The Perfect Lemon Cake

If you think you’ve tried the best every day cake, you’re wrong. This is by far the yummiest lemon cake/cupcake recipe you’ll ever make and taste! It’s a big claim but I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t confident that you’d agree.  It’s so moist, so light, so delicious, and so lemony sweet. For those of you who aren’t fans of lemon, this doesn’t taste like you’re biting into a sweetened lemon per se, although I’m working towards making that happen; this has the perfect hint of lemony goodness no one can possibly resist.

This particular cake reminds me so much of the version my mom used to make us at least once a week when we were growing up. The sheer smell of her cake filled the entire house with sweet notes of citrus and love. It was full of aromatic lemon and orange zests, and it was so good we would beg her to leave some of the batter for us to lick while we waited for the cake to bake. Keep in mind that the cake had eggs in it. As in raw eggs. :|

I can’t believe we used to do that! Just thinking about how we used to fight over the bowl to lick it knowing there were raw eggs in it is a foreign concept and a weird thing for me now. It goes to show how laid back our parents used to be and how uptight we have become today…ok that’s not fair, I should point the finger to myself only. I’m such a freak when it comes to handling foods especially raw eggs and raw chicken. I wash my hands countless times whenever I handle said foods, to the point where it shouldn’t be considered healthy anymore. I feel like it’s too much. I mean we turned out ok and look how we used to eat. Well at least I think we turned out ok :/ Am I the only one who used to look forward to the bowl licking? Share with me so I don’t feel alone!

I digress, as usual.

My mother’s cake was delicious on its own but the best was when we dipped it in warm milk and enjoyed every last bite.

Naturally this cake had to be remade for my family. But since nothing you make will ever taste like the stuff your mother makes (I’m convinced of that) because there’s that je ne sais quoi thing about it (must be love), I had to recreate it and add my own spin to my absolute favourite everyday cake.

For many of you who had asked for the cake recipe I’d made for Munsur and his friends’ graduation ceremony, this is the base cake! The step-by-step process of how to make that beautiful strawberry lemon cake will soon follow this post. Sorry for the tease but hey at least you have the most important part of the cake you had enjoyed that night!

As always with anything I share with you, this recipe is so simple to make.  In fact it can’t get any simpler. And all of the ingredients are in your kitchen pantry right now. So go on and make this recipe into the prettiest cake or the sweetest cupcakes. And because it’s dairy and egg free, feel free to lick the bowl clean knowing there’s no chance of contracting salmonella or Listeria poisoning! This is really a ‘have your cake and eat it too’ kinda cake! It’s amazing any way you look at it.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and have desired baking dish(es) lined (either 1-9″ cake pan, 2-8” cake pans, or muffin tins with cupcake liners). Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine vegan spread and sugar on high-speed until smooth and light in texture. You may need to scrape the bowl down once while performing this step.

3. Add vanilla extract and combine.

4. Then, add lemon zest and beat until fully incorporated.

5. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

6.Turn speed of mixer on low and add half of flour mixture and beat until just combine.

7. Add water and continue beating, increasing speed to medium.

8. Then, turn speed back to low and add remainder of flour mixture to bowl. Beat until fully combined. Scrape bowl once and beat a few seconds more.

9. Divide batter as evenly as you can into prepared cake pans or cupcake liners and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes; until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Note: You can choose to place entire batter into one pan but baking time will increase. Check for doneness after 40 minutes to start. It may need a good 45 minutes in the oven but check at the 40 minute mark to be sure.

Let slightly cool before removing from pans.

Hope you enjoy the process, the results afterwards, and the memories you’ll hopefully make with your own family.

Bon appétit! xo