Sour cream with a light lemon glaze

Here’s a  recipe for a Sour Cream Cake with a Light Lemon Glaze — a moist, tender cake with a subtle tang from sour cream and a bright, refreshing lemon glaze on top. Perfect for teatime or dessert!

Sour Cream Cake with Light Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour

• 2 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup (240g) sour cream

• Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tbsp)

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), sifted

• 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (adjust to desired consistency)

• ½ tsp lemon zest (optional, for extra zing)

Instructions

Make the Cake:

1. Preheat oven and prepare pan
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch cake pan or line it with parchment paper.

2. Mix dry ingredients
   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar
   In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add eggs and vanilla
   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

5. Combine wet and dry
   With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream (start and end with the flour mixture). Mix until just combined — don’t overmix.

6. Bake
   Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Cool
   Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Make the Lemon Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Start with 2 tablespoons of juice and add more if needed to reach a pourable but thick glaze consistency.

2. Optionally stir in lemon zest for extra flavor.

Glaze the Cake:

1. Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the lemon glaze evenly over the top. You can use a spoon or a piping bag.

2. Allow the glaze to set for about 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tips:

• For an extra lemon punch, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the cake batter.

• Sour cream keeps the cake moist and tender, so don’t skip it!

• If you want a thicker glaze, use less lemon juice.

• You can decorate the cake with thin lemon slices or candied lemon peel for a pretty presentation.