Cake base ingredients are as follows:
Cake flour (low-gluten flour): 1.5 cups (180g) Baking powder: 1.5 tsp (7.5ml) Lemon zest (finely grated): 1 tbsp (15ml) Salt: 0.5 tsp (2.5ml)Unsalted butter (can be appropriately reduced)
0.5 cup (115g) Eggs 2 pieces White sugar 0.5 cup (100g) Vanilla extract 1 tsp (5ml) Lemon juice (approximately two lemons)2 Tbsp (30 ml) of buttermilk (with a substitution option!).
For a buttermilk substitute, use 0.5 cup (120 ml) of milk mixed with 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) of lemon juice or white vinegar. Milk: 0.5 cup (120 ml). Lemon juice / White vinegar: 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml).Lemon Syrup:
Lemon Juice: 0.25 cup (60ml) Powdered Sugar / Icing Sugar: 3 Tbsp (45ml) Lemon Icing: Powdered Sugar / Icing Sugar: 1 cup (120g)Lemon Juice: 1.5 Tbsp (22.5 ml)
Milk: 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Prepare the flour! Add baking powder! Add salt! Wash the lemon thoroughly; you can scrub it with salt. Thinly peel the yellow zest from the lemon. A specialized lemon zester works superbly, but a regular one is also acceptable if that’s what is available. Finely chop the peeled lemon zest.Add the mixture to the flour bowl prepared earlier and stir until evenly combined.
Place white sugar and room-temperature softened butter in a separate container. Note: The amount of butter can be reduced slightly—cutting back by a few tens of grams is perfectly acceptable. Mix using a silicone spatula or electric mixer until fully incorporated. Ensure the mixture becomes pale and fluffy as shown in the image above. Next, add the eggs one at a time. Fully incorporate each egg into the butter-sugar mixture before adding the next. Once both eggs are evenly mixed, add lemon juice and vanilla extract. Prepare buttermilk. If already available, proceed; otherwise, mix milk with lemon juice or milk with white vinegar. The mixture will gradually thicken. Let it rest briefly after combining. Add the initial flour mixture to the whipped butter-sugar-egg blend. Incorporate the flour in three separate additions, starting with the first third. After mixing the first portion of flour evenly, add half of the buttermilk and stir until combined. Then add the second third of flour, mix well, followed by the remaining buttermilk. Finally, add the last portion of flour and stir until fully blended.Spray or grease the mold to prevent sticking after baking. Preheat the oven to 177°C (350°F) and bake for 55 minutes.
The cake is done when it reaches this color. Insert a toothpick into the cake; if it comes out clean without sticky batter, it is ready. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes after baking, then remove it from the mold. Prepare the lemon syrup as per the steps and use a small brush to apply one or two layers of syrup to the top of the cake. Prepare the final frosting for the top. Wait until the cake has completely cooled before applying. Ideally, this frosting should be very white, but to reduce sugar intake, I used much less powdered sugar than the standard recipe calls for. For the final frosting, add each ingredient gradually in small amounts. The normal consistency should be thick and not easily pourable. Apply the frosting only after the cake has cooled completely. The standard version of the frosting should look like this—thick and sticky. Finally, the low-sugar lemon cake is complete!
