{RECIPE} Quick and Zesty Lemon Cake Perfect for a Last Minute Thanksgiving Dessert

by Jillian Leslie on

We needed a quick dessert to take to my husband’s family tomorrow for Thanksgiving, and since lemon cake is his favorite dessert, and my mother-in-law’s too, and we have a gorgeous lemon tree in our backyard with way too many lemons, we decided to make a lemon cake.

It turned out wonderfully! It’s zesty and sweet and easy, what a perfect combination! I can’t wait to share it tomorrow with his family.

QUICK AND ZESTY LEMON CAKE

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom of a 9″ round or 8″ square cake pan. Grease the parchment and sides with a little butter.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir and set aside.

Add the butter (room temperature), sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a large mixing bowl. If you like sweeter cakes, you can add an extra 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat on high with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk.

Mix in the dry ingredients in 2-3 batches. Stir until just it just comes together; you don’t want to over mix.

Pour the batter into the pan, and cook for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick, and take it out of the oven when it comes out clean.

Let it cool for 10 minutes, then flip it over onto a wire rack. If you are going to frost it, let it cool completely.

If you want something with that extra lemony punch, this cake goes great with a lemon glaze. All you need is 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of hot water. Whisk together and drizzle over the cake. You can add additional water or sugar to adjust the consistency.

I wanted to try something more decorative, so I pulled out my Cricut Mini and cut out a flower shape to use with powdered sugar.

I placed it on the cake.

Sprinkled powered sugar on top.

Removed the paper flower and added just a touch more powered sugar. I loved how it turned out.

And here’s the cake ready to eat!

And the first piece!

I wish you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!! I can’t wait to see what you do. Please add your celebrations to our site so I can show them off.

Quick and Zesty Lemon Cake

This cake is perfect for any holiday celebration. Have fun making different designs for every occasion.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 549kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter 1 cup
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • Zest of two medium lemons or one large lemon – about 2-3 loose tablespoons
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar for decoration

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350. Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom of a 9″ round or 8″ square cake pan. Grease the parchment and sides with a little butter.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir and set aside.
  • Add the butter (room temperature), sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a large mixing bowl. If you like sweeter cakes, you can add an extra 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat on high with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk.
  • Mix in the dry ingredients in 2-3 batches. Stir until just it just comes together; you don’t want to over mix.
  • Pour the batter into the pan, and cook for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick, and take it out of the oven when it comes out clean.
  • Let it cool for 10 minutes, then flip it over onto a wire rack. If you are going to frost it, let it cool completely.
  • For powdered sugar decoration, cut a shape out of paper and rest it on the cake. Dust powdered sugar over the edges of the template, then carefully lift it off.

Notes

If you want something with that extra lemony punch, this cake goes great with a lemon glaze. All you need is 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of hot water. Whisk together and drizzle over the cake. You can add additional water or sugar to adjust the consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 854IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

And here’s our lemon tree. Told ya we had a lot of lemons. Any recommendations for recipes we should try?

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