Lemon Butter Cake with Lemon Glaze
Lemon zest and juice are added to the batter, lightly perfumeing the cake with lemon. Then, while the cake is still warm from the oven, it is doused with lemon syrup to further enhance the lemon flavour. Finally, the cake is drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, which adds a pop of intense lemon flavour to every bite.
The cake keeps well for days and is best made a day ahead of time. Butter sauce is a boiled concoction of butter, sugar, and vanilla. When you pour it over the hot cake and then let the cake cool it soaks in and the cake stays moist for days – plus it adds SO much flavour.
The final point about this loaf is that it needs only one large lemon and typical pantry and fridge items to make it. This lemon loaf freezes beautifully. Freeze it whole in a freezer bag, or slice it first and freeze it. Slicing first means you can grab a slice when you feel the need, instead of trying to cut/thaw a slice from a frozen whole loaf. To thaw a slice, set a frozen slice on the counter on a piece of paper towel and it will be ready to enjoy in 20-30 minutes.
Ingredients;
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
- 1 cup confectioner sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Garnish: confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions;
- Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour in an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together milk, zest, and vanilla.
- Beat together butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
- Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top, then rap gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together confectioner sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Turn out the cake onto a rack set over a baking sheet, then reinvert. Brush the top and side of the cake with all the glaze.