Simple loaf cakes are our go-to bakes when we need something quick on the table. They are easy to make and usually really delicious. If you like something simple but still special, you should try our Lemon Loaf Cake with Preserved Lemons. It’s a slightly different version of the classic lemon cake you might know. You don’t often get served such a special cake! ;)
We have several recipes for lemon cakes here on the blog – these sour yellow fruits are simply perfect for baking. And that doesn’t apply to lemon cakes only. Lemon zest and juice are used in sooooo many recipes. The fruity-sour aroma goes well with almost everything – whether as a prominent flavor or to complement other flavors and spices. ;P
The special thing about this lemon cake are the preserved lemons… or rather, »the« preserved lemon. Only one of these special lemons has been used here – but it packs a punch. ;)
If you’re not familiar with preserved, aka. salted lemons – they’re not a special type of lemon, they’re simply lemons that have been preserved in salt. They’re used in various national cuisines for cooking, but they’re also great for baking recipes. In Morocco, for example, preserved lemons are often used in Tajine recipes. Here on the blog, we have a recipe for a Chicken Tajine with Harissa Couscous, in which preserved lemons play an important role in terms of flavor.
Preserved lemons can be found in well-stocked grocery stores. Shops for delicatessens are typically the best place to find specialties like preserved lemons. You can also go online and order something from an online store, of course. You can find a link to a product in the ingredients list. If you prefer making them at home, you can easily preserve the lemons by yourself. We got an easy recipe for preserved lemons here on the blog, of course. ;P
Anyway. Even if lemon and salt may sound like an unlikely combination for sweet pastries, preserved lemons are actually great for cakes and other baked goods. Preserved lemons are less sour compared to fresh lemons because they lose their acidity over time during the fermentation process. However, the lemony flavors remain… and the salt? Well, you rinse it off the lemons before using them. It’s that simple. They are still a tiny bit salty, but so little that it enhances the sweetness in baked goods rather than competing with it. You probably know this from other desserts and baked goods – salt is used to bring out the sweetness, not to take it down.
If you’re wondering about the bright yellow color… that’s not because of the lemons used, but because a bit of turmeric has been added to the batter. ;) We wanted you to be able to tell right away it’s a lemon cake, even if you are not using lemon slices as decoration. A small amount of turmeric is enough to give it a rich yellow color – something you won’t even taste.
If this is all a bit too experimental for you, or if you simply don’t have preserved lemons at hand… how about a classic, Simple Lemon Loaf Cake? With the recipe we got here on the blog, you will get a delicious, moist, and easy to make cake everyone loves. A great cake for all seasons!
In case you prefer something smaller – check out our Lemon Drop Cookies. Those are also very tasty and super easy to prepare. If you are a fan of cookies, you should definitely have those on your baking repertoire! Absolute crowd pleasers. ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the cake:
7 oz. (200g) sugar
4 fl. oz. (120ml) rapeseed oil*
3 large eggs
3.5 oz. (100g) Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 preserved lemon*, finely chopped
7 oz. (200g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric* (optional)
For the decoration:
1 cup (130g) confectioners‘ sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream
some thinly sliced lemons (optional)
Für den Kuchen:
200g Zucker
120ml Rapsöl*
3 Eier (L)
100g griechischer Joghurt
2 EL Zitronensaft
1 EL Zitronenabrieb
1 Salzzitrone*, fein gehackt
200g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Kurkuma* (optional)
Für die Dekoration:
130g Puderzucker
1 EL Zitronensaft
1-2 EL Sahne
einige dünn geschnittenen Zitronenscheiben (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 23x12cm loaf tin* with baking parchment and grease lightly. Chop the preserved lemon finely or throw it quickly into a mixer to get something similar to a paste.
2. Add the sugar and oil to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add the eggs one after another and mix well after each addition. When the last egg has been added to the bowl, continue mixing for 2-3 minutes until everything looks light and fluffy. Next, add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and preserved lemon and mix in. Combine flour, baking powder, and ground turmeric (optional), add it to the bowl and mix until just combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smooth out the top and bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven, and it let cool down inside the loaf tin for about 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the loaf tin and let it cool down completely on a wire rack.
4. For the glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice and heavy cream until well combined – you want a thick and not too runny consistency – adjust with more confectioners’ sugar or heavy cream if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it dry completely. To decorate the cake further, you can also add some sliced lemons on top of the cake. Looks very nice!
1. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. eine 23x12cm Kastenform* mit Backpapier auslegen und leicht einfetten. Die Salzzitrone fein hacken oder kurz in einen Mixer geben, bis eine Art Paste entsteht.
2. Zucker und Öl in einer großen Schüssel verrühren. Die Eier nacheinander dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Wenn das letzte Ei in der Schüssel ist, alles noch einmal etwa 2-3 Minuten aufschlagen, bis die Mischung hell und luftig aussieht. Joghurt, Zitronensaft, Zitronenschale und Salzzitrone dazugeben und untermischen. Das Mehl mit Backpulver und Kurkuma (optional) vermischen, zur Schüssel dazugeben und nur kurz unterrühren.
3. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Form füllen, ggf. glatt streichen und dann etwa 50–60 Minuten backen. Mit einem Holzspieß testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und den Kuchen erst herausholen, wenn dieser sauber herauskommt. Den Kuchen aus dem Ofen nehmen und in der Form etwa 15 Minuten abkühlen lassen, dann aus der Form lösen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen.
4. Für die Glasur den Puderzucker mit Zitronensaft und Sahne gut verrühren – die Konsistenz sollte schön dickflüssig sein. Bei Bedarf noch etwas Puderzucker oder Sahne dazugeben, bis die Konsistenz passt. Die Glasur auf dem Kuchen verstreichen und vollständig trocknen lassen. Wer mag, kann auch noch ein paar dünn geschnittenen Zitronenscheiben auf den Kuchen auflegen – schaut nett aus.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Lemon Loaf Cake with Preserved Lemons
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 01:00
- Total Time: 03:00
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This delicious Lemon Loaf Cake is made with preserved lemons – not many know you can bake with those lemons preserved in a salty brine.
Ingredients
For the cake:
7 oz. (200g) sugar
4 fl. oz. (120ml) rapeseed oil*
3 large eggs
3.5 oz. (100g) Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 preserved lemon*, finely chopped
7 oz. (200g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric* (optional)
For the decoration:
1 cup (130g) confectioners‘ sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream
some thinly sliced lemons (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 23x12cm loaf tin* with baking parchment and grease lightly. Chop the preserved lemon finely or throw it quickly into a mixer to get something similar to a paste.
2. Add the sugar and oil to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add the eggs one after another and mix well after each addition. When the last egg has been added to the bowl, continue mixing for 2-3 minutes until everything looks light and fluffy. Next, add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and preserved lemon and mix in. Combine flour, baking powder, and ground turmeric (optional), add it to the bowl and mix until just combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smooth out the top and bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven, and it let cool down inside the loaf tin for about 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the loaf tin and let it cool down completely on a wire rack.
4. For the glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice and heavy cream until well combined – you want a thick and not too runny consistency – adjust with more confectioners’ sugar or heavy cream if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it dry completely. To decorate the cake further, you can also add some sliced lemons on top of the cake. Looks very nice!
Notes
Let’s get baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
