Bolo de Limão: Easy Portuguese Lemon Cake 🍋
A soft and fluffy Portuguese lemon cake made with fresh lemon and avocado oil, then finished with a sweet lemon icing and optional sliced almonds. Plain yoghurt is the secret to its beautifully tender texture.
Equipment
- • Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- • Lemon zester
- • Citrus juicer
- • 8 inch round cake pan
- • Parchment paper
- • Cooling rack
- • Small bowl for icing
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yoghurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 juice of lemon , whole
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
Lemon Icing
- 1 ¼ cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice add more if needed
Optional Toppings
- ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
- lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 175°C. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add granulated sugar, avocado oil eggs and the yoghurt, to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and completely combined.
- Add the zest of one lemon and the juice of one whole lemon. Whisk again until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Gently mix just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 38 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few soft crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes. Transfer it to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
- To prepare the icing, combine 1¼ cups of icing sugar with 1½ tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Add more lemon juice ½ teaspoon at a time, if needed, until thick but pourable.
- Pour the icing over the centre of the cooled cake. Move the bowl gently back and forth so the icing spreads and naturally drips down the sides.
- Immediately add the optional sliced almonds while the icing is wet. Finish with optional fresh lemon zest.
Notes
• I used avocado oil, but another mild tasting oil or melted butter can be used.
• Plain yoghurt gives the cake its soft and tender texture. High protein or regular plain yoghurt can be used.
• Do not poke holes in the cake before adding the icing.
• Let the cake cool completely so the icing remains visible and does not melt into the cake.
• For a 9 inch round cake pan, begin checking after 25 minutes.
• For a standard loaf pan, bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
