Lemon Loaf Cake (super moist and fluffy)
Click the stars to rate!
You’ve probably already noticed: I’m a huge lemon fan, both in cooking and baking! For me, the French classic lemon loaf cake (aka cake au citron) is one of the most comforting and delicious cakes. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s when it’s all dry or has no lemon taste. Here’s my favorite recipe for an ultra-soft, lemony lemon cake that holds together perfectly for a few days!
In This Post
For me, this is by far the best lemon cake recipe in terms of texture. And I’ll tell you my secret right away: I soak the cake in a homemade lemon syrup after baking.
This is a tip given to me by a pastry chef to make the cake ultra moist and give it an even more pronounced taste! It’s also an excellent recipe for a birthday cake. If you’re a lemon fan, try my lemon tart (Tarte au Citron) or lemon possets (a lemon cream served in lemon halves)! These are two super lemony desserts that are sure to please.
Recipe Card
Lemon Loaf Cake (super moist and fluffy)
Click on the stars to rate!
Equipment
- 1 cake pan (8 inche long)
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 lemons organic for the zest
- 3/4 cup sugar (150g)
- 4 eggs
- 1.5 + 2 Tbsp cups all-purpose flour (200g)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch (50g)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (7g)
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup yogurt (125g)
- 4.5 oz butter melted (125g)
- 1 dash of vanilla extract
- Icing sugar optional
For the lemon syrup
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 180°C (350°F) conventional / 160°C (320°F) convection.
- Grate the lemon zest and rub it with the sugar to extract the essential oils. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until the mixture thickens.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Incorporated half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, mix well, then pour in the yogurt.
- Incorporate the remaining dry ingredient mix, and finish with the melted butter. Pour the cake batter in a prepared load pan greased with butter or covered with parchment paper. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat water, lemon juice, and sugar over low heat in a small saucepan until the sugar melts.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Make small holes in the warm cake with a toothpick and then pour the syrup over the cake in the cake pan.
- Let it soak the lemon loaf for about 15 minutes, removing any excess juice if necessary. Decorate with icing sugar (optional).
Video
Nutrition
Ingredients for a Lemon Loaf Cake
The good thing with a lemon loaf cake is that you don’t need many ingredients. Here are some tips to make it really moist:
- Lemons: Choose fresh, organic or untreated lemons, as you’ll need the zest. Some recipes call for just one lemon, but if you’re a lemon lover like me, use two lemons!
- All-purpose and cornstarch: I like to use both flour and little cornstarch to lighten the cake and make it even softer.
- Yogurt: Here too, yoghurt adds an even softer texture. I like to use 10% fat Greek yogurt, but you can use any type of yogurt or even sour cream (or crème fraîche-9.
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Butter: Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled so that it doesn’t cook the eggs when incorporated into the dough. You can replace butter with a neutral vegetable oil, in which case count only 80% (e.g. 80 g of oil for 100 g of butter).
- Vanilla: A pinch of vanilla extract for flavor (optional).
- Salt
Lemon Loaf Cake: Step-by-Step
Here’s how I prepare this lemon loaf cake:
- I always start by combining the sugar and lemon zest, then whisk this mixture with the eggs until the mixture whitens.
- Next, I mix the dry ingredients separately before adding them to the egg and sugar mixture in two or three batches.
- In between, I add the yogurt, then the melted butter. I finish with a little vanilla extract.
- I pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake the cake. Note that the recipe is for a cake tin about 20-22 cm long.
The trick to giving your cake that typical loaf shape? Add a line of butter in the center, as shown in the photo!
The Secret to the Perfect Soak
And now, here’s the secret to making this cake super moist: soaking the cake in lemon syrup after baking!
- While the cake is baking, I prepare a lemon syrup with water, fresh lemon juice (lemons from which the zest has been removed) and sugar.
- I let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then prick it with a toothpick before pouring in the syrup while the cake is still in its tin.
- I wait 10 minutes for the cake to absorb the syrup before removing it from the tin and leaving it to cool on a wire rack.
Personally, I don’t need any extra icing on top as this lemon cake is moist and sweet enough, but you can of course add a lemon glaze made from icing sugar and lemon juice.
How to Store Your Lemon Loaf (If You Can Resist It!)
If you don’t eat it all the same day (which takes a hell of a lot of willpower 😉 ), here are my tips for keeping the cake moist for as long as possible:
- Room temperature: Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it carefully in cling film or place in an airtight tin. It will keep for up to 4 days. The plastic wrap prevents moisture from escaping and drying out.
- Forget the fridge! The fridge tends to dry out cake crumbs. Keep it away from light and heat, but in a cupboard or on your work surface.
- Can it be frozen? Yes, no problem! I advise you to cut it into slices and freeze them individually. All you have to do is remove one slice and leave it to defrost at room temperature.
