Lemon, honey, and yogurt cake

Lemons are the ingredient of the month!

I love their freshness and the brightness of flavor that they impart on any dish, big or small. I love a little bit of lemon in a coffee, it’s perfect squeezed over oysters or fish, delicious preserved or pickled, and lemons are indispensable for making sauces, jams, baking, and even cleaning.

The melding of the delicate honey and lemon flavors in this tea cake are absolutely addictive, and I adore Meyer lemons – they are sweeter, milder lemon cousins with an incredible fragrant and thin rind. You can, of course, use regular lemons in this recipe, as well.

You’ll need:

  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 T Meyer lemon zest
  • 2 T Meyer lemon juice
  • 1 cup whole yogurt
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 3 T thick honey (I used Tasmanian Christmas Bush)
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/2 whole wheat flour

For optional topping: 1/2 cup sugar + 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice.

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients and the sugars. Add in the freshly grated lemon zest. Sift the flours together and slowly mix in until well-combined.

3. Pour the batter into the bundt pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. It’s okay if it feels a little bouncy on the inside while it’s hot, it will set up a bit more as it cools.

4. Let cool slightly before turning out the cake. Mix the lemon juice and the sugar together and pour over the cake before serving.

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25 Comments

  1. This looks fantastic. I’ve heard Meyer lemons mentioned everywhere… when are they in season… and will I ever find them in Canada:( What an awesome dessert!! I can just imagine the lemon flavor and scent…

  2. I’ve heard that yogurt is wonderful on a cake, so I now this cake will probably be so delicious and moist if I made this. I think I will make this soon.. amazing recipe

  3. Mmmm, lemon cake…. Love the addition of honey, too, since honey and lemon go so great together! I’ve never heard of adding lemon to coffee though 🙂

    1. Agreed! They go very well together.

      I grew up with my mom doing it – without milk in the coffee of course – and I love the taste together (kind of like the rind with an espresso).

  4. Meyer lemons? have never heard of them before. Looked on ‘Net and see they are a mix of lemon and orange or a mandarin and Martha Stewart used to use them. Have to see if my local grocery has them Thanks! Becky

    1. They are fairly easy to find these days – they are smaller and a little sweeter than regular lemons (though I wouldn’t go as far as saying they taste anything like mandarins). They have a thin, sweet, and fragrant rind, which is great in cooking or baking.

  5. Hi! Your cake looks amazing! I have a few questions though, can this cake be made into a layer cake? If so what filling would be ideal?

    1. Hi! The cake would definitely hold up to being a layer cake, it is dense enough for that. In terms of filling, it depends on what you like, but I would go with lemon curd – there is a recipe on s&h for a quick homemade version!