This simple Lemon Cake is sweet, zesty, and just a little bit tangy! Paired with Vanilla Chantilly Cream (also known as vanilla whipped cream) and a Lemon Glaze, it’s the perfect homemade dessert! You can really taste the fresh lemon flavor in the cake and in the lemon glaze. Plus, it’s super easy and fuss-free, making it perfect for a last-minute dessert!
As I have said many, many times on this blog, I am not a baker! It’s something that’s never come naturally to me. Yes, I am one of those people who can mess up even a boxed cake mix. But I am trying to be better! I’ve been baking my way through several cookbooks and blogs, and learning a lot along the way.
Enter this Lemon Cake. I started my research with Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Lemon Cake, which came out amazing (she is really top notch). Then I went on to trying other lemon cakes from cookbooks and/or blogs, to find out what I really thought would make the best cake. But I would be remiss if I didn’t give Sally credit!! :)
The result is a cake that is just a bit tangy, moist, and a little bit dense for that luscious mouthfeel. (Meaning, it’s not airy like an angel food cake!) On top, I paired a Vanilla Chantilly Cream that’s mixed long enough to be strong enough for a base for fruits. I know you’ll love it, enjoy! :)
For more delicious, lemon-y flavors, you’ll love my Pink Lemon Curd, this Lemon Herb Orzo, or this spicy Lemon Peel Chili Crisp!
A quick disclaimer…
From 2025 on, I will be posting ALL of my baking recipes in grams. I’m sorry, you will have to get a food scale! 😭 I have this one from KitchenAid (affiliate link) and it’s amazing and super, super easy to use.
Why am I doing this? Because throughout my baking travails, I have come to agree with the consensus that using cups is very unreliable. Any professional or experienced baker will tell you to bake in grams. Why? Because the way one person packs a cup of flour can be wildly different than the way someone else does it. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s the 411 from Martha Stewart’s site:
At its core, baking is a science that relies on chemical reactions to bind ingredients, leaven batters, and develop complex flavors. Thus, it’s important to accurately measure ingredient, and a scale is the best candidate for the job. Take flour, for example. “When using a scale, [every] time you measure 22 grams of flour, it will be 22 grams of flour. It’s exact and there’s no room for error,” explains Melissa Cassese, baker and owner of Sweetie Pies.
This is why I’m going to be only posting recipes using a scale going forward. I cannot guarantee my recipes unless I know that the reader is using the exact same quantity of ingredients as the recipe. Here’s why (also from Martha Stewart):
On the contrary, using measuring cups will yield different amounts due to each home baker’s preferred techniques, says Trung Vu, chef-instructor of pastry and baking arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. “Some dip and sweep (overfilling and then leveling off), some pack the cup tightly, and some just shake off the excess,” he explains. These different techniques can incorporate more or less air into the cup, resulting in varying amounts of each ingredient.
With all of that said, I am very sorry for those who are still using cups! But I have to maintain my integrity as a recipe creator, and I can’t do that without accuracy. Unlike cooking, which is more DIY-able, baking requires exact measurements. So definitely get yourself a kitchen scale so we can get baking! :) And this Lemon Cake is the perfect place to start!
Lemon Cake w/ Vanilla Chantilly Cream
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale I use this one and it's excellent
- 9" Springform Pan
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 200 Grams Granulated Sugar
- Zest from 1 Lemon
- 113 Grams Unsalted Butter one stick, at room temperature
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp Freshly-Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 83 Grams Whole Milk at room temperature
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 180 Grams All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Sea Salt about 1/8 tsp
Lemon Glaze
- 120 Grams Powdered (Confectioner's) Sugar
- 75 Grams Freshly-Squeezed Lemon Juice from about 2 lemons
Vanilla Chantilly Cream
- 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
- 70 Grams Powdered (Confectioner's) Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Optional Toppings
- Fresh Berries like raspberries or cherries
- Edible Flowers like chamomile
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prep a 9" springform pan by buttering the bottom and inner sides, then lining with parchment paper. You should use just enough butter to let the parchment paper stick onto the bottom and sides. When done, set aside.
- Measure out your sugar into a stand mixer bowl or another large bowl.
- Wash and dry two lemons. Then, zest them into the sugar. Once you've fully zested the lemons, rub the zest into the sugar using your hands. The sugar should become fragrant and lemon-y. Do this for about 20-30 seconds.
- Add your butter to the sugar, and cream them together on medium speed using a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer. You want to see the butter and sugar completely incorporated, and the butter starting to get fluffy. This will depend on the temperature of your butter, but it'll usually take about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add in the eggs, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix again on medium-low speed until everything is fully incorporated.
- Then, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and mix by hand with a spatula until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan, and use the spatula to level out the top.
- Bake the cake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to check often – all ovens are different and cook times can vary. When done, set aside to cool in the springform pan.
Lemon Glaze
- Add your lemon juice to a medium mixing bowl, then sift in the powdered sugar. You want to make sure the sugar is sifted to remove any clumps.
- Whisk the lemon juice and sugar together, then set aside. The texture should be a little runny, which is what we're looking for.
Vanilla Chantilly Cream
- Add the cream to another stand mixer bowl or another large mixing bowl. On medium speed using the whisk attachment or a hand-mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. The mixture should look softer than regular whipped cream, and should stick together but not hold a shape.
- Sift the powdered sugar into the whipped cream (be sure to sift to avoid clumps), and add in the vanilla extract.
- Continue mixing the cream until stiff peaks form. We're aiming for a texture that is just a bit firmer than regular whipped cream, because it's acting as the frosting for the cake.
Putting It All Together
- Once the cake is totally cooled in the baking pan, poke holes in it using a toothpick. (Don't remove the cake from the pan just yet.) Then, pour the lemon glaze over the top until it's completely coated.
- Take the cake out of the pan and put it on a plate or cake tray.
- Add the Chantilly cream on top using a spatula. On top, add berries, edible flowers, or any in-season fruits you like.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to use the ingredients at room temperature as I’ve written above! Putting cold milk into softened butter, for example, can cause it to clump up. You definitely don’t want that!
- I didn’t list the pint of cream in grams because here in America, cream is almost always sold in pints. But for the record, one pint of heavy cream is approximately 480 grams.
Nutrition
Lemon Cake w/ Vanilla Chantilly Cream FAQs
What is Chantilly Cream?
Chantilly Cream, or Crème Chantilly, is a French preparation of sweetened whipped cream. In this recipe, however, I have you make the Chantilly Cream a little firmer than usual, because it’s acting as the frosting of this cake. I wanted it to be able to hold up to any toppings you might like to add!
Is Chantilly Cream the same thing as whipped cream?
They’re very similar! Traditional whipped cream is usually not sweetened, where Chantilly Cream is intentionally sweetened. I also added vanilla to this recipe for extra flavor.
What are the ingredients in a lemon cake?
This lemon cake is pretty simple, and has all the usual suspects – flour, eggs, butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, etc.
Why doesn’t my lemon cake taste like lemon?
It means you didn’t incorporate the lemon zest enough! The strongest lemon flavor comes from the zest, which is why it’s important to rub it into the sugar really well. Doing this helps the oil from the lemon peel get infused into the sugar, which distributes it in the cake!
How to make lemon drizzle cake more lemony?
If you want, you can add more lemon zest to the glaze for extra lemon-y flavor! However, this lemon cake has plenty of flavor without it, so it’s up to you :)
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes, dinner parties, and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
Leave a Reply