Géraldine’s tips
- Release the essential oils: When mixing lemon zest and sugar, take the time to rub them together between your fingers. This process releases the essential oils from the zest, giving your cake an incredible flavor boost.
- Add the dry ingredients gradually: To avoid lumps in your dough, add the dry ingredients in two or three additions. This method ensures a smooth, homogenous dough.
- Use an electric mixer: I prefer to use an electric mixer to obtain a more homogeneous texture. However, be careful not to overwork the dough once the flour has been added, as you’ll end up with a cake that’s too dense.
- Monitor baking time: Oven temperatures can vary from one kitchen to another, so it’s essential to keep a close eye on the end of baking. After 40 minutes, check your cake’s progress every 5 minutes to make sure it’s cooked through.
More French Cake Recipes
- French Apple Cake
- Super moist marble cake
- Apricot tart with almond cream
- Chocolate hazelnut cake (naturally gluten-free)
FAQ: Lemon cake
Lemon cake can be stored for up to 4 days. Place in an airtight tin or on a plate lined with cling film and leave at room temperature, away from heat and light.
Of course, you can make this cake the day before. Thanks to the lemon syrup, the cake is still very moist the next day.
Yes, of course! Once cooled, wrap the lemon cake tightly in cling film and aluminum foil before placing in an airtight tin or freezer bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Insert a toothpick into the cake: if it comes out dry, the cake is cooked. If the dough still sticks to the toothpick, add another 5 minutes of baking time.
Any idea why the middle of mine sank? My oven was preheated and I checked the loaf at 52 mins and it was finished but the middle dipped.
I’m so sorry that happened! It sounds like the center hadn’t quite set despite the 52 minutes…. Even if a skewer comes out clean, the middle might need a few more minutes. Others common mistakes are either over-mixing the batter or using a ‘heaping’ spoonful of baking powder, which can cause the cake to rise too fast and then collapse. I’d try leaving it in for 5 more minutes next time!
Geraldine, what kind of flour would you recommend to use in the US: all purpose? Cake flour? A mixture?
Thank you.
Ana Posada.
Hi Ana, I recommend all-purpose flour, I will add it to the recipe card 🙂 Thanks!
In France we usually use all purpose flour for this kind of cakes.
Thank you, Ioana that was also my answer 🙂
Amazing cake! So moist, light and lemony! Love, love, love!
Thank you!
this is actually one of the best tasting and straightforward recipe I’ve made. Made it countless times with lots of compliments.
Thank you so much, Amanda, I’m so happy you liked this recipe 🙂
I made your cake yesterday. I had it with my coffee this morning. Its moist and simply delicious. I added lemon glaze for extra lemon flavor. Definitely a keeper. Much better than Starbucks!
Thank you so much, Cindi!
I made your cake yesterday. It was moist and simply delicious. I added lemon glaze just because I love that extra lemon flavor. Definitely a keeper. Better than Starbucks!
Thank you so much, Cindi!
The recipe itself was easy to follow. My cake was very dry. Maybe I mistook a « fan setting » as convection bake. I’ll remake the cake using a smaller cake pan plus bake using a regular setting.
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and sharing your experience! Just to check: did you measure the ingredients by cups or grams? I always recommend using grams for the best accuracy and results. I hope your next bake turns out perfectly! 😊
Hi Géraldine, this recipe is perfect. It is absolutely not dry at all even after 3 days. I made it twice within a week. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🙂
thank you for your kind comment Andrea! 🤗
Hi, in case I dont want have cornstartch, am ı going to use 250 gr of flour? Many thanks
Yes, that’s correct!
Very nice and refreshing cake! Easy to make and it turned out moist and delicious.
Thank you, Carmen!
Good afternoon, I tried this cake today. Mine is not dry, it’ very moist. Delicious.
I’m sorry your cake was too dry, maybe you oven is a bit stronger than mine and it was too long in the oven. Thanks for your comment 🙂
I liked the cake, but personnally I prefer them a bit more fluffy/airy. The trix with lemon water after cooking I can use on other recipes 🙂
Thanks for your comment 🙂
Hi Geraldine
Your recipe card instructions are slightly different from your instructions with photos. Please let me know which one to follow.
For example in your photo instructions you say to add the yoghurt and butter between each batch but in the recipe card it says add butter last. Pls let me know. The recipe looks great otherwise!
Sure, sorry for being slightly unclear. I mean you add for example 1/3 of flour mix, then yogurt, then 2/3 flour mix, butter and rest of flour. You can also start with butter and then yogurt or half / half. The most important is to alternate between liquid and flour to avoid lumps.
too dry..I probably should have taken it out of the oven sooner, but it did not develop a nice brown top crust as shown. disappointed that it was not moist
I’m really sorry it turned out dry… Did you use the fan oven, at 320 °F? I always write in the tips to watch the cake 5 minutes, maybe 10 minutes before the time indicated as each oven is different. Let me know if you try it again.
Wonderful lemon cake!
Thank you so much!