Baking can be so easy sometimes. Not if you want to have a 5 layer cake with buttercream and different fillings, of course ;) A simple lemon cake like this Moelleux au Citron can be made by basically everyone. Even people that normally burn pre-made pizza in the oven. Well… at least I hope so. All I want today – this one here is really easy peasy and also really delicious, so you might want to think about making it someday…
I really love baking bigger and more complex cakes from time to time. But to be honest – most of the time I am just too lazy for those projects and prefer the easier bakes that do not need that much attention. Planning a layered cake can be fun – thinking about the cake layers, what kind of buttercream to make and the fillings… but when it comes to making everything?! Well… I tend to procrastinate a lot. That’s why I started to split up the tasks. Baking the cake layers one day, preparing the fillings and creams some other day and assemble everything some other time ;) Fortunately, layer cakes can be made like that and sometimes even get better when they had some time to rest. BUT… easy cakes are just better most of the time ;)
This easy peasy Moelleux au Citron is a good example of that kind of cakes. The Moelleux au Citron is basically a version of the good old lemon pound cake – just in a different shape. You get this type of cakes in many coffee shops around the world. But why do you make that flat version of the pound cake? That one is already great! Well… that is true – I love a good pound cake – but I fell in love with this flat lemon cake on a little trip to Paris last spring and had to make this version at home.
This kind of lemon cake is being sold in many Parisian coffee shops – at least I saw offers in many places. Spring last year was a time where I skipped everything that had sugar added. Not the best time to be in Paris with all those bakeries that sell so many delicious pastries and sweets ;( It was a hard time… believe me! When I saw a simple Moelleux au Citron like this one here but advertised as “sugar-free” my heart jumped! I was so happy I could finally eat something sweet! Not really something that happens a lot in Paris. I would not say Parisians are pro “sugar-free” :P
The cake was really good so I decided to make one at home and add it to my little cake collection here. I took a classic recipe with “real” sugar and adapted the recipe so it would work with a replacement. Not that hard when you use xylitol instead of the sugar ;) You can make the cake both ways – with or without sugar. Works both fine.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
3/4 cup (150g) xylitol or regular sugar
1/3 cup (80g) butter, melted
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
zest of 1 large organic lemon
1/2 cup (120ml) lemon juice
pinch of salt
xylitol confectioners’ sugar for dusting
fresh kumquat or lemon slices for decoration
150g Xylit oder normaler Zucker
80g Butter, geschmolzen
130g Mehl
3 TL Backpulver
Abrieb von 1 Bio-Zitrone
120ml Zitronensaft
1 Prise Salz
(Xylit-) Puderzucker zum Bestäuben
frische Kumquat- oder Zitronenscheiben für die Dekoration
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Divide the eggs and add the egg yolks and xylitol (or sugar) to a large bowl. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the melted and cooled butter and mix until well combined. Mix the flour with baking powder and lemon zest and then add to the bowl. Gradually add the lemon juice and mix all until just combined. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Add in two batches and carefully fold in – you want to keep as much volume as possible. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin, smooth out the top and bake for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to see if it is done. Turn off the oven, open the door a bit and leave the cake in the oven for another 30 minutes to cool down slowly. Then take out of the oven and let cool down completely on a wire rack. Dust with some confectioners’ sugar before serving and decorate with kumquat or lemon slices.
2. Die Eier trennen und das Eigelb zusammen mit dem Xylit (oder Zucker) in eine große Schüssel geben. Auf höchster Stufe hell und luftig aufschlagen. Die geschmolzene und abgekühlte Butter dazugeben und unterrühren. Das Mehl mit dem Backpulver und Zitronenabrieb vermischen und zur Schüssel dazugeben. Zitronensaft nach und nach dazugeben und alles nur kurz verrühren, bis keine Klümpchen mehr zu sehen sind. Das Eiweiß mit einer Prise Salz steifschlagen. Portionsweise Zur Schüssel dazugeben und vorsichtig unter den Teig ziehen – es sollte so viel Volumen wie möglich erhalten bleiben. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Form füllen und dann für 15-20 Minuten backen. Der Kuchen sollte eine leicht goldene Farbe bekommen haben, aber nicht zu dunkel sein. Mit einem Zahnstocher testen, ob der Kuchen durchgebacken ist. Den Ofen abschalten, die Tür einen Spalt öffnen und den Kuchen für etwa 30 Minuten im Ofen abkühlen lassen, dann herausholen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen. Vor dem Servieren mit Puderzucker bestreuen und nach Belieben mit Kumquat- oder Zitronenscheiben dekorieren.
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Sugar-Free Moelleux au Citron (Easy Lemon Cake)
- Prep Time: 25m
- Cook Time: 20m
- Total Time: 1h 45m
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: French
Description
Classic French cake – Moelleux au Citron. Easy peasy to prepare and delicious.
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Enjoy baking!
Keywords: lemon, cake, easy
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 ;) 
