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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Treats

    Rosemary Lemon Cake

    Updated: Sep 25, 2024 · Published: Mar 18, 2019 · by Jan Nunes

    Close up view of a pale yellow cake with flecks of rosemary with text overlay.
    Two image collage of a finished cake and rosemary with lemons with text overlay.
    Collage of 3 images of rosemary lemon cake, plated and sliced, baked in the pan, and of lemons and rosemary with text overlay.

    Are you looking for a cake that doesn’t need frosting? My Rosemary Lemon Cake is sweet but not too sweet. This delicious cake has soft herbal notes from rosemary paired with orange-like Meyer lemons that will remind you of long, wonderful summer days.

    There are those cakes you make for major celebrations. You know the ones I mean? Covered in decadent frosting or filled with ganache and custard fillings, they are so beautiful and so sinfully delicious.

    But sometimes you want a piece of cake, and just cake, as a mid-day treat or to top off a wonderful day and you don’t need a major showstopper. You want simple. You want sweet, buttery cake.

    The finished cake is plated, dusted with powdered sugar, and sliced.
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    Jump to:
    • About this Recipe
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • What are Meyer Lemons?
    • My Top Tip
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Equipment
    • More Cakes and Treats
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    My Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Cake came from that exact desire for a simple cake that can hold you captive without having any frosting, icing, or glaze. The flavor of this cake is deliciously unique because the lemon-orange flavor of the Meyer lemon is absolutely fabulous when paired with fresh rosemary.

    About this Recipe

    This loaf cake recipe is based on my basic recipes for a butter cake and a pound cake. But, as I was developing this recipe, I realized this cake needed to be sweeter than most recipes. The standard amounts of sugar from either recipe just weren’t enough to balance the citrus and herb flavors.

    Nearly, all of the ingredients can be found on hand. Only the rosemary, which is fresh and not dried, and the Meyer lemons are a special buy from the nearest grocer or farmer's market. I was so thrilled to find an abundance of Meyer lemons at a nearby grocery store. But, then, I do live in a state known for its citrus!

    Meyer lemons are scattered around a glass holding stems of rosemary.

    This moist cake starts simple and ends simple. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, rosemary, Meyer lemon zest, and juice. Beat in flour sifted with baking powder and salt. Then spread the thick silky batter into a prepared loaf pan and… Bake!

    All that’s left to do is let it cool and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar! Oh, wait! The last thing to do is... eat it!

    So, let's bake!

    Ingredient Notes

    The ingredients, clockwise from top: all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, powdered sugar, eggs, fresh rosemary, Meyer lemons, and butter.

    Here's what you need to make this Rosemary Lemon Cake:

    • All-Purpose Flour - You can use regular all-purpose flour. There is no need for cake flour with this cake.
    • Baking Powder - Use baking powder that doesn't contain aluminum for the best flavor. For some people aluminum, even a very small amount of it, leaves a bitter aftertaste.
    • Salt - I use regular plain salt. The round blue box with the little girl holding the umbrella. The grains are consistent and the amount of salt measures the same each time.
    • Butter - Salted butter is fine for this cake. If you use unsalted butter add an extra ⅛ teaspoon of salt.
    • Powdered Sugar - Also called confectioners or icing sugar,  powdered sugar will make the cake sweet and the crumb will be soft. You will also need just a little extra to dust the top of the cake.
    • Large Eggs - Don't use any other size of eggs when baking. Generally, all baking recipes call for large eggs.
    • Fresh Rosemary - Be sure to finely chop the rosemary for good flavor throughout the cake. If you wish you can add rosemary sprigs on or around the cake to signal that rosemary flavors the cake.
    • Meyer Lemons - You will need both lemon juice and lemon zest. I prefer Meyer lemons their flavor is citrusy but smooth.

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Process Photo 1 - A loaf pan is greased and floured.

    Preheat and Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Grease and flour a 9 ⅘ in x 4 ⅓ in loaf pan. If using a dark metal pan, reduce oven temperature to 325°F/163°C.

    Process Photo 2 - Dry Ingredients are sifted onto a piece of parchment paper.

    Sift Dry Ingredients. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside for later.

    Process Photo 3 - Creaming the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

    Cream. Using a stand mixer with a large bowl beat softened butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Add the snipped rosemary, Meyer lemon zest, and juice, and continue to beat until all is well incorporated.

    Process Photo 4 - Beating the dry ingredients into the creamed (wet) ingredients.

    Add Dry Ingredients. Beat in half of the dry ingredients  Add the remaining flour mixture and continue to beat just until the batter is smooth.

