Iced Lemon Cake
If you’re a lemon lover, you’ve got to make my Iced Lemon Cake! You only need 7 ingredients to bake it, and they’re probably all ingredients that you have at home apart from the lemons!
This cake is super simple but packed with tons of lemon flavor. It’s perfectly buttery, and drizzled with a light crisp lemon glaze. Enjoy it on its own, or side by side with some vanilla ice cream. It’s especially lovely in the spring and summer months as a fresh citrusy dessert.
I was first inspired to whip up this cake for my husband’s birthday years ago, and have been making it often ever since! It’s a crowd-pleaser, and especially great for beginner bakers.
This post contains affiliate links from which I may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Read more here!
RECIPE NOTES:
The Pan: I’ve used both a square and circular cake pan for this recipe. As long as it’s a 9-inch size, and metal material, the shape is up to you! I’ve included one of my current favorites in the equipment list below.
The Parchment Paper: This is technically optional, but recommended! I’ve also made it many times by simply greasing the pan with butter, but the parchment paper layer greatly reduces clean up in the pan, and also gives you the ability to cleanly lift the cake out for a nicer presentation if you’re serving it to others! It also results in a more even bake overall.
Storage: This cake is stored covered/airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days! It also does very well in the freezer if needed. (Simply place the slices in a freezer-safe airtight container, then place it back on the counter at room temperature to thaw. Voila!)
INGREDIENT NOTES:
CAKE
Unsalted Butter: I have personally used both traditional unsalted butter as well as cultured unsalted butter for this recipe over the years, and they both work equally well to give the cake tons of moisture. Whichever you choose, the butter should be slightly softened. (If the room is not warm enough, feel free to finish off the softening with a couple seconds in the microwave after it comes to room temperature!)
Cane Sugar: This is my preferred/tested type of granulated sugar to use!
Lemon Zest: No worries if you don’t have a zester…I just used the fine side of a cheese grater. 🙂 Take care to zest at the surface only to avoid the pith (the white bitter layer beneath the skin). If you lightly pack the tbsp, you’ll get a more zesty lemon flavor! If you dislike even a small hint of tart/tang, you can pack the tbsp a little more loosely.
Eggs: Room temperature eggs work best for the perfect texture!
Lemon Juice: Fresh is a must for the lemon juice.
All-Purpose Flour: I’ve made this cake with both All-Purpose Flour as well as White Whole Wheat Flour over the years! Both options yield similar results, so go with your preference! The All-Purpose option is a bit more neutral (and is the one I would recommend you try first), while the White Whole Wheat has a slightly more nutty/complex flavor.
Salt: In cakes, salt balances the flavor and is necessary for the chemistry of the final texture!
GLAZE
Powdered Sugar, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest: This is one of the simplest glazes you can make! The powdered sugar quickly liquifies as the lemon juice gets stirred in. (The same rule of thumb applies to the zest as mentioned above for the cake!)
Kitchen Equipment:
- A Zester or Grater
- Bowls (2 Medium + 1 Large)
- Toothpicks
- A Cooling Rack
Servings: 9 Large
Ingredients:
CAKE
- 1 Cup (16 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter (Or Cultured Unsalted Butter), slightly softened
- 1 1/2 Cups Cane Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest, lightly packed
- 4 Eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (or White Whole Wheat Flour)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt (I use sea salt, ground fine/medium)
GLAZE
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest, lightly packed
Directions:
PREP
Let the butter and eggs come to room temperature
CAKE
Prepare the cake pan by lining it with parchment paper, and then greasing the paper lightly with butter (Be sure to leave enough paper to be able to lift the cake cleanly and easily from the pan!) ~ If you don’t have parchment paper, grease the pan well with butter
Zest and juice the lemons, and set aside
Preheat the oven to 350º
Place the butter in a large bowl, and slightly soften it in the microwave for a few seconds (if needed), then add the sugar and lemon zest, and beat together with a hand mixer on low until combined
Beat in the eggs
Beat in the lemon juice
(It won’t be perfectly smooth and that’s ok. Take care not to overmix!)
In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour and the salt
Slowly beat the flour/salt mixture into the wet ingredients until evenly combined
Add the batter into the prepared pan, and place it on the middle rack of the oven
Bake for 35 minutes; 1) A toothpick in the center will come out clean 2) There will be a very thin line of browning along the edges
Place the pan on a cooling rack, and let the cake cool fully in the pan
(After cooling, the glaze will be added while the cake is still inside the pan to keep it contained!)
GLAZE
Once the cake has fully cooled, prepare the glaze
Zest and juice the lemons
Stir together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium bowl
Spread the glaze evenly across the top of the cake, beginning in the center and moving outward
To let the glaze solidify, it’s best to let it sit and harden for several hours in the pan
Once ready, lift the cake gently from the pan
Slice and enjoy!
[Store covered/airtight at room temperature.]
3 thoughts on “Iced Lemon Cake”