Name: Zesty Lemon Loaf Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 4 Eggs; 225 g Butter ((room temperature)); 225 g Honey ((runny)); 2 Lemons ((zest only)); 225 g Spelt Flour ((white)); 1 tsp Baking Powder; 150 g Greek Yoghurt ((full fat)); 150 g Cream Cheese ((full fat) ); 1 Lemon ((zest only)); 1 tbsp Honey ((runny)); 1 Lemon ((zest only)); 3 tbsp Lemon Curd ((optional))

This is a perfect spring-time celebration cake for all the family. Bursting with fresh lemon zest, the buttery melt-in-the-mouth sponge is sweetened with honey and topped with a creamy lemony frosting. Both the cake and the topping are no hassle to make – you can have the cake mixture in the oven within 10 minutes!

You can have fun decorating with lemon curd and lemon zest – I went for neat lines, but you could let your creativity run wild by adding fresh flower petals or whatever takes your fancy!

Spelt contains gluten, so for gluten-free and dairy-free options, see the Notes at the bottom of this recipe.

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Zesty Lemon Loaf Cake

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Rest Time 15

Total Time 1 15

Course Baking, Lunch Boxes & Picnics, Snacks & Treats

Servings Slices

Suitable for Special Diet (or adaptable) Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Nut-free, Sensory, Vegetarian

Ingredients

4 Eggs
225 g Butter (room temperature)
225 g Honey (runny)
2 Lemons (zest only)
225 g Spelt Flour (white)
1 tsp Baking Powder

Frosting

150 g Greek Yoghurt (full fat)
150 g Cream Cheese (full fat)
1 Lemon (zest only)
1 tbsp Honey (runny)

To decorate

1 Lemon (zest only)
3 tbsp Lemon Curd (optional)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (conventional) or 160°C (fan). Line a 2lb loaf tin.
Break the eggs into a jug and whisk together. Set aside.
Cream together the butter, honey and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Pour in the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture curdles a little, add a tablespoon of the flour and keep beating to bring the mixture back together. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and gently fold through until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Whist the cake is baking, make the frosting. Put the Greek yoghurt, cream cheese, honey and lemon zest into a mixing bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Leave the cake to cool in its tin for 15 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once the cake is cool, top with the prepared frosting and decorate with lemon zest, and a little piped lemon curd (optional).

Notes

Make sure your butter is very soft, to make it easier to beat together the butter and honey in the first step.
If you’d like to make this in a round cake tin use a 20cm diameter and check it after 35 minutes in the oven as it may take less time to cook.
To make this dairy-free, swap the butter for dairy-free spread, the yoghurt for a coconut yoghurt and the cream cheese for coconut cream.
You can use a gluten-free flour in place of the spelt flour. I like Doves Farm Freee Plain White Flour or Sorghum flour. Don’t forget to check that your baking powder is also gluten-free.
Bake and freeze before decorating if you make it ahead of eating. Then defrost and decorate before serving.

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