This sourdough lemon cake is literally the best of all worlds! It’s lightly sweetened with just a bit of maple sugar. Also perfectly tangy with plenty of fresh squeezed lemon juice and freshly grated zest! It’s wonderfully light, and best of all it comes with the benefit of long fermented grains! Taking only about 10 minutes to whisk together, the hands on time is so minimal, you’ll be making this sourdough discard lemon cake on repeat this summer!
Sourdough Discard Lemon Cake Ingredients
- Butter
- Maple Sugar
- Eggs
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Sourdough Discard
- Milk
The Creamed Ingredients
The first three ingredients in this recipe are the creamed ingredients. My preferred fat for this recipe is definitely butter. However, other fats such as coconut oil or lard could be substituted. Both can be substituted 1:1
The maple sugar in this recipe is also open for substitutions. I prefer to use maple sugar in most of my baking and recipes since I try keep with less refined sweetener options. However, regular cane sugar or brown sugar are both great options for this recipe as well.
They can be substituted 1:1, however, be sure to avoid packing if you choose to use brown sugar. Honey is also a great option for sweetening this recipe, however if using this option, you will want to add about 1/4 cup extra flour.
Finally, we have the eggs in our creamed ingredients. I don’t recommend substituting these. However, if you are avoiding eggs, 1/2 cup applesauce can replace the eggs.
The lemon juice and lemon zest are the star ingredients in this recipe! Fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh grated lemon zest will provide optimal flavor! If you don’t have access to a grater or if you only have a bottle of lemon juice, that’s ok! Go for a third cup of juice instead of just one quarter!
The Dry Ingredients
The flour that I use in this recipe is all purpose unbleached organic. This is the only type of all purpose flour I recommend. I also do not recommend substitutions for the dry ingredients. Wheat flour would be far too heavy for this recipe, and gluten free flours likely would not provide the same texture for this particular recipe.
The Wet Ingredients
Sourdough discard is the preferred fermenting agent for this recipe. I have used active starter before, but I recommend discard for a couple reasons. First, it will greatly minimize any leavening action on the cake (we don’t want leavening!) Second, sourdough discard is more acidic which is a better option for long fermented recipes with raw eggs. Read more below!
Long Fermentation With Eggs
This is a long fermented recipe that calls for eggs. While some of you may be uncomfortable fermenting at room temperature with raw eggs, it is actually safe. Here is why.
- Any risk of Salmonella is carried on the shells of the eggs. To minimize risk, of using raw eggs like I am, be sure to wash the shells of the eggs before cracking. After cracking the eggs, thoroughly wash your hands. If using store bought pasteurized eggs, the risk is already minimized as these eggs are already washed.
- The cake will be cooked before consumed in a 350 degree oven. Salmonella is destroyed at a temperature of 150 degrees or higher.
- The acidic nature of sourdough makes it more difficult for Salmonella to survive. A person’s stomach acid is a natural defense against Salmonella. While the acid in the stomach is slightly more acidic than sourdough starter, the acid in the starter is still able to fight against the harmful Salmonella. Sourdough discard is more acidic than active starter so discard is the optimal choice.
If you are still uncomfortable with fermenting this recipe at room temperature, that’s ok too! If you are better than be at planning ahead, you can simply ferment this recipe in the refrigerator for about 24 hours (about 3x longer than room temperature). OR if you aren’t concerned with fermenting the grains, and you’d rather forgo this process entirely, you can simply bake the cake as soon as you have mixed it!
Mixing Your Sourdough Discard Lemon Cake
Creaming the Ingredients
To begin mixing your sourdough discard lemon cake, you’ll want to melt the stick of butter in a saucepan. Add the melted butter to a large mixing bowl.
To the large mixing bowl, add the sugar and whisk thoroughly.
Next add in your eggs and whisk together all the ingredients very well.
Finally, it’s time to finish the creamed ingredients by adding in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Begin by zesting the lemon with a zester and add the zest to the creamed ingredients.
Slice your lemon in half and use a lemon squeezer to avoid squeezing seeds. Measure the lemon juice into a measuring cup first to make sure of the amount you’re adding
Add the juice into the other creamed ingredients and mix thoroughly!
Mixing The Dry Ingredients
After the creamed ingredients have been combined, it’s time to mix the dry ingredients. Begin by adding the flour to a separate bowl. Next, measure in the baking soda and the baking powder and mix together.
Mixing The Wet Ingredients
Finally, we need to mix the wet ingredients before combining all the separate parts. Measure the sourdough starter discard into a third bowl. Then add the milk into the same bowl or measuring glass. Combine these two ingredients very well.
If you are not certain if your starter is active or discard check out this post to learn more!
Combining The Separate Parts
Last of all, it is time to combine each of these individual parts of this recipe. Slowly begin incorporating the wet and dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients a little at a time.
Combine just a small amount of the wet ingredients or the dry ingredients one at a time. Thoroughly whisk the batter each time you incorporate ingredients.
Once all the wet and dry ingredients have been combined, it’s time to just let the batter rest at room temperature for 6-8 hours or in the fridge for 24-30 hours.
Baking Your Sourdough Discard Lemon Cake
Once the batter has set to ferment, it’s time to bake the cake. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a 9X5 loaf pan. I like to line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal and clean up.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven until the edges are set and an inserted tooth pick comes out clean from the center (about 50-60 minutes). Enjoy this delicious treat!
Be sure to tag us on Instagram or Facebook if you decide to make your won delicious easy sourdough discard lemon cake! @almostheavenhomesteading
Pin this tutorial to save to your board of ideas!
Below you can find a link to the maple sugar that I love to use in so many recipes including this one!
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Sourdough Discard Lemon Cake
This sourdough discard lemon cake is perfect for summertime. It's lightly sweetened and perfectly tangy from the lemon juice and sourdough starter. Taking only minutes of hands on time, this will be a win recipe for the entire family!
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1/2 Cup Maple Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 2 T Lemon Zest
- 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 Cup Sourdough Discard
- 3/4 Cup Milk
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
- Add the melted butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly with a whisk.
- Add in the eggs and combine with a whisk.
- Zest the lemon and add to the mixture.
- Juice the lemon in a separate measuring cup and add to the mixture. Thoroughly whisk.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together.
- In a third bowl, combine the sourdough discard and milk - whisk together.
- Slowly incorporate the flour and milk mixtures a little at a time adding each separately and thoroughly whisking as you go.
- Once all the flour and milk mixtures have been added and thoroughly whisked, let the batter set at room temp for 6-8 hours or in the fridge for 24-30 hours.
- Transfer to a parchment lined 9X5 loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes until edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the loaf pan and allow to rest for about an hour before slicing and enjoying!
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