ahead and zested 6. Turned the sugar nice and yellow!
YAY! So excited for you to taste it!!
Looks wonderful. Question – regular olive oil or extra virgin?
Hi Jeanne! I use extra virgin olive oil…go with my rule of thumb which is use an olive oil that tastes delicious to you, straight out of the bottle. Have fun! xo
Dazzling indeed!! I need this cake in my life! :)
Thank you Laura!!! Youβre the best!!! xox
Love the recipe. Going to try it soon. Can I use regular vegetable oil instead of olive oil?
Hi! I hope you do!! You could use veggie oil…I would recommend sunflower seed oil as an alternative to the olive oil. Let me know how it goes. Have fun!! xo
It’s been forever since I’ve last had a lemon cake! I’m excited to try this, the candied lemon peel seems like it will be an excellent addition xx
Thank you so much!!! I hope you love it!! xoxo