This lemon flavored cake is soft, fluffy and moist. The cake needs just 4 ingredients and doesn’t contain any dairy, butter or oil but you can’t even tell. The cake is light and fluffy but also has a delicate crispy layer.
A slice of lemon cake on a white plate

This lemon cake is an easy cake to make. The cake has a very soft and moist crumb but the bottom of the cake also has a delicate crispy layer that is so enjoyable. It reminds me of when you eat a cake right after it has baked, except the crispy layer is still crispy even the next day.

This cake is a lemon version of my 3 Ingredient Cake, which is a variation of French Savoie Cake but made only with flour instead of starch.

Ingredients

  • Cake flour
  • Lemon
  • Eggs
  • Sugar

Cake flour: Cake flour is a low protein flour which is needed to create a light and soft crumb for this cake. You want to use a cake flour that has 2 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (28 grams). Avoid high protein cake flour which will make the cake too dry.

Lemon: The cake gets its lemon flavor from lemon zest. You can also make a lemon glaze for extra lemon flavor.

Eggs: Eggs create the structure for this cake.

Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is used to sweeten the cake.

How to Make Lemon Cake

  • The egg whites are beaten with half of the sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  • Then beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar.
  • Sift and fold in the flour. The batter will be very thick.Egg whites and sugar mixed together in a bowl
  • Fold in the egg whites in batches until you have a light, airy batter. Gently fold in the lemon zest. Lemon cake batter in a glass bowl
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake until done.
  • If desired, you can add a lemon glaze over the cake after it has cooled.

A lemon glaze over a lemon cake

Texture

This cake has a light, soft crumb and the bottom of the cake has a delicate crispy meringue-cookie like layer. The cake is lightly sweet and has a fragrant lemon flavor.
A slice of lemon cake

Expert Tips

  • You can bake this cake in another type of cake pan. I used a bundt pan because this cake is a variation on French Savoie cake, which is typically baked in a pan similar to a bundt pan.
  • Be careful not to open the oven door before the cake is done. This will cause the cake to collapse. I also recommend baking this cake by itself without other items in the oven baking at the same time because the cake is very sensitive to changes in temperature.

Lemon cake baked in a Bundt pan cut into slices

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4 Ingredient Lemon Cake

This lemon cake has a light, soft and moist crumb and a delicate crispy layer that is so delightful. The cake only needs 4 ingredients and doesn't require any dairy, butter or oil.
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, (approximately 134 grams egg whites, 70 grams egg yolks)
  • 1 cup (227g) granulated white sugar, divided
  • 2/3 cup (79g) cake flour, see note before starting
  • 2 packed tbsp (9g) lemon zest

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 9-inch (10 cup) bundt cake pan with baking spray.
  • Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the wire whisk attachment, beat at medium speed until the eggs are foamy. With the machine still running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the sugar (1 tbsp at a time). Increase speed to high and continue to beat until mixture is thick, glossy and stiff peaks form. Transfer the meringue to a clean bowl and set it aside.
  • Clean the mixing bowl and add the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk at high speed until the mixture is very thick, has more than doubled in volume, about 4 minutes. When you lift the whisk, the mixture should ribbon down and hold its form on top of the mixture for several seconds before sinking in.
  • Sift the flour with a fine mesh strainer into the egg yolk mixture and mix with a spatula until evenly combined. At first it may seem like your batter is too dry and there isn't enough liquid, but the egg yolks will slowly incorporate all the flour. The final outcome will be thick but should still look like batter and not dough. See photo in post for reference.
  • Add in 1/3 of the egg whites, gently folding the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites too much. Repeat with the next 1/3 and then the final 1/3 of egg whites.
  • Sprinkle in the lemon zest and gently fold it in to the batter with your spatula just until it is evenly combined into the batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you apply light pressure to the surface it should feel firm and should not completely sink in. Do not open the oven until the cake looks done. If you open the oven during baking, even briefly to put something in or to check on the cake, the change in temperature will cause the cake to collapse if the cake is not yet done baking.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 20-30 minutes, or until cake and cake pan no longer feel too hot to touch. Then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. It is important that you unmold the cake from the cake pan after 20-30 minutes and not wait too long. If you wait for the cake to finish cooling, it will start to stick to the pan.
  • If desired, you can add lemon glaze to the cake after it has cooled. Cut cake with a large sharp knife. Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Cake flour note: Make sure to use a cake flour with 2  grams of protein per 1/4 cup (28 g) serving. There are a few brands of cake flour, like King Arthur, that sell a high protein cake flour which will not work well for this recipe.
  • Cake flour cup measurement: When measuring the cake flour with a measuring cup, make sure you first fluff up the flour in the bag with a spoon. Then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off with a spoon. This will prevent adding too much flour.
  • I used Swan's Down cake flour.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • I don't recommend adding lemon juice to the cake batter because it affects the texture of the cake. You can add 1-2 drops of lemon extract if you want a stronger lemon flavor or make a lemon glaze.
  • Optional Lemon Glaze
    • 2 cups of powdered sugar
    • 2-4 tbsp of lemon juice
    • Add powdered sugar to a small mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Add more lemon juice as needed to reach the desired consistency of your glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. You do not need to use up all the glaze.
    • You can also garnish the cake with more lemon zest.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional glaze.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 108kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 24mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 16g, NET CARBS: 21
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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