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If you’re a fan of lemon desserts, then you’ll love this bright, irresistible Lemon cake with Glaze.
This easy cake is filled with a zesty syrup and topped with a 2-ingredient frosting, all bursting with lemon flavor! It’s both sweet and tangy, and sure to be a hit with everyone!
Serve the cake as a delicious everyday treat, or make it the centerpiece for your next spring gathering.
It’s also the perfect dessert for Easter, topped with mini chicks or chocolate Easter eggs for a festive touch.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Lemon Cake with Glaze
- Easy to make: If I can make it, so can you.
- Showstopping and versatile: With its beautiful, simple design, this dessert is sure to impress whether you serve it for everyday, special occasions, or even the holidays.
- Super moist cake: The lemon glaze seeps into the cake, making it light, airy, and so delicious.
Lemon Cake with Glaze Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Lemon: Medium- to large-sized, preferably organic (we need to use the peel). Be sure to avoid the white pith.
- Butter: I prefer salted butter, but unsalted is fine, too.
- Cane sugar: Or granulated.
- Greek yogurt: I use 10% Greek yogurt, but you can also use 2%.
- Plain flour: All-purpose flour gives us that cake texture.
- Baking powder: Makes the cake airy and light.
- Vanilla paste: Adds a sweet aromatic flavor that pairs well with the lemon.
- Lemon juice, water, and cane sugar: For the lemon syrup.
- Powdered sugar and lemon juice: Combine to make the frosting. You can include the zest here, too.
How to Make a Lemon Cake with Glaze
- Prepare the ingredients: Zest and juice the lemons. Save 3/4 lemon to garnish.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Start beating the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add an egg at a time. Whisk in between. Lastly, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and Greek yogurt.
- Add the dry ingredients: Fold in the flour and baking powder. Don’t overwhip.
- Bake: Pour into a prepared tin and bake at 180°C / 356°F for around 35 minutes.
- Make the syrup: Add sugar, water, and lemon juice to a small pot over low-medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Skewer the warm cake all over (about halfway through) and spoon over the syrup.
- Frosting: Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Frost the cake when it has cooled. Top with lemon halves.
Tips for Success
- Use a scale to measure out the ingredients.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour.
- Make sure the lemon syrup does not boil, as it can become bitter.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Add the liquid slowly to the powdered sugar when making the lemon frosting. It needs to be firm enough to stay on top of the cake but runny enough to spread out and cover it.
Possible Variations
- Lemon: Swap for orange, mandarin, lime, or grapefruit.
- Greek yogurt: Creme fraiche, buttermilk, plain yogurt, or omit.
- Cane sugar: Try granulated sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
- Plain flour: Cake flour is a great alternative.
- Add-ins: Add raspberries or blueberries.
- Frosting: You can make a cream cheese-based lemon frosting or top with lemon curd and whipped cream instead.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep the cake in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for 2-3 days. If it’s very hot where you are, the cake is best kept in the refrigerator.
FAQs
You can freeze the syruped cake without the frosting. Let it cool, then freeze it for up to 1 month. Thaw it on the kitchen counter and top it with frosting when it’s no longer frozen.
There are a few reasons, including underbaking, expired baking powder, too much baking powder, overmixing, or opening the oven door too soon.
This cake is definitely for the lemon enthusiast (it has lemon in the actual cake, the glaze, and the frosting)! Also, the added Greek yogurt keeps the cake light and moist, and its natural tang adds a refreshing flavor.
More Desserts
If you make this recipe or any other recipe on Foodbites, then I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment and rating below.
Lemon Cake with Glaze
Equipment
- round bake tin 20 cm
Ingredients
Cake
- 200 grams cane sugar
- 140 grams butter, salted, soft
- 3 eggs
- 100 grams Greek yogurt, or creme fraiche
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 200 grams plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
Glaze
- 25 grams cane sugar
- 25 ml water
- ¼ lemon, juiced
Icing
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
Garnish
- ¾ lemon
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) on top and bottom heat.
- Whisk the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until light and fluffy (I use a hand whisk).
- Add one egg at a time, incorporating each in between.
- Top the batter with the juice and zest from 1 lemon, along with the Greek yogurt. Whisk again.
- Fold in the flour and baking powder.
- Pour the batter into a prepared baking tin lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Syrup
- Add all the ingredients to a small pot over low-medium heat until the sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Icing
- Mix the lemon juice with powdered sugar to make a thick, white icing. You may need to add a few more drops of lemon juice or water to make it just right (depending on the size of your lemon).
Assemble
- Stick a skewer into the top of the cake (about halfway through). I made about 50 small holes.
- Spoon the syrup over the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely.
- Once cool, pour the icing on top of the cake. You can let it drip over the sides or leave it only on the top.
- Garnish with lemon slices.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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thank you so much
The cake was good, but I do feel like the lemon juice in the icing made the lemon flavor too overpowering. I think a nice balance would have been to make the icing with a mixture of vanilla extract and water so there is a balance of sweet-and-sour. As there is already lemon juice and lemon zest in the batter.
Hi Candice, Thank you so much for your kind review. There’s definitely A LOT of lemon flavor in this cake (we’re big lemon fans here). Switching it up with a less tangy icing is a great idea! Wishing you a Happy Easter x Sine