Rosemary Lemon Cake

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.

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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.

Ingredient Notes

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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