Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Sweet Citrus Glaze

Whether served with afternoon tea or with coffee to start the morning, this moist and delicious Lemon Buttermilk Cake will bring sunshine to your day with the bright flavour of two juiced and zested lemons. An excellent way to use up leftover buttermilk, this easy recipe also uses no butter — just half a cup of oil — which is the secret to moist and tender cakes with lots of character. While it may sound a bit odd, baking with oil has been a feature of Mediterranean cooking for centuries, as it dramatically cuts back on the cholesterol and saturated fat content, and produces lighter tasting baked goods that allow the flavour of other key ingredients to shine. Crowned with a drizzle of sweet and sugary citrus glaze, this Lemon Buttermilk Cake makes a delicious start to any day.

Eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, vegetable oil and buttermilk are whisked until smooth

Flour, baking soda and a dash of salt are blended in to make a fragrant batter

Poured into a lightly greased loaf pan, the lemon cake is baked at 350°F for 60-70 minutes

I had double the recipe and made lemon cupcakes also

Delicious on their own, the cupcakes and lemon cake can also be drizzled with an icing sugar, buttermilk and lemon juice glaze

Lemon Buttermilk Cake
Serves 8-10

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
2 large eggs
1 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp buttermilk, well-shaken


Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8"x4" loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a stand mixer, add the sugar, oil, buttermilk, eggs, zest, juice and vanilla in the bowl and blend to combine. Then add the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To prepare the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice and buttermilk together in a small bowl, then drizzle over the cooled cake and serve.