Description
This Glazed Lemon Cake is a moist and zesty dessert featuring fresh lemon juice and zest combined with a creamy yoghurt-based batter, topped with a smooth lemon glaze. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, this cake is ideal for an afternoon treat or a light dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 2/3 cup / 165 ml vegetable or canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tbsp grated lemon rind (from 1 large or 2 medium lemons)
- ¼ cup / 65 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup / 250 g plain yoghurt
Dry Ingredients
- 1.25 cups / 275 g caster sugar (superfine sugar, granulated ok too)
- 2 cups / 300 g 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 yoghurt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) for a standard oven or 160°C (320°F) for fan/convection ovens. Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) cake pan thoroughly with butter to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the vegetable or canola oil, eggs, grated lemon rind, lemon juice, and plain yoghurt. Whisk until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually sprinkle the caster sugar, plain flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet mixture. Whisk carefully until the batter is smooth, allowing a few minor lumps but no dry flour clumps remain.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. The batter should be thick but still pourable. Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and carefully take it out of the metal ring, if used. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before applying the glaze.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, lemon juice, and yoghurt until smooth. Adjust thickness by testing the glaze down the side of the bowl and adding a teaspoon of yoghurt at a time if it needs thinning. The glaze should be thick enough to drip slowly but not be transparent.
- Glaze the Cake: Place a wire rack on a tray or baking paper to catch excess glaze. Pour the glaze over the center of the cooled cake and gently use a spoon or spatula to push it towards the edges so it drips down the sides evenly.
- Set the Glaze: Allow the glaze to set for about 1 hour at room temperature before transferring the cake to a serving plate.
- Optional Decorations: For presentation, see the note on lemon slices or try the alternative quick Cream Cheese Frosting for variation.
Notes
- Use plain yoghurt which adds moisture and tanginess making the cake tender.
- The lemon slices can be candied for an elegant decoration as shown in photos, done by simmering thin lemon slices in sugar syrup and allowing to dry.
- As an alternative to the lemon glaze, a quick Cream Cheese Frosting works well for a richer finish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Keywords: lemon cake, lemon glaze, glazed lemon cake, yoghurt cake, citrus dessert, easy lemon cake
