Famous Lemon Cake
A moist and tender lemon butter cake that’s refreshingly tangy with the citrus notes and flavours of lemon juices and grated lemon zest.
This is a moist and ultra delicious lemon cake. And it was made legendary by the late Lady Bird Johnson, wife of the 36th US President Lyndon Johnson.
Lady Bird Johnson was renowned for her entrepreneurship and business acumen, which extended into the legislative arena in American politics.
But she was also famed for her prowess in the kitchen, and her lemon cake was legendary.
So I was intrigued, to say the least, to try this lemon cake recipe. It is after all, famous!
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How I discovered this gem of a lemon cake recipe
Before I get into this moist and delicious lemon cake, let me share how chance brought me and this famous lemon cake together.
You see, my husband has an uncanny knack for picking out just about all the best books I’ve ever read, whatever the subject matter may be.
When we were out walking the mall last week, he chanced upon this small cake book. It was the only copy of it’s kind left on display. The book was sadly looking a little worn for wear.
Understandably, there had been many a curious hand flipping through its pages. So much so, that it’s cover photo looked outdated, dull, and altogether uninspiring.
Now, if it had been me, I would have, in all certainty, not given it a second look or pause for thought. But for some reason, it stopped him in his tracks. He picked it up.
Glancing through the pages in a matter of seconds, he calls over to me and declares, “You have to get this book, you’ll love it!“.
While I had my doubts, I’ve come to learn to trust my husband’s instincts for sieving out really good material.
So I knew this was probably a worthwhile consideration. Promptly, ten minutes later, I had this little book simply titled “Bundt Cookbook”, in my hands.
Produced in 2008 by Nordic Ware, a long established American company that makes the Nordic Ware brand of bundt bakeware pans, this book now takes its place in my burgeoning collection of recipe books.
Later that evening, with said book in hand, I realised just what a treasure trove of cake recipes this book is.
Feeling excited to get started on some of these awe-inspiring recipes, this is the first from that little book. So this lemon cake’s for you, hubs!
Ingredients to make lemon cake
- Good-quality butter
- Lemon juice and grated lemon zest
- Egg yolks from large-sized eggs
- All-purpose or plain flour
- Baking powder
- Caster sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract (and lemon extract, if desired)
- Salt
- Confectioner’s sugar (for dusting, optional)
Baking pans
This lemon cake makes a gorgeous cake when baked in a bundt pan.
But you can bake in a regular 9-inch (23-cm) pan or any pan that can hold 10 to 11 cups of batter.
You can also bake this as a loaf cake, and this batter makes enough for 2 lemon cake loaves.
A loaf pan measuring 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inch (21 x 11 x 6 cm) pan or equivalent that has a 6-cups capacity will work fine.
Half the recipe amount if you want to make just one loaf, otherwise you’ll need 2 loaf pans.
Though I haven’t tried it myself, a chiffon tube pan also would work well. Essentially, a pan with a loose or fixed funnel helps cakes heat through and bake more evenly.
A day after baking this cake, my girlfriend gave me a wonderful surprise. I was gifted with two gorgeous bundt pans! Baking in these bundt pans has me loving Nordic Ware’s beautiful, quality bake ware!
Why we’re hooked on this lemon cake
We’ve now made this famous lemon cake three times.
And just to be sure the recipe is consistent, I had my non-baker girlfriend have a hand in the process the third time. The one and same who gifted me the beautiful bundt pans.
Let me tell you, between me, my girlfriend, and her mom, we ate a lot of lemon cake that week!
Incredibly, we can’t get enough and are completely and utterly hooked on this scrumptious lemony cake!
Our verdict? Truly and undeniably, one of the best lemon cakes we’ve ever had!
About this lemon cake recipe
You get lovely lemony and buttery flavours
- Tart, lemony flavours come through beautifully without being too sweet. I think the lemony notes aren’t bold, and more of a nuanced taste that allows the buttery flavour to stand out as well. If you want to intensify the lemon flavour, you may wish to add lemon extract or lemon paste.
- Refreshingly tangy and citrusy with loads of freshly grated lemon zest, to scintillate your taste buds in every bite.
This cake is even more gorgeous and delicious with a great frosting
- This lemon cake bakes to a gorgeous and rich golden brown every time! Let’s face it! In fact, we love the crust because it’s where all that flavour is concentrated.
- There’s no doubt that a lemon buttercream like this one will bring this lemon cake over the top! Which makes this a perfect celebration cake to make for special occasions, where an elegant cake should take centre stage and be the perfect dessert!
Moist and tender cake will keep you coming back for seconds!
- This lemon cake is unexpectedly light, in spite of 8 egg yolks in there!
- It’s moist and tender and slices cleanly. It’s not too crumbly that lots of bits fall off when you handle a slice. But it’s not heavy, dense or compact either. This lemon cake has a nice, even, in-between kind of delicate yet firm crumb texture.
Lady Bird Johnson’s lemon cake is an all-time classic
Given how baking science, methods, and equipment like ultra-powerful electric mixers, has advanced through the decades, it amazes me how this lemon cake has withstood the test of time and convention.
Till today, it remains a favoured classic.
Lady Bird Johnson’s lemon cake indeed lives up to its fame and renown, and it’s no wonder that it enjoys wide popularity.
