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Lemon cake comes out 'airy' and 'sweet' with easy 4-ingredient method

Reach Daily Express | June 17, 2025 11:39 AM CST

A lemon cake is a classic dessert that works for any occasion. While not everyone can call themselves a professional baker, this for a is so easy you might feel like one. The recipe shared on cookbook author Jennifer Lee's cooking blog - - can be made without butter, oil, milk or baking powder.

While that might sound strange to some, the website promises that the unique cake will come out "light, airy and soft". It adds: "It's not like your typical cake but it is so unique and delicious. The surface has a delicate, sweet shell that cracks when you cut into it. Underneath the shell is a "

The four ingredients in this recipe are enough to give the simple cake everything it needs, including structure, sweetness, and a soft texture - what more could you ask for?

Ingredients

3 large eggs, straight from fridge
1 cup (195g) granulated white sugar
1/4 (59ml) lemon juice, 1 tbsp (5g) lemon zest
1 cup (128g) all purpose flour

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the interior of a 7.5 inch round springform pan (you can also use a 7 inch or 8 inch) and then line the bottom with baking paper. Make sure the sides of the cake pan are thoroughly greased, otherwise the cake will stick to it.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and sugar. Beat on highest speed for about 10 minutes or until mixture becomes very thick and turns a very pale yellow, and more than triples in volume. Once you stop beating, the mixture will immediately deflate. This is normal. See notes section for more details.

Add in the lemon juice and zest. Beat mixture for a few seconds until fully incorporated.

Use a mesh strainer or flour sifter to sift in 1/3 of the flour into the egg mixture. You need to sift the flour in so that you can incorporate the flour into the egg mixture without deflating too much air from the egg mixture. Use a spatula to fold the flour into the egg mixture. Fold until flour is completely incorporated and you don't see any flour lumps. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour and then the final 1/3.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. If using a 7 inch pan you may need a little longer and if using an 8 inch pan you may need to reduce the time by a few minutes. The surface of the cake should be light brown. A toothpick inserted should come out clean (be careful when inserting the toothpick as you don't want to break the shell too much. It is very delicate and will crack easily).

Let cake cool completely before removing. It's best to let the cake cool for several hours as it will make it easier to cut and also will let the shell firm up more. If desired, dust cake with powdered sugar before serving. Cut cake slowly and gently with a sharp knife so that the top shell layer doesn't crack too much and the sponge layer doesn't get squished.