This lovely lemon cake is bright & zesty, easy to make, lower in sugar and fat, and so delicious!
Hello friends! It’s officially summer here! I know that in the US, the ski season is just ending, spring is just springing, and temperatures are wildly swinging, but here in Manila, the summer heat is upon us, with temperatures in the mid to upper 30’s during the day (Celsius, not Fahrenheit!), and not much cooler at night.
So I want to share this light and lemony loaf cake with you today. Because no matter if you’re yearning for Spring, or summer is already here, this bright, citrusy cake will hit the mark. It’s made with low-fat yogurt and lemon juice, giving it a great rise and a perfectly light, velvety crumb. It’s sweet enough without being too sweet, uses significantly less oil than most cakes (and no butter at all!), and is a pretty decent source of protein since it’s made with plenty of low-fat yogurt. I have to say it makes an excellent breakfast with yogurt & fruit, as well as a light dessert or yummy afternoon tea.
I adapted my recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins for this cake. First of all, I realized I didn’t have any poppy seeds, and they’re a bit difficult to get in Manila. And then I discovered, after all these years, that someone in my household (who shall remain unnamed- but isn’t Theda, Tommy, or Sara…) doesn’t even really like poppy seeds! Who knew? Guess you can still find out new things about your spouse after almost 28 years.
So needless to say, the first change I made to this cake was to leave out the poppy seeds! I also tweaked the balance of yogurt, lemon juice, and leavening to give it a good rise without being overly fluffy (which seems fine for muffins, but not so much for a loaf cake.) I upped the lemon flavor with not only the zest from a whole lemon, but also a few drops of lemon essential oil. Essential oils are very pure and very concentrated, so a few drops was plenty to enhance the flavor. If you don’t have essential oil, lemon extract is a good substitute.
This cake comes together really quickly, and you don’t need a mixer since it uses oil instead of butter (healthier too!) You just whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and mix them quickly together. Don’t over-mix the batter or beat it; because it’s fairly low in fat and lower in sugar (more like muffins), over-mixing will make this cake tough.
Once your cake is baked and cooled, it’s time to glaze it. I guess you could omit the glaze if you want to lower the overall sugar even more… but it’s so pretty, and adds a lot of bright lemon-y flavor. So I highly recommend it!
This cake keeps very well for several days. If you’re in Manila, or any other hot climate, store it in the refrigerator; but if it’s still cool where you live, it will keep just fine on the counter. Either way, enjoy!
Happy spring (or summer!)-time, friends!
Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- ½ t. salt
- ¾ cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 eggs
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- 4 T. canola oil
- 3-5 drops lemon essential oil (or extract)
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 T. lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C.) Spray a 9×5″ loaf tin with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs, lemon juice & zest, milk, and oil. Add essential oil or extract and mix well.
- Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, and mix lightly until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
- Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 45 min or until top is golden and wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 min, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze by mixing together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to desired consistency. Pour over cooled cake.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (room temp is fine in moderate climates.)
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze
Serves: ~12 slices
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 slice
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 214 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 6g | 9.2% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.8g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium 220mg | 9.2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 35g | 11.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein 5g | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium 7% | Iron 8% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Expat Dietitian
Looks super yummy!
Thanks, friend! So refreshing in the Manila heat!