Today is June 14th. As I am writing this blogpost, a lemon cake is baking. It is a warm mid-morning. I am calm. I am happy. I am content. The sun is making it’s way through the blinds and a gentle breeze is wafting in. My home smells fantastic. I have been on a creative high and my spirit is still. On this very day, and at this very very moment, I am happy, present and grounded. My 2022 has not been a pleasant year, and whenever I can catch a moment of joy, I grasp it and I let my spirit marinate in it.
I hope on the day I post this recipe that I will be in an even calmer, more grounded and much happier space. I hope joy finds me and chooses me every day. I also hope for you – on the day I *finally* post this recipe, that joy is cozily nested in your heart. I hope you find peace in life’s simple moments. I hope you constantly re-discover yourself and fearlessly choose yourself.
And with that, let us get into today’s beauty of a recipe.
PREP TIME: 10MIN BAKE TIME: 45MIN SERVES: 8
Ingredients
For the cake
1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
2 tablespoons of lemon zest
6 tablespoons of sugar
½ cup of butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
¾ cup of mala
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
For the frosting
150 ml of whipping cream
1 ½ tablespoon of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
Method
Begin by mixing the dry ingredients together (the flour, lemon zest, baking powder). Set aside.
I was debating on weather I wanted warm spices in this cake but decided not to add any because I wanted the lemon to be the stand-out note. For this recipe, we will use both lemon zest and lemon juice.
Lemon zest simply refers to the grated rind of a lemon. That means if you have 10 bob in your pocket, you already have lemon zest available. Ensure you only grate the colored part of the rind. Grating too deep and going into the white part may result in a bitter cake. We want the cake citrusy and lemony- not bitter.
In a different bowl, whisk the sugar and the butter until fluffy.
Crack in your eggs, add the vanilla and whisk until silky. All the ingredients should be at room temperature so that they mix and combine well.
Pour in the lemon juice and mix in.
With majority of the ingredients now combined, we now have just 3 remaining. One ingredient that is paramount to this recipe is the mala. Mala is fermented milk and it makes for an excellent baking ingredient. It ensures everything – in this case lemon cake- is very moist.
As stated in the video, in place of mala, you can use kefir/ plain yoghurt/ buttermilk.
Combine the wet and the dry ingredients and give it a rough mix.
Pour in the mala and mix until the dough is super creamy. Do not overwhip. You can see the consistency from the video at 4.28-4.32.
Pour these in a greased and dusted 9 by 15 baking pan and proceed to bake for 45 minutes. Do not overbake as we want the crumb to remain moist and round.
I was seriously debating on whether I was going to have a frosting for this or not. I was seriously torn and I even asked you guys on twitter. To be honest, the lemon cake would be fantastic either way. I eventually decided to frost it. I had some whipping cream so that is what I went with.
For the frosting: whisk the icing sugar and the sugar until just set. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
Once the cake is baked and cooled, frost it. Do not frost the cake while it is warm, it will melt and you will be hotly disappointed.
Once frosted, slice and serve. What a true beauty!
Very simple but very very delicious!! I love that the lemon notes were very prominent, just as intended! The beautiful citrus notes pot on your palate. The crumb is nice and round and the cake is overall super moist and bouncy.
The frosting definitely elevated the experience of the lemon cake, but honey it would be just as perfect without. And you know what, I will certainly be making this cake on the regular when the days get cold and enjoy it with some tea or custard! So yum!
I cannot wait for you guys to try out this beauty of a recipe!!! And once you do, snap a pic and tag me on any social media platform; I would love to show you off!
Pass by my channel, watch the complimentary video and incase you are yet to, please subscribe! I would love to have you!
Happy Wednesday!
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Hey there! My name is Kaluhi and I love food! Through my blog, I am happy to share with you my self-taught recipes, steeped in nostalgia and the happiest of memories. I hope each recipe you try out is as addictive as the previous one and is shared on a table full of love and hearty laughs!
Here in the States, Starbucks has a lemon loaf that I love. This lemon cake tastes better than theirs, by far! I loved how easy the recipe was to make as well.
It really is the best and I am so so happy you enjoyed!!
The flavor of this cake is redolent with lemon. Having a piece with a cup of tea was a pure delight.
Tea really is the best pairing for this! Happy you loved it!
I was reading your post about the smell of lemon cake filling your home and knew I had to make this. The cake was moist and had the perfect balance of sweet and tart lemon flavor. I loved it. Hoping that you have more moments like this in 2022.
Aaargh so so happy you felt that same magic!!
The lemon zest and juice added so much bright juicy flavor to this cake. I’ll be making it again!
You will love it each time round!!
Your recipe are so so lovely gal good work.very detailed so simple to follow
Happy you enjoyed!
Hey Kaluhi,
Soooooo, no whipping cream for the frosting?
As indicated in the blogpost you have just read : the whipped cream frosting uses whipped cream 🥰
oven settings?
The time and degrees are detailed
This was wholesome. Thank you Kaluhi!
You are most welcome boo!
OMG you were spot on naming this ‘most delightful’ coz it really is so so nice to have
Really is he nicecest🥰!!
I made the cake yesterday for evening tea and it flew off the table. The fam requested for more and U whipped some up for Sunday brunch. We adore this recipe!!
Glad to see it’s a hit in your home!
Favourite lemon cake of all time!!! The lemon flavour is so potent but not in a sour way, more floral (if that makes sense)
Oh it perfectly makes sense! Glad the lemon flavor really popped for you, as it was intended to!
Hapo kwa aroma, I understand what you are saying coz I fall fully inlove with how my home smell that filled my apartment was heavenly!
It makes the house smell so so good!
Made this and added 2 limes (that were about to go bad so I added them in) and it was beautiful. Such a stellar recipe!
Such an awesome combo, and a perfect double-citrus flavor!
Simple Lemon Cake but big + full depth + bold in flavor!!! Thanks for sharing this beautiful recipe with us, its a star!
You are most welcome, Rose!
Just finished baking this cake with my girls for them to carry as part of their snack box. It was fun to do with them for two reasons: simple clear steps that they, too, could understand and do; and a guaranteed perfect outcome so they get to appreciate that diligence yields good effort. They will surely have something to boast about tomorrow!
You are very loved in this house! Thank you for your talent!
Thank you for giving this a shot, and thank you for intorducing me to your girls through my work 🥰
Can I use normal milk for this?
Hey Brad,
No, you cannot. The cake requires the full fat of mala/buttermilk and regular milk may not provide that
I enjoy this most unfrosted, and with tea. Don’t get me wrong it is still damn good frosted, but it is especially comforting simply baked & with tea
It is so so good with tea, especially in the unfrosted state!
The very best I have ever had! It even did not need a syrup for moisture it just remained perfect
Thank you for pointing that out, it can hold a syrup but it doesnt really need any 🥰
Can I do a simple sugar syrup frosting (that white one that cracks abit when dry), would it be great for this cake?
Hey Ginger,
Yes you can
Can I use oil instead of butter?
Hey Stephanie,
No. While oil is often used in baking, for this recipe, it will deny you a full round crumb that is necessary for this cake. Also, using oil will give you a flatter cake, and we want this loaf to have a nice lift like that of a loaf. Use only butter/margerine
I always have a loaf of this cake-loaf in my bread tin. Its the default household treat
🥰🥰🥰