    Process Photo 5 - Transferring the cake batter into the prepared pan.

    Batter in Pan and Bake. Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the top of the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched or a cake tester comes out clean. 

    Do not open the oven until at least 55 minutes have passed.  The cake may fall if the temperature is not even during the majority of the baking time.

    Process Photo 6 - The baked cake cooling in the pan on a wire rack.

    Cool and Plate. Remove from oven and place the cake on a wire rack to cool. When cool, remove the cake from the pan, and plate. If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

    The finished cake is plated, dusted with powdered sugar, and sliced.

    For beautiful slices, the cake should be thoroughly cooled before cutting.  Wrap any leftover cake in plastic wrap to retain freshness and store at room temperature.

    What are Meyer Lemons?

    A white bowl filled with Meyer lemons.

    Meyer lemons are a cross between a citron fruit and a mandarin orange. They are smaller and rounder than the more commonly found Eureka lemon and have a less acidic, sweeter, smooth orange-lemon flavor.

    If you can't get Meyer lemons at your local grocer, try your farmer's market.

    My Top Tip

    ♡ The secret to making this cake is creaming the butter and sugar so that it becomes light in color and texture. Adding the remaining ingredients is then very easy.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Substitute Lemon and Orange Juice. If Meyer lemons are not available, you can substitute a 50/50 blend of orange and regular lemon zest and juices.
    • Substitute Fresh Thyme. You can also use fresh thyme instead of rosemary in this cake.
    • Add Vanilla Extract. Vanilla is a fantastic backdrop flavor in citrus cakes. You can add up to ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

    Equipment

    An electric mixer makes the work of creaming the ingredients easy. I prefer to use a stand mixer. However, you can also use a hand mixer.

    The finished cake is plated, dusted with powdered sugar, and sliced.

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    ♡ Did you love this Rosemary Lemon Cake? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!

    📖 Recipe

    The finished cake is plated, dusted with powdered sugar, and sliced.

    Rosemary Lemon Cake

    4.67 from 9 votes
    By: Jan Nunes
    Rosemary Lemon Cake has soft herbal notes from rosemary paired with orange-like Meyer lemons that will remind you of wonderful summer days.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time ~ 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 10 Servings
    Calories ~ 320kcal
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    Ingredients
     

    • 1 ¾ Cups All Purpose Flour
    • ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
    • ½ Teaspoon Salt
    • ⅔ Cup Butter, Softened
    • 2 ⅓ Cups Powdered Sugar
    • 3 Large Eggs
    • 4 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary, Finely Snipped or Chopped
    • 3 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Zest
    • 3 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Juice

    Garnish

    • 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat and Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Grease and flour a 9 ⅘ in x 4 ⅓ in loaf pan. If using a dark metal pan, reduce oven temperature to 325°F/163°C.
    • Sift Dry Ingredients. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside for later.
      1 ¾ Cups All Purpose Flour, ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ Teaspoon Salt
    • Cream. Using a stand mixer with a large bowl beat softened butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 
      Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time.
      Add the snipped rosemary, Meyer lemon zest, and juice, and continue to beat until all is well incorporated.
      ⅔ Cup Butter, 2 ⅓ Cups Powdered Sugar, 3 Large Eggs, 4 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary, 3 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Zest, 3 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Juice
    • Add Dry Ingredients. Beat in half of the dry ingredients  Add the remaining flour mixture and continue to beat just until the batter is smooth.
    • Batter in Pan and Bake. Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the top of the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched or a cake tester comes out clean. 
      Do not open the oven until at least 55 minutes have passed.  The cake may fall if the temperature is not even during the majority of the baking time.
    • Cool and Plate. Remove from oven and place the cake on a wire rack to cool.
      When cool, remove the cake from the pan, and plate. If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.
      For beautiful slices, the cake should be thoroughly cooled before cutting.  Wrap any leftover cake in plastic wrap to retain freshness and store at room temperature.
      1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar

    Video

    Notes

    The secret to making this cake is creaming the butter and sugar so that it becomes light in color and texture. Adding the remaining ingredients is then very easy.
    I prefer to use a stand mixer when making the batter for this cake. However, you can also use a hand mixer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 90mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.3mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

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    About Jan Nunes

    Jan is the creator and owner of Encharted Cook. Her cooking and baking journey began more than 50 years ago and she specializes in showing how recipes and ingredients can work together and why. At Encharted Cook you can rely on proven recipes and take your cooking and baking up to the next level.

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    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

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