Lemon Cake Recipes

Many people enjoy lemon cake because of its bright flavors. There are a number of recipes available to create moist and flavorful lemon cakes.

Lemon Bundt Cake With Glaze and Candied Peel

The secret to this moist Bundt cake is buttermilk. A sweet lemon glaze pumps up the citrus flavor. Decorate it with candied lemon peel. Make the candied lemon peel a few days ahead of baking the cake. Allow it to dry and store in a zipper bag until you're ready to decorate your cake.

Candied Lemon Peel Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 organic lemons
• 2 cups sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 cups water, divided

Instructions

1. Peel skins in strips from lemons using a vegetable peeler, removing as much of the white pith as possible.
2. Cut each strip lengthwise into very thin strips.
3. Boil four cups of water in a small saucepan and add lemon peel. Blanch for one minute, and then drain and rinse peels in cold water to stop cooking.
4. Combine sugar and two cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves.
5. Add lemon zest.
6. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lemon zest is translucent, about 30 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely with zest in syrup.
8. Remove lemon zest from syrup and toss with an additional 1/2 cup sugar to coat the zest.
9. Store in an airtight zipper bag until you're ready to use it.

Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for pan
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup finely grated lemon zest from about 8 organic lemons
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and lemon zest, using your fingers to combine the sugar and zest well.
5. Add butter and beat on high speed until mixture is fluffy, about four minutes.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating on high speed as you add eggs. Continue beating until mixture is fluffy, about four minutes.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk in about three additions while the mixer continues to beat the batter.
8. Use a rubber spatula to move batter into a prepared pan.
9. Bake until cake is golden and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 60 to 65 minutes.
10. Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for ten minutes and then unmold cake onto the rack and allow to cool completely.

Lemon Glaze Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions and Cake Assembly

1. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl.
2. Stir in three tablespoons of lemon juice.
3. Adjust consistency with extra lemon juice as needed.
4. Pour glaze over cooled cake and top with candied lemon peel.

Lemon Layer Cake With Coconut Icing

Fill the middle of this layer cake with lemon curd and then garnish with toasted coconut.

Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
• 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 recipe lemon curd

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
4. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and turn it on high. Mix until fluffy, about four minutes.
5. Add eggs and yolks one at a time with the mixer still running.
6. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice with the beater still running.
7. Add flour mixture and milk, adding flour in three additions and milk in two with the beater still running until well combined.
8. Use a rubber spatula to scrape batter into prepared pans.
9. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
10. Invert cakes onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Icing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Pour the coconut milk into a small pot and boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until well combined.
3. Add 1/3 cup of cooled coconut milk and stir well to combine.

Garnish Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups toasted coconut

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spread coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Toast in the oven, stirring every five minutes, until coconut is toasted, about 20 minutes.

Cake Assembly

1. Trim cake layers so they are flat.
2. Cut each layer in half, so you now have four layers.
3. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate.
4. Spread lemon curd on top of the bottom layer.
5. Top with the second layer.
6. Spread lemon curd on top of the second layer.
7. Top with the third layer.
8. Spread lemon curd on top of the third layer.
9. Top with the fourth and final layer.
10. Ice the cake with coconut icing.
11. Press toasted coconut in an even layer around the sides of the cake.
12. Decorate the top with icing roses and leaves, if desired.

Beautiful Cakes

Lemon cake is a perennial favorite. These two cakes are both beautiful and flavorful, making them perfect for your next gathering.