Simple Glazed Sourdough Lemon Cake
Somewhere between a dessert and a quick bread, this sourdough lemon 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 original sourdough discard recipes and still one of my very favorites.
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
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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
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s simple enough to make all the time. Afternoon tea party, spring breakfast time, after school snack, whenever.
There’s no need to wait for anything to ferment or activate or rise; your discard can go straight from the fridge to your mixing bowl.
Tips for Success
Let the cake cool for exactly 15 minutes before glazing so the glaze to partially sinks in but still creates a nice finish.
Don’t skimp on the lemon zest – it’s where most of the flavor comes from.
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 never use the baking soda. I prefer it with only baking powder because it has 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 by using a cake tester or a toothpick and remember that baking powder and baking soda should be replaced every 6 months.
The cake will look quite brown before it’s fully baked trust your cake tester more than the color. If it’s underbaked it will sink when you pull it out.
Ingredients and Equipment
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Sourdough discard: Can be used straight from the fridge – any level of activity is fine
Fresh lemons: Essential for both juice and zest – bottled juice won’t give you the same bright flavor
Baking powder: Must be fresh (within 6 months) for proper rise
Equipment: While an electric mixer makes things easier, you can make this by hand. A loaf pan or 9×9 square pan both work beautifully
Boston International Ceramic Nesting Prep Bowls, 3 Sizes, Painterly LemonsOriginal Heart Bread Loaf Pan Stoneware Loaf Pan, Green Meatloaf Pan, Loaf Pans For Baking Bread, Nonstick Bread Pans, Retangular Bread Baking Pan for KitchenLemon Zester Grater, Citrus Zester Grater with Handle, Kitchen Gadgets for Cheese, Lemon, Chocolate, Nutmeg, Ginger, Fruit, Vegetable, Stainless Steel Micro Cheese Grate, Dishwasher Safe(Narrow)
Make It Your Own
- Swap the lemon for orange or lime.
- Add 1/2 cup of poppy seeds for a classic lemon poppyseed loaf.
- Try melted butter instead of oil for a richer flavor.
Common Questions
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.
Like all the best recipes, this cake is quick for busy weekdays but good enough for company. Keep this one in your back pocket, and be sure to let me know how you like it.
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
Very nice! Thanks for sharing.
I used more lemon juice!
Tastes super nice
Was a bit skeptical having never made a cake using sourdough discard, but very pleasantly surprised at the outcome. No weird flavours, just a really super lemony cake. Great, thank you.
I promise to never give you a recipe with weird flavors! 🙂 glad you enjoyed it
I tried this in a 9×9 glass pan, and it turned out great! I did add extra lemon juice and extra lemon zest since I’d read several comments that suggested that. It’s light and just a little sweet, with a nice lemony flavor. Thanks so much for sharing – delicious!
so glad you liked it kay!! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! So easy since I finally made a working starter.
This turned out so well and was just delicious! I live at high altitude and baking can be a real challenge here because things tend to rise very quickly at first and then sink in the middle. The sourdough really seemed to help. I did use brand-new baking powder (cut it back just a bit), made sure the eggs were at room temperature and skipped the soda. I think the basic recipe would lend itself well to some nice variations, too.
I made this today and it was SO good!!! My favorite lemon cake from now on!! Thanks for the recipie ????
yay! I’m so happy to hear that Emilia!
The bread/cake (I did not use baking soda) was moist and had a nice crumb but it was not lemony enough for me. I think it needs lots more lemon zest and juice to give it more flavor.
I should have read the reviews first. I will make it again but I’ll definitely add more lemon and sugar to the batter.
Hi aud! Yes the glaze is totally essential for the sweetness and lemon flavor! Did you eat it plain? If so, you’ll absolutely want to increase the sugar and lemon as you said. 🙂
I made this with both the baking powder and soda, in a loaf pan. My daughter gave me a sourdough starter for Mother’s Day and while baking sourdough bread is a beat down I don’t care to do again, I have found that I absolutely love playing with the discard. I’ve made crackers and all kinds of other things, but this lemon cake is my absolute favorite.
