Prep time
10 mins
Total time
45 mins
Serves
8-10 people
Level
Easy
About the recipe
One bite instantly feels bright, fresh, elegant, and comforting all at once, like a little taste of sunshine sitting on your dessert plate. ☀️
It’s pronounced:
✨ see-traw ✨
🍋 Lemon zest contains the most intense lemon flavor
🍋 The scent of lemon is believed to help boost mood and energy
🍋 French cafés often pair citrus desserts with coffee because the acidity balances rich flavors beautifully
🍋 In classic French entertaining, simple homemade cakes are considered wonderfully chic
Ingredients
● 1 cup (230 g) sugar
● ½ cup + 1 tbsp (120 g total) melted unsalted butter
● Zest of two lemons
● Optional : 1 tbsp (1 c à soup) vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (160 g total) flour
• ¾ tsp (3 g) baking powder
• The juice of 2 lemons (160 g)
Icing
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 g total) lemon juice
• ¾ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
Preparation
2. Melt the butter gently in a small pot.
3. Combine ingredients of bowl 1 together and whisk. Keep about 1 tsp of zest aside as cake topping for later.
4. When adding each ingredient, be sure not to over mix or it can create “wells” in the cake affecting its consistency.
5. Combine the eggs into the mixture and whisk.
6. Add the flour and baking powder and whisk.
7. Add the lemon juice and whisk.
8. Place the batter into a buttered bread pan or silicone.
9. The total cook time is 30-35 minutes. After 20 minutes, cover the bread with parchment paper so it doesn’t burn or dry out.
11. Let the cake cool down for a good 2-3 hours before adding the icing.
12. Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cake dish.
13. Mix the icing ingredients together in a bowl with a fork.
14. Starting at one end of the cake, slowly pour the icing evenly over the top of the cake as you move to the opposite end of the cake. Don’t worry if the icing overflows on the bottom of the cake dish- this just makes it more fun to eat!
15. Sprinkle the remaining lemon zest on top of the cake.
16. Keep the cake in a cool area to prevent the icing from melting.
17. This cake refrigerates well for 4-5 days or it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
