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Lemon Zest Cake

Lemon Zest Cake Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 470
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (for glaze)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Mixture may look curdled.
  3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding dry mix and sour cream to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
  4. Scrape batter into pan. Bake 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick has moist crumbs. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then lift out.
  5. Whisk powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp lemon juice. Drizzle over warm cake. Let set 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

The cake keeps well at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 5. Bring to room temperature before serving, or warm slightly. For an extra lemony hit, poke the warm cake with a skewer and brush with a simple syrup of 1/4 cup each sugar and lemon juice before glazing.