Sourdough Lemon Cake with Glaze

A deliciously sweet and tender cake made with discarded sourdough starter, this sourdough lemon cake is one of the yummiest ways to avoid food waste.

💡Are you unfamiliar with the world of sourdough? Visit the beginners guide to sourdough baking, or get started with a sourdough starter of your own from scratch!

Some of the best sourdough discard recipes are breakfast recipes, because sourdough bakers typically discard and feed their starter in the morning. And this lemon cake makes the perfect breast (or snack! or dessert!) that the whole family will love.

There’s no sour taste, just a bright lemon flavor and plenty of sweetness and tartness from the glaze.

The ingredients you’ll need

For the cake

• ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional, for a more “quick bread” texture vs cake)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ cup sourdough starter, discard
• ¾ cup milk

For the glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Step by step sourdough lemon cake

Making the batter

This recipe is easy as can be. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 with the rack in center.

Prepare your pan with non stick cooking spray. I like to use a loaf pan so it feels acceptable to serve this lemon cake as a breakfast. But a square cake pan works very well too!

Combine the oil, sugar, and eggs, in a bowl with an electric mixer. It will just take a minute.

In a separate bowl, mix up the dry ingredients. Add them to the sugar mixture ⅓ at a time. So add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk. Add another third, stir in the sourdough starter. Add the last third and gently stir.

Finally, mix in the lemon juice and zest by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top will crack. If you’re using a square cake pan, it will be done in 40-50 minutes.

Making and pouring the glaze

Set the cake, still in its pan, onto a cooling rack and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, let’s mix up the glaze. It will all fit in just a small bowl.

Mix up ½ cup of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest. Pour it over the slightly cooled cake while it’s still in the pan. After a few more minutes, the glaze will cool and harden. At this point, remove the cake and let it finish cooling on a cooling rack.

When completely cool, slice and serve!

You can always double this recipe and freeze one. Make sure it is fully cooled before you freeze it. Make the lemon glaze after its defrosted.

To prevent sinking

A few readers have noted that their lemon cake has collapsed after baking. Since receiving that feedback I’ve added some baking soda to the recipe to help leaven it further.

The baking soda is optional and will produce a lighter cake. I prefer it with only baking powder because it is a denser, more pound cake like texture.

The two most common causes of this are an underdone cake or inactive baking powder/ baking soda.Make sure your cake is fully baked before baking by using a cake tester and remember that baking powder and baking soda should be replaced every 6 months.

Want more sourdough cake recipes?

• Sourdough coffee cake is swirled through with cinnamon sugar and is absolutely delicious.
• Shredded carrots, golden raisins, and a perfectly sweet and tangy cream cheese topping come together in sourdough carrot cupcakes.
• Another sweet breakfast favorite is sourdough banana bread.

📖 Here’s the recipe

If you love this recipe, please give it five stars!

4.7 from 33 votes

Glazed Sourdough Lemon Cake

Print Recipe

A sweet and delicious lemon cake made with your discarded sourdough starter.  Perfect as a breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:50 mins

Ingredients

For the Cake

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda optional, see notes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard
• ¾ cup milk

For the Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center.  Prepare a loaf pan or 9 x 9 square cake pan with cooking spray.
• Combine the vegetable oil, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until well combined.
• Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and add to the sugar mixture ⅓ at a time, alternating. with the milk and the sourdough starter.  Mix on low until just combined.  Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest by hand.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes (for the loaf pan) or 40-50 minutes (for the square pan) until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Place on a wire rack.  And allow to cool. about 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice for the glaze.  Pour over the still-warm cake.  After the glaze has soaked in and hardened, remove cake from pan and allow to finish cooling on wire rack.  Slice and serve once cool.

Notes

Making this recipe with the additional baking soda will produce a lighter, more quick bread-like cake.  Baking with only baking powder will produce a denser, pound cake like texture.

Cake will keep fresh at room temperature a day or two.

Can be frozen if allowed to cool completely and then wrapped tightly.  Glaze after its defrosted.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough breakfast recipe, sourdough discard recipes, sourdough lemon cake, sourdough quick bread

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 242kcal

Author: Katie Shaw

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