Somewhere between a dessert and a quick bread, this lemon loaf cake mixes up quickly and gives you a nice moist loaf. But the really good part is the lemony sugar glaze that you pour on top while it’s still warm. So good. Often imitated, never duplicated, it’s one of my most popular recipes and still one of my very favorites.
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 breakfast (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.
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Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
I’ve included baking soda as an optional addition because some readers have reported their cake collapsing after baking. This is usually because your cake is underbaked! But if you want a lighter texture (more of a quick bread), you can add baking soda. I prefer this recipe with just baking powder, which gives more of a pound cake texture.
For the Cake:
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard can be used straight from the fridge
- ¾ cup milk
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Optional Addition:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda add this if you want a lighter cake or if yours has sunk before
You can double this recipe and make two loaves or one larger cake in a 13×9. If you’re looking for a frosted cake for a party, you might prefer this sourdough lemon sheet cake with buttercream frosting.
In the recipe card at the bottom of this post, you can click the 2x button and it will double the ingredients for you.
How to Make
This recipe is easy as can be.
Baking the Cake
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, including the baking soda if you’re using it. 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.
Set the cake, still in its pan, onto a cooling rack and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
Making the Glaze
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 teaspoons 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 it’s defrosted.
Storage Instructions
Keep this cake at room temperature for up to 3 days – just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. The glaze actually helps keep it moist, so don’t skip it!
Freezing: This cake freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, wrap it well, and freeze WITHOUT the glaze. Add the glaze after thawing.
My favorite trick: Glaze and slice the whole cake, then wrap individual slices and freeze them. Perfect for grabbing one slice at a time for lunch boxes or quick snacks. They thaw in about 20 minutes on the counter.
Simple Swaps You Might like
- Make it blueberry lemon by folding in ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- Switch out the lemon for orange or lime (keep the amounts the same)
- Bake as muffins instead (bake about 20 minutes, makes 1 dozen)
Questions and Troubleshooting
Usually this means it’s slightly underbaked or your leavening agents aren’t fresh. Try adding a teaspoon of baking soda along with the powder for extra insurance.
A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, and the cake should spring back when lightly pressed.
This recipe gets deep golden brown before it’s actually done – trust your toothpick over the color. Underbaked cake will sink when you pull it out.
Nope, that’s totally normal and actually a good sign it’s properly baked. The glaze will settle into those cracks and make it even more delicious.
Printable Recipe
Glazed Sourdough Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh 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
Make the Cake
- Prep. 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.
- Wet ingredients. Combine the vegetable oil, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Dry ingredients and milk. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and add to the sugar mixture 1/3 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 and cool. 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. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes in the pan.
Make The Glaze
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Love,
I’m just getting ready to make this … I think the instructions should include what size loaf pan. Probably a 9×5 (if you are using a 9×9″ square pan as an alternative), but it would be nice to be sure.
Also – a suggestion: if you mix the milk & sourdough starter, it will be easier to mix in.
I adapted this and added to the sourdough ripe the milk and flour. Left it for about 2-3 hours and then added little by little the mix sugar, oil etc and with just a hint of baking powder, because I wanted to be more natural, because of the phosphates in the baking powder. And it turned out very good. I think I’ll just skip it completely next time. I’ve already tried it with another cake and it went fine. Thank you for this recipe.
Sound like a nice cake to make
I am obsessed with this wonderful recipe!! I’ve made it four times. I’ve frozen it with the glaze on, and it is still delicious when thawed out. This is my favorite sourdough recipe I’ve tried, including actual sourdough bread (ha)! I add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice to the batter.
Have made this tasty loaf 3 times, turned my friend on to a few slices. She has made 4 loaves.
They are sooooo lemony. Will add 2T of poppy seeds next time.
I tried poppyseeds last week and loved it. hope you do too!
OMG wow is this ever good, I knew before I baked this it was going to be good because of all the bubbles. I made the recipe exactly as posted. It was so light and fluffy. I might add a touch more lemon next time because I love lemon
so happy you liked it! yes many people have added more lemon with good results!
Hi! This looks amazing!!!! Have you tried this as muffins?
hi jen, a few readers have tried with good results! start checking them at 25 minutes.
I’ve made this lemon loaf several times now and have to say we love it. So easy to make and delicious tasting.??
Why, oh why don’t the bakers slice these things open so I can see the crumb? The loaf looks great in the photo, but I wanna see the inside. I’ve never tried discard cake and I’m very interested to see bakers’ results.
check out this link from Pinterest, it shows many people who have baked this recipe and uploaded their own photos showing the crumb 🙂
I took one of the other reviewer’s suggestions, and used buttermilk. Otherwise kept everything the same. It was SO delicious, especially with the lemon zest. I also appreciate finding a good use for some of my discard.
I need to try with buttermilk! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Absolutely love this recipe! The cake is moist and light. Will definitely make it again, especially as I don’t think it will survive the day… it’s being devoured! Thank you for a great recipe!
so happy you liked it Lisa 🙂
This recipe is so delicious. I made it in 3 mini loaf pans and they are just so pretty and the taste is perfect. I was worried about rise as my discard had been in the fridge collecting for a while, but I didn’t want them to taste dry, so I used 1/2 tsp of baking soda and they did not have any issues. They were still moist and delicious. I was happy that the recipe only calls for 1.5 cups of flour and uses a generous amount of discard. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am already making my second batch of 3 miniature loafs.
thank you Valerie 🙂 I love doing them as mini loaves now as well!
Katy I would like to know if I can use buttermilk instead of milk?
yes that should be fine it will just be extra tangy 🙂
Can report adding full lemon of juice + zest in batter then finishing with cream cheese frosting is also yum!
Made this lovely lemon loaf cake this morning and it’s a keeper, easy and yummy 🙂 Great way to use leftover starter. FYI, I used 3 mini-loaf pans and baked for 40 mins. @ 350 degrees. Cooked all the way through, no sinking. I recommend oiling only the bottom of the pan to avoid shrinkage inwards on the sides. Thank you for this great recipe!
Definitely a keeper! My 6 yr old is obsessed with bundt cakes, so I doubled the recipe and added a splash of vanilla. It filled a regular bundt pan perfectly! 70 minutes at 325, and it turned out gorgeous and yummy. Thanks for the recipe!
I MUST try it as sourdough bundt cake. love this idea! 🙂
Did you pour glaze over while still in the Bundt pan or remove it and drizzle over so the glaze was on the top?
How lemony is the cake?
I
the cake has a mild flavor but the glaze. is very lemony. many people have doubled the zest and juice in the cake for a sharper flavor.
I look forward to trying this today!
But I also wanted to let you know you have a very funny typo in here…
“And this lemon cake makes the perfect breast (or snack! or dessert!) that the whole family will love.”
haha oh dear
Followed the recipe exactly, rave reviews from all! Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that Kathy! enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂
Absolutely loved the recipe Katie! The cake comes out so soft and moist. Just melts in your mouth. Was a hit with everyone at home. Going to be a regular discard from now on! I did increase the lemon zest and juice because we like it extra tangy. Thank you!
so glad you liked it! we love it too 🙂
Totally sunk! Even after the baking soda. Was not at all attractive but tasted okay.