Hi, just put the pan in the oven. I have a feeling it’s going to be spectacular! I’d id not have lemon, so I sub orange juice and orang jest! Can’t wait until it’s done.
Love this recipe! Have made it two times already and it is a perfect dessert/snack and easy to make. I used melted butter instead of the oil. Whole family thinks it’s great. It’s worth having a starter just for this.
I’ve made this cake/bread a few times now and each time it’s pronounced as “stupid good” which is the highest compliment you can get around here. Seriously. Simple and delicious to the nth degree! Thanks for a great recipe. We have it in our regular rotation.
that’s great to hear Joan! thank you so much and I’m glad you enjoy it 🙂
Great way to use the sourdough discard! I have used yoghurt instead of milk, and added more lemon zest and lemon juice to the whole recipe and it turned out delicious!
I made this recipe this morning with sourdough starter discard straight from the fridge, plus the optional baking soda, and it turned out absolutely beautifully and was very easy. I subbed half and half for milk since that was all I had, and added a little homemade lavender simple syrup (the flavor didn’t really come through, so I think next time I might try a little lavender extract instead). I also put very thinly sliced lemon slices and a couple sprigs of lavender on top, in lieu of the glaze – the lemon flavor was therefore very mild, but still delicious. The crumb of the cake was so lovely. Will definitely make this again, probably upping both the lemon and lavender flavors.
oh I bet it was beautiful to look with the lemon slices!
Delicious way to use up sourdough discard! Very quick and easy and I had terrific results. Will definitely make this again. Toying around with throwing some blueberries into it for a lemon blueberry flavor.
yes I’ve tried blueberries and it’s delicious! thanks for the review! 🙂
Dooooo iiiit! And send me some ????
I removed the soda and used a bit over the half cup of sugar. This was delicious, light, moist and fluffy. Everyone that tasted it was so impressed.
Has anyone tried to make this vegan, with flax eggs and alternative milk, like almond or oat?
I have made it vegan with flax eggs and plant milk and it totally worked.
I also blended a whole lemon that was given me by an italian fresh from Italy, the lemon added a little too much liquid and I had to cook it it longer but the flavour was amazing. I upped the lemon juice content in the glaze also. Going to make it again this weekend.
This turned out beautifully, so light with a hint of lemon. Used applesauce in place of oil. Made in cake pan, cut into fourths to freeze to enjoy later. Thank you for sharing. I’ll definitely make again.
Light fluffy and delicious. Made a double batch
12 muffins, 4 small bundt, 1 loaf.
Lemon was doubled.
Coconut cream cheese glaze on half
Lemon poppy seed glaze on half
Excellent recipe would definitely make again
This was delicious! Easy to make and it turned out gorgeous. However, for a lemon cake I expected a lot more lemon flavor in the cake itself. The glaze tasted like lemonade, but the cake neither smelled nor tasted like lemon. I didn’t really expect it to, with only one teaspoon each of lemon juice and lemon zest for a whole loaf! If you want the cake to taste really lemony, increase both zest and juice to at least 3 teaspoons, maybe 4. (and possibly reduce the milk by a few teaspoons) I used the zest and juice of one lemon for the recipe as written, so two should be enough to really get good lemon flavor.
The crumb of the cake was delightful, and overall it tasted a bit like a lightly lemon-flavored doughnut in bread form.
I’m looking forward to making this but I’m writing to thank you for having a no nonsense food site. I’m often overwhelmed by how much people write before they get to the food part and we’re all here for the food (not your wonderful aunt Shirley who I’m sure is just a lovely lady indeed). I’m all about getting right to the point. I’m enjoying reading all of your recipes. That’s what I truly want to read. Sorry aunt Shirley.
hi rose, how funny! I don’t have time to write long stories anyway! ????