Bright, fluffy, and full of surprises, this Lemon Cake is the ultimate crowd-pleaser for summertime birthdays—or any day you want to zest things up!
As a light and fluffy (yet filling) dessert or brunch dish, lemon cake can brighten your day and dining table. It’s especially nice to bake during the spring or summer, but you can make it year-round. After all, whether it’s someone’s birthday or not, there’s always a reason to celebrate! Why not make it today?
Lemon cake uses all the basic ingredients of a classic white cake, plus luscious lemon juice and tangy zest. With a little boost of protein plus a hearty texture from the almond flour, this cake can be enjoyed after a meal or as part of breakfast. I enjoy a slice of lemon cake in the morning with a Blueberry Smoothie, but you might also enjoy it with something more savory. Whether you dress it up or down, lemon cake is bound to shine.
Is Lemon Cake Healthy?
Since this is a sugary dessert, lemon cake is best enjoyed for special occasions. It’s not a nutritious, everyday dish. For gluten-free diets, simply use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour. To make it vegan, replace the eggs with a store-bought egg replacer.
My Tweaked (And Tangy) Version
When I bake, I like to challenge myself by using alternative ingredients to suit particular diets. Since I eat gluten-free, I often experiment with different types of flours. For lemon cake, I’ve found that cassava flour is a great option, since it’s fine and smooth. Adding a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum will create a nice gluten-free binder that keeps the cake fluffy. Otherwise, an all-purpose gluten-free flour works just as well. For extra sweetness and a “fruitcake” kind of texture, I’ll add half a cup each of blueberries and blanched almond slices. This is especially fun if you’ll be serving the cake for brunch rather than dessert.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour, or finely ground almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Powdered sugar for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Preheat oven, prepare the pan, and mix ingredients.
Mix
Combine wet and dry ingredients to make batter.
Bake
Pour into pan, bake until done, and dust with powdered sugar.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Covered at room temperature, lemon cake will last for a couple of days. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate it for up to a week. If needed, you can wrap it in aluminum foil and freeze for 3 months. Make sure to let it thaw at room temperature for at least 8 hours before serving. Serve at room temperature or warm in the oven at 350°F until it reaches the desired temperature.
While this recipe calls for lemon juice, you may also use lemon extract, but keep in mind that the extract’s flavor is much more potent. To get the same level of zing and zest, use only about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of extract instead of the 4 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Keep in mind that lemon juice also contributes acidity to the recipe, so using extract instead may affect the cake’s texture as well.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients. Due to its acidity, lemon juice reacts with baking soda in a way that helps the cake rise. Alternatively, you could add half a cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream, which would both fluff up the cake and make it more moist.
Serving Suggestions
If you want to make lemon cake part of your next brunch, serve it alongside Oven-Roasted Lemon Greek Potatoes, Hard-Boiled Eggs or Bacon Egg Cups, and Coconut Milk Quinoa Fruit Salad. Otherwise, it stands strong as a simple yet decadent dessert with a scoop of Cottage Cheese Ice Cream or Roasted Strawberries.
Recipe
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and line it with parchment.
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Combine flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, combine the eggs and sugars; whisk until light and fluffy.
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Add the oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the eggs and sugar mixture. Then, carefully fold in the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
-
Dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 298kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 28g (9%) Protein: 5g (10%) Fat: 19g (29%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g Monounsaturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 41mg (14%) Sodium: 170mg (7%) Potassium: 117mg (3%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 14g (16%) Vitamin A: 60IU (1%) Vitamin C: 4mg (5%) Calcium: 84mg (8%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational
purposes only.