Now, yet another new fan (me!) to add to its following.
Though I have no way of telling how close this recipe may be to the original one that Lady Bird Johnson used to make her lemon cakes, it is so delicious that I really couldn’t ask for a better recipe!
Here are more cakes to inspire your next bake:
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
- Lemon Raspberry Cake
- Fresh Cranberry Bundt Cake
- Blueberry Crumble Cake with Lemon Glaze
- Orange Pound Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
- Vanilla Pound Cake – Ultra Moist & Buttery!
- Very Rich Butter Cake (with VIDEO)
Tried this recipe? Remember to share your pics on Instagram and tag @foodelicacy or #foodelicacy.
Save this recipe!
Famous Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1¼ cup caster sugar
- 8 egg yolks
- 2½ cups sifted plain flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Some confectioner’s sugar optional for dusting
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 160 deg C (325 deg F) with oven rack in the lower one-third of the oven. Lightly grease and flour a 10-cup capacity Bundt pan, or a 9-inch cake pan. Tap out the excess flour.
- Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed (speed 3 on a Kitchen Aid mixer). Beat until light and fluffy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour, then measure out 2 1/2 cups, keeping the rest. Then sift together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Re-sift three times.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with a hand whisk until light and lemon coloured. Blend into creamed butter mixture, using low speed (speed 2 to 3). Add the sifted ingredients in thirds, alternating with milk. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour out into the prepared pan, and level the surface evenly around the pan. Tap the pan lightly a few times on the countertop to eliminate air pockets. Bake for 60 minutes,or until a metal or bamboo skewer inserted into the centre of the cake emerges free of sticky batter.
- Remove pan from oven and let cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack, and allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle top with confectioner’s sugar, if desired. Slice and serve as desired.
Hi Celia,
The cake looks absolutely delicious. I am little confused as in one of the comments you mentioned that 1 cup of butter is 170 g and you usually just google the conversion but I have checked and it comes my as 1cup of butter is 227 or even 240 g . Can you please confirm the quantities in grams as you know we need to be precise in baking . Thanks so much
Hi Tanzeela, thanks so much for reaching out! I’ve read that comment over (just in case I had it wrong the first time :p) and the 170 grams is in fact, 3/4 cup of butter based on 1 cup of butter = 227 grams. Hope this clears up any doubts! Would love to know how this turns out for you!
Hi,
What flour to use? And the butter use is salted or unsalted?
Thank you
Hi Poh Lin, thanks for pointing this out. I used unsalted butter and plain flour.
Wow your lemon cake looks soooo good! Would you recommend a novice baker without a mixer to try? Ha
Hi Mei, thank you so much! Where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you don’t have a mixer, it can be quite a bit of effort but if you don’t mind creaming butter by hand (it will give you a good workout!) then I’d say go for it. You could halve the recipe, makes a smaller cake but a lot more manageable. I’d love to know if you try it!?
Hi celia, what a nice cake, yummy………i have one doubt about baking , bottom heating or bottom and top heating , which one i choise to bake and preheat?
Hi Manuz, thank you! Definitely top and bottom heating for pre-heat and baking process, if your oven has this mode. ? I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try this!
Thank u dear celia for ur reply…..
Hello. Just wondering how do you measure butter in a cup. The recepie calls for 3/4 cup butter. Do i melt the butter first and measure it or is there any other better way.?
Thank you.
Ling
Hi Ling, 3/4 cup butter is 170 gm. I usually just google the conversion of an ingredient in cups to grams…hee? my quick and lazy way! Just in case though, if you do come across recipes with butter amounts given in cups, you shouldn’t have to melt the butter, depending on how it’s to be used in the recipe concerned, unless it calls for melted butter. Cheers!
Hi, celia many thnx for sharing so delicious cake recipes. Yesterday my daughter and i tried your banana cup cakes, my god was divine so so tasty just to make u laugh, my husband escape his dinner today for banana cupcakes. Will experience another one very soon, of course i’ll share with u how it turned out. Looking forward for new recipe experience till then chow!
Good morning, Rooksana! Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing, waking up to your heartfelt message made my day! I’m so happy to hear you and your family really enjoyed the banana cupcakes! It’s all to your credit that these turned out delicious, I’m just happy to share recipes that I’ve tried and think that are pretty good. Yes, please do, do keep sharing and your valuable feedback coming, I’d love to it! Till next time, happy baking and cooking up a storm! Cheers, Celia
I just placed my cake in the oven. We are so looking forward to having it tonight. We decided we could make some healthy white egg omelets with the 8 egg whites. Thanks for this delicious (sounding) cake recipe!
Hi Dale, that’s awesome! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Just having the aroma of this cake wafting through your kitchen as it baked must have been wonderful! Hope you and your family enjoyed this cake, and hope you’ll share with me how it turned out? Great idea too, to make a heart-healthy omelette with the egg whites! Enjoy and happy eating!
This is GOLD! Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m looking forward to more recipes from the book.
P.s.: What do you do with 8 egg whites?
Heee…thank you, Mable! I’m thinking of using the whites for chiffon cakes, pavlovas, or meringues. Still deciding..but I’d better get to it soon while the whites are still good. Stay tuned! Cheers!