Description
Lemon cake is my favorite cake. The best cake!
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 2 C (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 C salted butter, room temperature
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 C whole milk, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp double-acting aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract, optional
Lemon Simple Syrup:
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
Glaze:
- 2 C powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp whole milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare an 8×4″ loaf pan with baking spray or pan grease. Set it aside. In a small bowl stir together your baking powder and flour, and set that aside as well.
- In a large mixing bowl – or the bowl of your stand mixer – add the butter and sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together on low speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and continue beating until you’ve got a fluffy, pale-colored mixture.
- Add the eggs one at a time and once they’ve been incorporated add the lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, and lemon extract. Reduce the speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the whole milk. Beat for a full minute, then add the rest of the flour, followed by the rest of the milk. Increase the speed to medium and beat just until smooth – don’t overmix it! A few lumps are fine, but not too many.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake in the oven for 75 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the Lemon Simple Syrup: mix together the lemon juice and sugar. Microwave it for 30 seconds on high, then stir well and microwave another 30 seconds on high and stir again. Repeat this process until the sugar has dissolved and a thin syrup has formed. You can also do this on the stovetop. Set the syrup aside.
- Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides. Pour the syrup over the top of the entire cake. Leave the syrup to soak into the cake for about 5 minutes, then flip the cake out onto a wire rack or cake stand covered with parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the cake, and pinch them together while you flip the cake upright.
- Let the cake cool for 5 minutes (this is optional, I don’t), then pour the glaze all over the top. Use a spoon to catch the glaze that falls to the parchment paper and apply it to the sides and any bare spots on top of the cake. Let the glaze set for about 3 minutes.
- Dassit! Let it cool if you want pretty clean slices. Don’t bother if you too worship at the altar of fresh, hot cake.
Notes
- Details and substitutions are listed in the post above the recipe!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 70
