Description
Delightful lemon cake blends Mediterranean zest with creamy textures that dance across palates. Silky layers of citrus-infused sweetness promise pure pleasure for dessert enthusiasts seeking remarkable flavor experiences.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3.4 oz (96 g) instant lemon pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (180 ml) water
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsps water
- 2 tbsps unsalted melted butter
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Setup: Warm the oven to 350F (175C) and meticulously prepare an 8-inch cake pan with butter and flour coating to prevent adherence.
- Base Preparation: Cream butter and sugar vigorously until the mixture transforms into a light, airy consistency, creating a velvety foundation for the cake.
- Egg Integration: Blend eggs individually into the mixture, ensuring a smooth, unified texture that maintains the batter’s delicate structure.
- Citrus Infusion: Introduce freshly grated lemon zest and juice, stirring gently to impart a vibrant, aromatic citrus profile throughout the batter.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, eliminating lumps and ensuring even distribution of dry components.
- Batter Construction: Alternately incorporate dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until a silky, homogeneous blend emerges with a consistent texture.
- Pan Transfer and Baking: Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly and eliminating air pockets with gentle tapping, then bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cooling and Finishing: Rest the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to reach room temperature before adorning with a luminous lemon glaze made by whisking powdered sugar and lemon juice.
- Final Embellishment: Drizzle the tangy glaze over the cooled cake, garnishing with a sprinkle of lemon zest to enhance visual appeal and provide an extra burst of citrus flavor.
Notes
- Buttermilk Substitution: Replace buttermilk with a simple mix of milk and lemon juice to achieve similar tang and moisture if buttermilk is unavailable.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature for smoother blending and consistent cake texture.
- Zest Technique: Use a microplane or fine grater to extract maximum lemon flavor without bitter white pith underneath the citrus skin.
- Prevent Dry Cake: Avoid overmixing batter and overbaking, which can cause dry, tough texture; check cake slightly earlier than recommended baking time for optimal moisture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg