Snackie Hour: Lemon Cake Recipe

Anyone who has been to a Silver Lake Reading Club event has likely had a taste of Helen's legendary baked goodies. This lemon cake is a perfectly tart and sweet summery treat.

Helen’s perfect summer lemon cake

Citrus grows in abundance here in Los Angeles. My street in Silver Lake is practically overgrown with it. I have huge grapefruit and pomelo trees in my yard. And my good friend a few doors down has the most abundant lemon tree I think I’ve ever seen. I get bags of lemons from her weekly.

Lemon Tree in Silver Lake

I love flavor profiles that are tart and sweet. When I embarked on developing a lemon cake recipe, I wanted it to be as close to the flavour of a lemon bar as possible, but in cake form. I think I got the texture just right. My neighbor’s nine-year-old daughter—who taste-tests all my desserts—tells me every time I see her that this is her favorite one I make. I love this recipe because it is just 10 ingredients, and so incredibly versatile. For my neighbor with the big lemon tree, I made a cupcake version with a strawberry-mint jam center and lemon buttercream topping. No wonder she keeps bringing me more lemons!

Enjoy!

xo, Helen

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• zest 2 lemons

• 1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt

• 1 cup white granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking power

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line a 13 x 9–inch baking pan with parchment paper.

3. In a large mixing bowl with your mixer set to slow, blend eggs with sugar and then slowly incorporate the oil.

4. Add lemon juice and zest, and blend for a few seconds.

5. Add sour cream and blend until incorporated.

6. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.

7. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet batter, keeping mixer on slow. Do not over mix.

8. Pour mixture into the baking pan.

9. Bake in middle rack of the oven for 40–45 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean.

Let cool for an hour before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with coffee or tea.