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Preserved-Lemon Tea Cake

4.8

(59)

Glazed lemon loaf cake on a pink surface.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh

To make the lemon-iest lemon cake, work smarter not harder. Instead of upping the amount of fresh fruit, seek out a more intense initial product. Preserved lemons, when puréed into paste and incorporated into the simple batter, bring a powerful citrus flavor and subtle brininess that zest and juice alone could never achieve. Olive oil reinforces the fruity savoriness and works with the sour cream to keep this loaf plush and moist for days. (And before you worry, even though preserved lemons are salt-cured, the final product does not taste salty.)

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What you’ll need