Lemon Cake Slice (Printable)

A moist, tangy lemon slice with delicate crumb and zesty glaze, ideal for afternoon treats.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 g)
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
06 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (60 ml)
07 - 1/4 cup milk (60 ml)
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Lemon Glaze

11 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar (90 g)
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease lightly.
02 - Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; mix until combined.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour; mix just until combined without overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice until smooth and pourable.
09 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cake, slice into 8 squares, and serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's moist and tender without being heavy, which means you can actually enjoy it without feeling guilty.
  • The balance between sweet glaze and tart lemon keeps you coming back for more, even when you meant to stop at one slice.
  • It comes together in under an hour, which makes it perfect for when someone texts that they're popping over.
02 -
  • Don't overbake this cake chasing that perfect toothpick test—it keeps cooking slightly as it cools, and dry lemon cake is sad lemon cake.
  • Use room-temperature eggs and butter; cold ingredients won't emulsify properly, and you'll end up with a grainy, lumpy batter instead of silky smooth.
  • Fresh lemon juice is absolutely worth squeezing yourself; the bottled stuff tastes like sadness, and it's worth thirty seconds of your time.
03 -
  • Microplane your zest directly into the sugar before creaming with butter—the oils from the zest activate the sugar and distribute flavor more evenly throughout the batter.
  • If your cake cracks slightly on top while baking, that's actually a sign it's baking beautifully; those cracks are where the lemon glaze pools and becomes even more delicious.

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