Sometimes the simplest recipes become the ones we treasure the most. That’s exactly how I feel about this Whole Wheat Lemon Cake. It’s made in just one bowl with simple pantry ingredients, yet it bakes into a wonderfully moist, tender cake bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
Whether you’re serving it for afternoon tea, dessert after supper, or bringing it to a family gathering, this wholesome cake proves that baking with whole grains can be every bit as delicious as baking with refined flour.
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Table of Contents
- A Quick Glance: Video Contents
- About This Whole Wheat Lemon Cake Recipe
- Whole Wheat Lemon Cake Serving Suggestions
- Storing Your Whole Wheat Lemon Cake
- Continue Your Whole Grain Baking Journey
- Grand Teton Ancient Grains
- Grind Your Own Flour with the Mockmill
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Whole Wheat Lemon Cake – One Bowl Recipe Recipe
- Shop for My Favorite Items
A Quick Glance: Video Contents
- Make a delicious whole wheat lemon cake using just one bowl.
- Bright, fresh lemon flavor makes this cake light and refreshing.
- A simple recipe that’s perfect for beginning bakers.
- Uses wholesome whole-grain flour without sacrificing tenderness.
- Wonderful for dessert, brunch, afternoon tea, or special occasions.
- Easy to customize with your favorite glaze, berries, or whipped cream.
About This Whole Wheat Lemon Cake Recipe
One of the things I love most about this recipe is its simplicity. Everything comes together in one bowl, making cleanup quick and easy while still producing a beautiful homemade cake.
One of the things I love most about this recipe is its simplicity. Everything comes together in one bowl, making cleanup quick and easy while still producing a beautiful homemade cake.
If you’ve ever wondered whether whole-grain cakes can be light and delicious, this recipe is a wonderful place to begin. I’ll walk you through each step in the recipe video and share the little baking tips that help ensure success every time.
This cake is lovely all on its own, but it’s also delicious topped with fresh berries, a light dusting of powdered sugar, a simple lemon glaze, or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Whole Wheat Lemon Cake Serving Suggestions
This lemon cake is wonderful served:
- A dusting of powdered (icing) sugar
- With fresh berries
- Alongside an afternoon cup of tea or coffee
- As part of a spring or summer brunch
- With homemade whipped cream
- With a light lemon glaze for an extra burst of citrus flavor.
Make a Lemon Glaze
To make a lemon glaze to pour over the cake, simply mix 1 cup of powdered (icing) sugar with the juice of one large lemon. You can also add the zest of the lemon to the glaze for even more lemony flavor.
Storing Your Whole Wheat Lemon Cake
This cake freezes beautifully, making it a wonderful make-ahead dessert to have ready whenever family or friends stop by for a visit.
Continue Your Whole Grain Baking Journey
Whole grain baking doesn’t have to be complicated. As you’ve seen with this recipe, a few simple techniques and wholesome ingredients can produce delicious baked goods your whole family will enjoy.
I hope this Whole Wheat Lemon Cake brings a little sunshine to your kitchen. Sometimes the simplest homemade desserts become family favorites, and this one might become one of yours.
Grand Teton Ancient Grains
Check out the organic berries and flours available from Grand Teton Ancient Grains. I love their high-quality Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt, Millet, and more you can get to create nutritious and delicious baked goods.
Exclusive Newsletter Discount Code
Sign up for my Mary’s Nest newsletter for an exclusive discount code you can use on your order of berries and flours. This discount is available for a limited time, so be sure to stock up on the Ancient Grains you would enjoy using to bake delightful breads, desserts, and more.
And if you’re looking for a grain mill to make fresh flour from your wheat berries, I recommend the Mockmill electric grain grinder. (See below.)
Grind Your Own Flour with the Mockmill
When it comes to electric grain mills, after I did A LOT of research, I decided to buy a Mockmill. And am I so happy I did! The Mockmill is a very affordable but beautifully crafted German-made mill that stone grinds grain with settings ranging from 1 to 10—fine to coarse ground grain.
Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover’s Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes. (This is not a sponsored post. I bought the Mockmill products that I show you, and I’m a happy user of their devices in my kitchen.)
- Get the Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill (Same product I show you in my unboxing video.)
- Mockmill 100 Grain Mill unboxing
- Flake Lover’s Flaker from Mockmill in action (Using this device, you can flake whole grain in minutes.)
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The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Pantry
Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!
Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
Sharing my passion for traditional cooking goes beyond my YouTube cooking school—it also comes to life in the pages of my cookbooks. Both of my books, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook and The Modern Pioneer Pantry, are proudly published by Penguin Random House.
The first is filled with time-honored recipes to help you create a traditional foods kitchen, while the second is your complete guide to home food preservation. Order both books today to start or continue your traditional foods journey.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
Kitchen Academy Videos
Baking with Whole Grains: The Maslin Method, Grain Mills, and America’s Bread Basket
Explore whole grain baking with The Maslin Method, fresh-milled flour, grain mills, heritage wheats, and more.
A Sweet Season of Celebration and New Beginnings with The Maslin Method Baking School Series
Celebrate the close of a heartfelt book tour and the exciting launch of The Maslin Method Baking School for traditional baking.
Why We Should Incorporate Mackerel Into Our Diet
Easy and nourishing ways to enjoy mackerel into your meals.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Get Mary's latest hardcover cookbook about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
I’d like to receive more tips and recipes from Mary’s Nest.
Whole Wheat Lemon Cake – One Bowl Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (hard red wheat) or white whole wheat flour
- 3 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine-ground sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup unrefined whole cane sugar or granulated sugar (white table sugar)
- 8 tbsps butter, melted and cooled (1 “stick” of butter)
- 6 Zest and juice of 6 large lemons
- Enough milk added to the lemon juice to create 1 1/4 cups of liquid
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare your loaf pan by greasing only the bottom of the pan.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Mix the lemon juice and milk together and stir well. It will thicken. Set aside.
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl, including the lemon juice milk mixture.
- Mix just until everything is just incorporated and all the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the loaf pan and allow the cake to cool on a cooling rack before serving.
- Garnish as desired.
Video
Notes
Shop for My Favorite Items
Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Favorite Aprons
- Spice Grinder
- Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
- Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
- Vacuum Lids
- Whisk
- Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
- Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
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