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–+ servings
Lemon turmeric tea cake on a white plate, topped with powdered sugar glaze and lemon zest.

Lemon Turmeric Tea Cake Recipe

Petranka
Lemon Turmeric Tea Cake is a bright, zesty, and simple dessert you're going to love! It's tangy, moist, and just the right amount of crumbly! Perfect for spring and summer.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 353 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients
  

For the glaze (optional)

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice (or more as needed)

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 10x5 loaf pan and line a piece of parchment paper in the center for easier removal (see photos in the blog post above).
  • To a medium bowl, beat eggs with yogurt (or sour cream), olive oil, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir in the lemon zest.
  • To a smaller bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, turmeric, salt, and black pepper.
  • Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (and add any salt or black pepper that's left in the sifter). Using a spatula, mix them together just until combined. Don't overmix. It's okay if there are a few clumps.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. After that, check the lemon cake to see if it's getting too brown on top and needs to be covered with foil. Cover with aluminum foil if needed and continue baking for 20 more minutes. It's ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the turmeric cake rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife and remove. Let it cool completely before icing (about 2-3 hours).
  • In the meantime, prepare the glaze by sifting powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix. It should be pourable but still on the thick side. Ice the cake by drizzling the glaze all over the top. Wait for 10-15 for the glaze to harden and decorate as desired.

Notes

  • Use a scale! I have never made this recipe with measurements in cups because they often can be off. With baking, you really want to be as precise as possible for the best results.
  • If you measure with cups, make sure to measure the flour correctly. Use the spoon and leveling method. If you don't know about it, you can read more here.
  • Don't overmix the batter! This is key for a light and fluffy cake. Overmixing causes cases to be dense, so stop mixing the moment you see that everything is combined. It's okay if there are a few clumps of flour.
  • Cover the pan with foil after 30 minutes or so. Every oven is different, so keep an eye on it, because it tends to brown quickly toward the end.
Storage
Save this cake in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can freeze it for 3 months. Let it thaw before serving.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without the glaze and other optional ingredients.
**Recipe adapted from Alison Roman's cookbook "Nothing Fancy".

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal
Keyword lemon cake, lemon cake recipe, lemon tea cake, tea cake with lemon and turmeric
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