Made with granulated and brown sugar, melted butter, creamy yogurt, vanilla, and loads of fresh lemon zest and juice! Every bite is packed with a swirl of lemony goodness and topped with a quick vanilla lavender glaze. While it bakes, your kitchen fills with the warm, inviting scents of spring and summer. It’s absolutely delicious—you’re going to LOVE this cake!
You guys, I’m beyond excited to finally share this cake with you. I’ve been tweaking it forever, and now that it’s just perfect, I saved the best recipe of the week for Friday!
This cake was inspired by the glazed apple fritter cake I made in the fall—which instantly became a fan favorite. I’m not even sure if “lemon fritter” is officially a thing, but once the idea popped into my head, I had to bring it to life. And honestly? It turned out even better than I dreamed.
Imagine a soft, buttery crumb cake with little pockets of lemony crumble and a sweet citrus glaze. YUM!
It took a few tries to get it just right, but the final test was the winner. Not only is it super easy to make, but it’s also perfect for all your spring and summer baking.
And speaking of summer? I’m already brainstorming a blueberry version. Blueberry fritter cake? Oh yes, it’s happening!
Alright, let’s get into the details!
Ingredients
- Lemon zest
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Salted butter
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Eggs
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
- Baking powder
- Dried lavender (optional)
- Candied lemon (optional)
Lemon Swirl Ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest
- All-purpose flour
- Salted butter
Glaze Ingredients
- Whole milk
- Dried lavender (optional)
- Salted butter (lightly browned on the stove)
- Vanilla
- Powdered sugar
Special Tools: Just a mixing bowl, a 9×9 baking pan, and maybe a skillet if you want to brown the butter.
Steps
Step 1: The Lemon Sugar
Mix the granulated sugar with the lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar—this helps release the lemon’s oils, making the sugar extra fragrant. Then, mix in the brown sugar.
Step 2: Make the Batter
To the lemon sugar, add the melted butter. (I don’t have a microwave, so I melt mine on the stove until it’s lightly browned.)
Next, stir in the yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Then, add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. You can use whole wheat flour or a gluten-free blend if you prefer.
Step 3: The Lemon Swirl
The lemon swirl is just granulated sugar, lemon zest, flour, and butter mixed together until clumps form.
Step 4: Layer the Cake, Then Bake
Now, layer the cake batter with the lemon swirl. Start with half the batter on the bottom, add the lemon swirl mix, then top with the remaining batter.
Pop it in the oven—it’ll take about 30 minutes to bake. Trust me, the wait is totally worth it!
Step 5: The Glaze
While the cake bakes, make the vanilla lavender glaze. (You can skip the lavender if you want—just use lemon zest instead!)
Warm the milk until steamy, then add the dried lavender and let it steep for 5 minutes to infuse the flavor. Strain out the lavender.
Mix in the vanilla, melted butter, and powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the cake—it looks so pretty!
For the finishing touch, sprinkle the lavender and sugar mix on top. You can even add candied lemon slices for extra flair. It’s gorgeous, and even more delicious!
Now, go enjoy this sweet, easy lemon fritter cake!
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