Lemon cake
A cake flavored with lemon zest and juice, from a lemon loaf with a tangy glaze to a lemon layer cake.
- Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods
Most of a lemon's flavor is in the zest, so rubbing zest into the sugar before mixing releases the oils for a stronger taste. Juice adds tang but too much can thin the batter, so it is often used in a syrup or glaze instead.
A lemon drizzle cake is soaked with a lemon-sugar syrup while warm, giving a moist crumb and a crackly top.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
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Tools for this
Microplane Classic ZesterZests citrus and grates whole spices finely.See it on Amazon
USA Pan 9x5 Loaf PanEven browning and a clean release for tall, tender loaves.See it on Amazon
Nordic Ware Original Bundt PanThe cast-aluminum original: sharp ridges and a clean release.See it on Amazon
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Related entries
Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Citrus: Preserve It, Serve It (January 2019), University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCCE Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra)
- Citrus zest packs a bright, powerful punch, University of Illinois Extension
- Essential Oils and Chilling Injury in Lemon, USDA Agricultural Research Service
- Lemon cake (Q109191849), Wikidata