Preserved Lemon Cake

A bright yellow lemon loaf cake on a rack and a bowl of lemons.

5 from 1 vote

Preserved lemon cake is soft, moist and bursting with flavor from fresh lemons and 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!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Mixing bowls
9x5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

Preserved Lemon Cake

1⅔ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
1 small preserved lemon ends chopped off, deseeded
1¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest from about 2 medium lemons
¼ cup unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil or canola or extra virgin olive oil
½ cup sour cream full fat, room temperature
2 large eggs room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon Icing

¾ cup powdered sugar
1½ tablespoons lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preserved Lemon Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x5 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

Preserved lemons: 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.

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.

Room temperature ingredients:Use room temperature ingredients. Take sour cream and eggs out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature.

Mixing: Be sure not to overstir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined completely.

Icing: Allow cake to cool completely before adding the icing. If it’s added when the cake is too warm, it will just melt.

Storage: Store leftover cake it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition