Lemon Sheet Cake with Lemon Glaze

I like to do little things that add a lot of flavor to a dish (mostly that don’t involve too much salt because I don’t love salt #sorrynotsorry).

I like tons of black pepper, different kinds of vinegars, vanilla bean powder instead of vanilla extract.  Fennel pollen is my jam as is combining cumin seeds with ground cumin and a hint of coriander.

There’s toasting nuts and soaking dried fruit.  Using way more cinnamon than a recipe calls for and adding a hint of cardamom to anything with citrus or spice.

And then there is citrus zest.  This is such a simple thing to do that makes the whole kitchen smell bright and fresh and happy and makes every dish it touches taste bright and fresh and happy.  I used to zest citrus a lot more than I do now, but this lemon sheet cake reminded me how I totally need to do it more often.

In salads and on fish and in desserts of all kinds, lemon, orange, and lime zest changes the flavor game.  In this cake, in particular, it amps up the wonderfully bright lemon flavor in the cake and the glaze for a one two punch of the subtle floral notes of a perfect lemon without making the cake too tart.

This cake is delicate and tender.  Serve it for dessert or with afternoon tea.  Serve it for a crowd or just enjoy sneaking a piece every time you walk past the pan.  No matter what, you’ll be happy you put the zester to work and made this cake.

Lemon Sheet Cake with Lemon Glaze

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★★★★★

5 from 1 review

• Author: Laura
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 18 slices 1x

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Description

Zesty and bright, tender lemon cake with creamy lemon frosting.  Perfect for dessert or with a cup of tea.

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Ingredients

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Cake

2 ¾ cups paleo flour blend (2 cups almond flour, 1 ¼ cups tapioca starch, ¾ cup coconut flour)

¼ cup tapioca starch

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup maple sugar

¼ cup coconut sugar

¼ cup lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder

¾ cup olive oil

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

Glaze

½ cup coconut butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder

Zest of 1 lemon

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Instructions

Make the cake.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/325 degrees F convection.  Oil a 9 by 13 inch pan.

 

In a large bowl, stir together sugars, lemon zest, vanilla, oil, and egg yolks until well combined.  Stir in half the flour, followed by the lemon juice and almond milk.  Stir in the remaining flour, tapioca, baking powder and soda, cardamom, and salt until the batter comes together.

 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes until risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs.  Cool completely in the pan.

 

Once the cake is cool, make the glaze.  In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine coconut butter, honey, lemon juice, almond milk, and vanilla.  Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and emulsified.  Stir in the lemon zest and additional milk if the glaze is too thick.  Drizzle over the cake and allow to set at least 30 minutes.

 

Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the microwave about 30 seconds.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Food 52

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes