Just a lovely, simple Lemon Cake recipe – perfect tea time treat. You’ll love the bright lemon flavour, that it’s so beautifully moist and only requires one bowl and a whisk!
Finished with a lemon glaze, this is a simple cake that you can whip up on short notice. Yoghurt keeps the cake moist so it lasts for days and days! It’s the same batter used in this Blueberry Lemon Cake and Strawberry Cake.
Lemon Cake recipe
This Lemon Cake is one of my emergency quick and easy cake recipes, something I can get in the oven super quickly when I’m short on time. There’s no creaming of butter required, it’s a quick dump-and-mix cake. (When I’m longer on time I might instead plump for this sponge-based Lemon Cake with Fluffy Lemon Frosting …)
The “secret ingredient” in this is yoghurt. Yoghurt is a brilliant baking ingredient because it thickens the batter which means less flour required which = more moist cake. 🙂
I love how golden brown this cake is straight out of the oven. It almost glows!
Lemon Glaze
In the spirit of this being a simple teacake, I keep the frosting simple too. I just use a Glaze or a quick Cream Cheese Frosting.
For the glaze, I like to make the glaze a bit thicker than typical glazes because it adds that extra oomph of sweetness and stickiness to the cake, as opposed to cutting it in half and sandwiching it with something.
Added bonus: I love how the drips look and how the glaze isn’t see through.
If a glaze isn’t your thing or you want more frosting, I’ve also included my quick Cream Cheese Frosting. This is different to the usual Cream Cheese Frosting I use for things like Red Velvet and Carrot Cake which requires a stand mixer and a good 7 minutes of fast beating.
In the spirit of the simplicity of this quick Lemon Cake recipe, I use my shortcut Cream Cheese Frosting which I make simply by mixing spreadable Cream Cheese (comes in tubs, not blocks) with lemon juice and icing sugar. No stand mixer required, no need to even wait to soften the cream cheese. Just mix it up with a wooden spoon, dollop and spread. 🙂
You know that pretty cake decorations aren’t my thing. I’d probably spend more time styling a giant plate of slow cooked meat than I would spend decorating a towering cake! 😂
So in my usual form, I’ve kept it nice and simple – just some lemon slices and a few sprigs of baby’s breath from a bunch I happened to have.
This cake may be simple but in all honesty, it’s probably the cake I made most often last year. I actually intended to share it earlier this year, but then I got all excited because blueberries came into season so I published the Blueberry Lemon Cake instead (same cake, but with blueberries).
So I sat on this Lemon Cake recipe for a couple of months until an adequate amount of time had passed. And finally, I’m sharing it! – Nagi x
More quick, emergency cakes
No creaming butter, no stand mixer for any of these!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Watch how to make this lemon cake!
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Glazed Lemon Cake recipe
Ingredients
Wet:
- 2/3 cup / 165 ml vegetable or canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tbsp grated lemon rind (1 large or 2 medium lemons)
- ¼ cup / 65 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup / 250g plain yoghurt (Note 1)
- 1.25 cups / 275g caster sugar (superfine sugar, granulated ok too)
Dry:
- 2 cups/300g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Glaze:
- 1 3/4 cup / 210 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp plain yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan/convection). Grease a 20 cm / 8” cake pan with butter.
- Place Wet ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Sprinkle over flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until smooth – few small lumps is ok.
- Pour into pan – it should be fairly thick but pourable (see video). Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove metal ring and cool on rack then glaze.
Glaze:
- Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Test down the side of the bowl to get the right thickness, using 1 tsp of yoghurt at a time to thin it out if required. Glaze should drip (slowly, because it’s thick) but not be see through.
- Place rack on a tray or baking paper.
- Pour glaze over the middle of the cake, gently push towards the edges so it drips down the sides.
- Let it set for 1 hour before transferring to a serving plate.
- See note for how I did the lemon slices in the photos, and the alternative quick Cream Cheese Frosting.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
You can just imagine the thoughts running through that furry head:
“Will I make it to the door??”
“How hard would it be to scoff it down on the run??”
“I wonder if she’s going to frost it? 😳 Maybe I should wait…”
Love your recipes thank you.
Thank you. My colleague gave me a recipe years ago but the baking time was a bit iffy.
