Preserved lemon cake is soft, moist and bursting with flavor from fresh lemons, preserved lemon and lemon icing. It’s super easy to make without a mixer and is perfect for brunch, an afternoon snack with tea or dessert!
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Here’s one for my fellow lemon lovers! This a preserved lemon tea cake is made with both fresh lemons and preserved lemon. Fresh lemon adds bright lemon flavor and preserved lemon gives the cake a slightly briny, complex flavor.
I first tried preserved lemons while I was teaching English in Morocco. Preserved lemons are an important ingredient in savory recipes such as my Moroccan chicken tagine!
If you’re a fan of loaf cakes, you’ll love my blueberry lemon ricotta pound cake, lime drizzle loaf cake and neapolitan cake!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The cake and icing are super lemony thanks to fresh lemon and preserved lemon!
- The flavor of a preserved lemon adds an unexpected depth of flavor. Its flavor is not as bright as fresh lemon, but is still super lemony like my ricotta lemon muffins and lemon shortbread recipe.
- You’ll love biting into its tender, moist texture.
- The recipe’s super easy. You don’t need any special equipment and it’s made without a mixer! It’s as easy as my blood orange olive oil cake and lemon and lime bars!
Ingredients
Below are notes on some of the ingredients for this preserved lemon cake recipe.
- Sour cream: Sour cream makes this lemon turmeric cake extra moist and tender. Use regular fat room temperature sour cream.
- Butter and oil: I like to use a combination of melted unsalted butter and oil. Oil makes the cake extra moist and butter adds flavor. Use vegetable or canola oil.
- 1 preserved lemon: We’re using the rind and pulp of 1 small preserved lemon. Preserved lemons are lemons cured in salt and their own juices for around a month. They are not as tart as regular lemons but they have a complex lemon flavor. You can preserve your own lemons or buy them. You can find preserved lemons at most Middle Eastern grocery stores.
- 2 lemons: This cake is full of fresh lemon flavor. We’re using the zest of two lemons in the cake and lemon juice in the icing. For best results use organic lemons. Be sure to wash them before zesting. If you’re a big fan of lemon cakes, try my chocolate and lemon cake and blackberry lemon cake.
- Turmeric: Turmeric gives this lemon turmeric tea cake its golden color just like my Lebanese sfouf recipe and turmeric sugar cookies.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the lemon icing. No need to sift it.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap in extra virgin olive oil in place of vegetable or canola oil.
- There isn’t really a preserved lemon substitute for this recipe. The cake will still be delicious without it but it won’t have the same depth of flavor.
- For a slightly less sweet cake, reduce the amount of sugar by a tablespoon or two.
Instructions
Step 1: (Photo 1 above) Slice off the ends and deseed a preserved lemon.
Step 2: (Photo 2 above) Finely chop it or puree it in a food processor or by hand with a mortar and pestle.
Step 3: (Photo 3 above) In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips. Whisk in the vanilla, sour cream, egg, lemon juice, melted butter and oil. Whisk in the preserved lemon then stir in the dry ingredients.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above) Pour mixture into a a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes.
Step 5: (Photo 5 above) Stir together the lemon juice and powdered sugar.
Step 6: (Photo 6 above) Drizzle the lemon icing over the cooled cake.
Expert Baking Tips
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. Leave an overhang of a few inches on two of the sides. This will make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan.
- Avoid overmixing. Mix only the last streaks of dry ingredients disappear into the batter.
- Allow this cake to cool completely before adding the icing. If it’s added when the cake is too warm, it will just melt.
Recipe FAQs
Preserved lemons have are more mellow and less bright tasting than fresh lemons. They are slightly briny and add an unexpected depth of flavor to savory and sweet dishes.
You can find preserved lemons at most Middle Eastern grocery stores.
Store this preserved lemon pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
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Preserved Lemon Cake
Equipment
- 9×5 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
Preserved Lemon Cake
- 1⅔ cups (208.33 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) turmeric
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
- 1 (55 g) small preserved lemon ends chopped off, deseeded
- 1¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12 g) lemon zest from about 2 medium lemons
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) vegetable oil or canola or extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 2 (2) large eggs room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) vanilla extract
Lemon Icing
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1½ tablespoons (22.18 ml) lemon juice
Instructions
Preserved Lemon Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, turmeric and salt. Set aside.
- Slice off the ends then halve the preserved lemon. Remove the seeds then slice each halve in half. Coarsely chop the preserved lemon (we are using both the rind and pulp). Alternatively you can puree it in a food processor or crush it in a mortar and pestel til as smooth as possible. It's okay if some bits remain.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to bring out the lemon flavor.
- To the sugar, whisk in the vanilla extract, sour cream, eggs, melted butter and oil. Whisk til smooth and combined. Whisk in the preserved lemon.
- Use a spatula to stir in the dry ingredients til just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking for doneness around 40 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool completely before icing.
Lemon Icing
- In a medium bowl, stir together the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Pour the icing over the cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Maria M
Best lemon cake you can make
Natalie Ward
Thank you for making this and for the five star review, Maria! I’m so happy you loved this lemon cake!🍋🙌🏻
Edwina
Hi I improvised as I always do with recipes and used two washed preserved lemons, removed the salt from recipe and first time
I made
The icing I know which is granulated
Sugar and lemon juice and poured over the cake when hot- 🥵 t was a sticky cake but everyone loved it 🌈today I’m
Using your icing when
The cake is cool 😎. Great recipe thank
You
Natalie
Hey Edwina, thank you so much for making this preserved lemon cake and for sharing your helpful recipe notes! So happy everyone loved this cake (even if it was sticky hehe) Enjoy!!
Suzanne
I did not see the amount of lemon juice in batter recipe? Was it missing ? Or is the lemon juice just in the icing?
Natalie
Hi Suzanne, You are correct- there’s no lemon juice in the batter. We’re using the zest of two lemons in the cake and lemon juice in the icing. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Lucy
Just trying the recipe now – and also confused about the lemon juice in step 5. Will skip it and cross fingers!
Natalie
Hi Lucy, Thanks for catching that! You’re right, there’s no lemon juice in the recipe. That was a mistake in the instructions, and I just fixed it. You did the right thing skipping it. The cake should turn out great 😊 Sorry for the confusion and hope you enjoy the cake!
Naina (IG: curry.and.chips)
I have baked this Preserved Lemon Cake several times, both for us at home and as hostess gift, and it’s a zesty dream! 🍋 The cake is soft, super moist, and packed with bright, tangy flavors. The super easy lemon icing adds extra citrusy sweetness. It’s an easy, no-mixer recipe that is great for novice bakers or seasoned bakers. Please give it a try.
Natalie
Hi Naina! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this cake! Great idea to make it to enjoy and to make one as a hostess gift! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Have a great week 🙂 XO Natalie