Moist Zesty Lemon Cake (Printable)

A moist cake filled with fresh lemon zest and juice, finished with a tangy lemon glaze for extra brightness.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
09 - ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Lemon Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
05 - Add flour mixture in three parts alternated with milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth surface evenly.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake and allow to set before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's foolproof enough for a lazy Sunday but impressive enough to bring to someone's house without apologizing.
  • The balance between the buttery crumb and sharp lemon glaze hits that sweet spot where you can eat a slice without feeling guilty about eating three.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and milk make all the difference in how smoothly everything combines, so plan ahead just a little bit.
  • Don't skip the alternating method for adding flour and milk, it keeps the batter from breaking and the cake stays tender.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester to get the bright yellow zest without the bitter white pith underneath.
  • If your lemons are small or not juicy, you'll need more than two, so taste your zest and juice as you go to make sure the flavor is bold enough.

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