I like how reliable this is if you follow the recipe. I used a bundt cake tin after reading the comments. I baked it for 50 min and it was evenly browned and cooked well. This is one of my favourite easy to make cakes.
Another hit! I made this to bring to Mother’s Day lunch and the whole family enjoyed it. Absolutely perfect. I have been looking for a lemon cake recipe to rival Starbucks lemon loaf with good ingredients and this is the clear winner.
Thank you again for such great recipes! My family thinks I know how to cook now lol
I’m glad your Mother’s Day lunch was a success Lauren and that you liked the cake! N X
Hi Nagi , could I use coconut oil in stead of vegetable oil?
I don’t believe it would work because coconut oil solidifies, unlike canola oil. I would use a light tasting olive oil instead or avocado oil. Or if you really want to use coconut oil, perhaps use the fractionated kind, though some health benefits will be lose.
What other kinds/sizes of cake pans can I bake this in if I don’t have a springform pan?
Thanks so much!
Can I double the recipe and make it in a bundt cake pan? IF so how long can I bake it?
Hi Nagi, If I have some ripe bananas I want to use, can I add them into this cake recipe?
I wouldn’t know…I HATE bananas!!! Sorry! N x
Can you use a bunt pan and how long would it bake?
Hi Joyce – you could. The bake time will depend on the size of the pan. Bundt cakes also bake faster as the tube in the centre conducts heat into the middle of the cake. I suspect an 8 inch bundt pan would take slightly less time than the recipe says so check it early to see if it is done. N x
Lemon cake in the oven right now, can’t wait, only mistake I made was cut the circle for bottom of the pan forgot to put it in, pressing it won’t f…..g stick, love all your recipes thank you, book heavy but I love it .
Hi Joyce – I used a smallish bundt pan and it turned out really well. Mine was ready after 40 minutes, however I’d adjust the amount of batter used depending on your pan . I used the whole amount noted in the receipe and it rose up above the pan… not that I minded, it just meant more cake!
Nagi – I just want to say a big thank you for all of your wonderful recipes! This one will most certainly go on high rotation at my house, despite there being just the two of us indulging. I’m so looking forward to your book release, and hope that you do a meet and greet 🙂
Hi Nagi
Have made this cake many times and is delicious. Hubby is now on a low fodmap diet. Can I make it with gluten free flour and xanthum gum and if so what quantities do you recommend ?
Many thanks
Vera
Hi Vera,
I have several coeliac family members so I just switch the plain flour and baking powder for 2 cups of self raising gluten-free flour (no xantham gum). I need to cook for a little longer due to the type of flour. Hope this works for you too.
Nagi, thank you for your recipes. Your website is my go-to whenever I have a glut of produce…and this glazed lemon cake is a favourite!
Thank you Therese! It’s always helpful for other readers when people send in details on what works!! N x
Delicious! I have made this twice and can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for a great recipe.
Fabulous moist cake. Will just add extra lemon zest next time to the cake for extra lemon hit.
Just made this lemon cake with gluten free flour and my own hens’ eggs. Worked perfectly!! Thank you Nagi for your fabulous recipes. I can’t wait for your cookbook.
Hi Nagi,
Would it be ok to make this in a 9 inch round tin so it’s not as deep ?
Thanks
Hi Jude…I haven’t tested that size but it should work. The bake time will be less so I would start checking it at 35 minutes so as not to overcook it. N x
hi!
can you just use self raising flour instead of plain flour, baking powder and salt?
Thanks Nagi, recipe is lovely and so is your beautiful dog. Cheers
Hi Nagi,
can I substitute the plain flour with almond meal ?
Errin x
Not for this one sorry Errin, it will alter the entire texture. N x
Another delicious recipe. Thank you Nagi, It was so easy to make and turned out perfect.
Can it be frozen??
This recipe is a winner. I’ve made it several times with the lemons from my neighbours. This recipe definitely needs to be in your cookbook!
Absolutely scrumptious, and so easy. Thanks again Nagi, I think this is a definite for your cookbook. Also re cookbook suggestion I do appreciate your notes on substitutes and storage.
Great recipe! What can I sub the lemon juice with as my kids don’t like the lemon taste but we all love the yoghurt cake base?
Hi Queenie, this one is ALL about the lemon, subbing something else (Like lime which isn’t as tart) will change the flavour entirely. Why not try my whole orange cake? N x