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Dessert

Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze

A moist lemon-flavored cake topped with a lemon glaze.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓

Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze

Oven350°F (180°C)
Time25–30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the batter

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.

  2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

  3. In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

  4. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake and glaze

  1. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is lightly golden brown.

  2. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.

  3. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

  4. Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and place it on a wire rack.

  5. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the lemon glaze over the top, allowing it to soak in.

  6. Let the cake cool completely before cutting it into squares.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

857Calories
28 gProtein
26 gFat
124 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together19,187 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

  2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  3. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  4. Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together124,287 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Flour + vanillatop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together19,241 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

All-purpose flour
Provides the structure that holds the cake together as it bakes.
Eggs
Add structure and richness, binding the batter and helping it set.
Unsalted butter
Adds tenderness and flavor, and is creamed with sugar to trap air for lightness.
Granulated sugar
Sweetens the cake and helps create a light texture when creamed with butter.
Baking powder
Releases gas during baking so the cake rises and becomes light.
Lemon zest
Adds bright lemon aroma and flavor to the cake itself.

The step that matters

Mixing the flour and milk into the batter. Alternating dry and wet additions and mixing only until just combined keeps the batter smooth. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cake tough and dense.

Swap the lemon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, egg, milk, vanilla):

  1. Figfits better
  2. Raisinfits better
  3. Coconutfits better
  4. Lemonthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, butter, egg, milk, vanilla. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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