Rich with olive oil and kissed by honey, this Meyer lemon cake is bursting with bright lemon flavor! It has a dense, moist crumb and is topped off with a sweet Meyer lemon and thyme sugar glaze that shatters when you slice into it.
A lot of Meyer lemon cake recipes rely on lemon extract to achieve a higher level of lemony goodness, but this recipe is all-natural, baby! I first grind the lemon zest with sugar, coaxing a ton of flavorful oils out of those sunny yellow rinds.
Then, a full quarter cup of Meyer lemon juice works its way into the cake batter. It’s all topped off with a crunchy coating of Meyer lemon glaze made with fresh thyme. Herbs on a cake? Yes, just trust me on this.
Meyer lemons make their appearance in the produce section every winter, like a ray of sunshine peeking out from behind a heavy storm cloud. Funnily enough, the day I developed this recipe, we were in the aftermath of a crazy ice storm here in the Northeast. Crystal clear drip was suddenly smothering our entire world and knew I wanted my Meyer lemon loaf cake to be equally as encrusted.
Shakespeare said it best: “Art is a mirror held up to nature”.
While researching crunchy sugar-glaze methodology, I landed on this Zucchini Bundt Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze recipe from 5 Boys Baker and was intrigued by the genius combo of both powdered and granulated sugar in the glaze!
I wanted my lemon flavor to be more intense so I upped the lemon juice and decreased the granulated sugar proportion just a bit, hoping to create a little less crunch and a lot more drip.
noteworthy ingredients for Meyer lemon cake
– see the recipe card below for full ingredients list with quantities-
- meyer lemons – I tend to see these special lemons in my local stores from December through March/April. You’ll need both the zest and the juice of these little beauties so give them a good rinse under hot running water and towel them dry.
- baking soda + baking powder – Both leavening agents, but they work in different ways. Baking soda reacts with acid (in this case, lemon juice), producing bubbles and thereby giving the cake batter some lift, but this reaction only carries on for so long. This is where baking powder steps in, continuing its leavening activity as the cake bakes in the oven.
- honey – My sweetener of choice for this recipe because honey and lemon just go so well together!
- olive oil – Where your traditional meyer lemon pound cake recipe would call for butter, I use olive oil. It adds great richness and keeps the cake moist, plus you don’t need to remember to soften it ahead of time.
- nonfat greek yogurt – With the olive oil in place, this cake turns out perfectly moist even in the presence of fat free yogurt. Now I’m no adversary to full fat dairy (drinking coffee with a lot of cream as I write this!) but ever since my gallbladder surgery, I look for ways to inconspicuously reduce the total fat content in my recipes.
- fresh thyme – Okay stay with me here. You probably already know that thyme pairs incredibly well with lemon in savory applications, but it tastes just as great (and/or better?!) in sweet treats too. The fresh thyme adds an herbal, woodsy flavor to this citrusy-sweet lemon cake that is equal parts unexpected and “why didn’t I think of that!”. Try it.
ingredient substitutions and variations
switch out the yogurt.
You can use full-fat or low-fat yogurt instead of the nonfat version I used (I really just used it because I had it in the fridge and wanted it to go away!), just make sure yours is unflavored unsweetened yogurt. Sour cream will definitely work too.
how to make Meyer lemon cake: step by step
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Lightly spritz 9-inch (8.5-inch works too!) loaf pan with cooking spray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper and press it into the loaf pan, leaving some tabs that stick up on the sides. This makes it easy to lift out your cake once it’s baked.
- Combine granulated sugar and meyer lemon zest in a small bowl, then use your fingers to pinch and rub the mixture together. I usually do this for a minute or two, just because it feels nice 🙂
- In a separate bowl whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.
- In a third bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest + sugar mixture and honey, then continue beating until pale yellow. Slowly add in the olive oil with the mixer running, beating until well mixed, then beat in the yogurt and vanilla extract.
- TIP: Spray the measuring cup with some oil to make the honey come out easier.
- Add the dry mixture in 2 batches, beating well after each addition. Put the mixer aside and add your meyer lemon juice to the batter, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold it in by hand. If you listen you can kind of hear the lemon juice and baking soda reacting – producing a whispery fizzle.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let your loaf cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then lift it using those parchment paper tabs and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- TIP: If there are any places where your cake is touching the pan directly you may need to run a knife along the edges to help it release.
- Make the glaze by whisking Meyer lemon juice, sifted powdered sugar, and granulated sugar together until the sugars are dissolved. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves. Pour over the completely cooled cake, using a pastry brush to smooth it into an even coating.
- TIP: It is important to sift the powdered sugar as this will help make your glaze smooth instead of lumpy.
- Sprinkle some extra thyme leaves and fresh lemon zest on top of your cake if desired, then let it sit so the glaze can harden. Slice and enjoy!
FAQs
okay. what’s the difference between a Meyer lemon and a regular lemon?
The exact botanical makeup of a Meyer lemon is hazy, but they are a hybrid of other citrus fruits that may include regular lemons, citron, pomelo, and the mandarin orange! They are sweeter, less sour, and more floral than the Eureka lemon – the ‘regular’ variety that most of us find readily at our local grocery stores.
I first came across Meyer lemons while working at Agern, and the sweet aroma released by slicing one open always takes me back to those days. Oh those frenetic, fantastic, stressful, sublime days.
get cooking!
Enjoy & let me know what you think 🌙 💛
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sugar-glazed Meyer lemon cake
Rich with olive oil and sweetened with honey, this meyer lemon cake is bursting with bright lemon flavor! It has a dense, moist crumb and is topped off with a sweet meyer lemon and thyme sugar glaze that shatters when you slice into it.
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (plus cooling time)
- Yield: 8 servings (1 loaf)
Ingredients
for the cake:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (from about 2 medium Meyer lemons or 4 small)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup nonfat greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (from about 1 medium Meyer lemon or 2 small)
for the glaze:
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- fresh Meyer lemon zest, for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Lightly spritz 9-inch (8.5-inch works too!) loaf pan with cooking spray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper and press it into the loaf pan, leaving some tabs that stick up on the sides. This makes it easy to lift out your cake once it’s baked.
- Combine granulated sugar and meyer lemon zest in a small bowl, then use your fingers to pinch and rub the mixture together. I usually do this for a minute or two, just because it feels nice 🙂
- In a separate bowl whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.
- In a third bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest + sugar mixture and honey, then continue beating until pale yellow. Slowly add in the olive oil with the mixer running, beating until well mixed, then beat in the yogurt and vanilla extract. TIP: Spray the measuring cup with some oil to make the honey come out easier.
- Add the dry mixture in 2 batches, beating well after each addition. Put the mixer aside and add your meyer lemon juice to the batter, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold it in by hand. If you listen you can kind of hear the lemon juice and baking soda reacting – producing a whispery fizzle.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let your loaf cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then lift it using those parchment paper tabs and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. TIP: If there are any places where your cake is touching the pan directly you may need to run a knife along the edges to help it release.
- Make the glaze by whisking meyer lemon juice, sifted powdered sugar, and granulated sugar together until the sugars are dissolved. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves. Pour over the completely cooled cake, using a pastry brush to smooth it into an even coating. TIP: It is important to sift the powdered sugar as this will help make your glaze smooth instead of lumpy.
- Sprinkle some extra thyme leaves and fresh lemon zest on top of your cake if desired, then let it sit so the glaze can harden. Slice and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
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