All About Easy Lemon Cake
What Is Lemon Cake?
In this case, it’s a simple yellow cake that’s flavored with lemon. Specifically, the zest and juice from a lemon. The zest and juice give this yellow cake a bright and citrus-y flavor.
This specific recipe utilizes a boxed cake mix, making it especially easy.
Why I Made It
I’ve always loved lemon – both the scent and flavor. I’ve also wanted to make a lemon dessert for quite some time. Unfortunately, I’m not well-versed in desserts, so my options were limited.
I thought about lemon bars, but those seemed outside of my reach. After seeing some other cake recipes use a box mix as a base, I thought it was just the thing I needed.
With a box mix, some lemon flavor, and a simple glaze, I got something that I was quite happy with.
What You Need to Make It
You’ll need a box of yellow cake mix, at least 1 lemon, powdered sugar, and a bit of milk.
For the cake mix, anything sold as “yellow cake mix” should work. However, I noticed 2 different varieties: “normal” and “butter”. I personally used normal, but I can’t imagine this not working with the “butter” version.
Any fresh lemon should work, but you may need more than 1. The amounts aren’t based off of whole lemons, so a lemon’s yield may not be enough.
That said, a normal sized lemon should yield enough. Even if it doesn’t give quite enough, that’s no big deal.
I personally used store-brand powdered sugar and whole milk for the glaze. The sugar has a slightly off flavor from the corn starch, but it works well enough and isn’t obtrusive.
You can probably use any liquid for thinning the glaze. However, different viscosities will likely need different amounts of liquid added.
Why You Should Make It
Not only is the cake moist, fast to make and delicious – it also couldn’t be easier.
Using a pre-made mix takes the guess work out of ingredients, ingredient ratios and bake times. It also cuts out the work of measuring things like flour, which is both laborious and often messy.
The addition of lemon flavor and a simple glaze really take this cake to the next level.
What Can Go Wrong
This is far from a volatile recipe, but some things could turn sour.
Firstly, you’ll need to either zest the lemon, or peel then chop the zest.
Whether you’re using a rasp-style grater or a vegetable peeler, danger is just a slip away.
Rasp-style graters speak for themselves I think, so do take care if you’re using one. I’ve also known a surprising number of people who’ve been harmed by vegetable peelers, so take caution there as well.
The glaze could also be ruined if you add too much liquid. Since you don’t need much, it’s very easy to overdo it. I recommend adding the minimum recommended amount, then adding more as needed until it’s somewhat thick but pour-able.
Glazing the cake before it’s cooled could also be problematic. I’m not sure exactly what would happen. However, enough people say to wait that I think waiting is probably for the best.
Finally, overcooking or undercooking the cake are potential problems to keep in mind. Be sure your pan roughly matches what’s recommended on your box mix. Also be sure to check the cake a few minutes before the box says to – just in case.
What I Would Change
While this cake turned out quite well, there are some small things I’d probably change next time.
I would probably make just a bit more glaze. There was almost enough, but another tablespoon or two more would’ve made this feel more complete.
I might also add some more lemon zest. This has a decent lemon flavor, but I may have preferred it a bit more lemon-y.
I also might use a single large peel of zest in the glaze that I remove before adding the glaze. It never happened, but I felt like the lemon zest in the glaze would make a few unpleasant appearances.
What to Eat With Lemon Cake
I think the obvious answer is ice cream. However, fresh fruit is also a nice (and healthier) option. Many sauces would be great with it as well, or even a drizzle of honey.
This cake would also pair well with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Conclusion and Recipe
Below I’ve listed the ingredients, ingredient amounts and steps to make this easy lemon cake.
If you like this recipe, or lemon recipes in general, check out my recipe for blueberry lemon scones.
You can also follow me on Pinterest to see what food I’ve been getting in to.
Ingredients
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, 119 grams
1-3 Tbsps milk, 16-48 grams
small pinch of lemon zest, about 1/4 tsp
1 tsp lemon juice, 5 grams
For the cake:
15.25 oz box of yellow cake mix, 432 grams
1 Tbsp lemon juice, 15 grams
1 Tbsp lemon zest, 6 grams
Makes 1 large lemon cake or 2 smaller cakes
Preparation
Add the glaze ingredients to a bowl, mix, then set aside*.
Add the cake ingredients, as well as the extra ingredients** to a large bowl.
Mix until just combined, then bake according to package directions.
Wait for the cake to cool completely, then stir and pour over the glaze***.
Notes
* Making the glaze now gives the lemon zest time to flavor the other ingredients.
** These would be the ingredients needed on hand to make the cake, in addition to the box mix. This usually includes things like oil and eggs, and should be listed on the back of the box.
*** I recommend giving the glaze time to “settle in” to the cake before serving.
This way, it won’t run off into the pan and will instead soak into the cake.
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