Lemon Turmeric Tea Cake

I wanted to make a dessert that was lemony, but not intensely so, and unfussy. This lemon turmeric tea cake fit the bill! I changed the recipe a bit because it was originally topped with very thin lemon slices before being baked, and I know from experience that I don’t like that, so I omitted that part. I’d bake the cake less next time. Otherwise, this was great! Not too sweet, great as a snack or even a breakfast as well as a light dessert (though you could serve it with lactose-free whipped cream or ice cream if you wanted).

1 ½ cups (215 g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ tsp. ground turmeric

1 lemon

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

¾ cup lactose-free sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

½ cup (1 stick) lactose-free butter or margarine, melted

Heat the oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease a 4-by-9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter, and line it with parchment, leaving some overhang on both of the longer sides so you’re able to easily lift the cake out after baking.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric in a large bowl.

Grate 2 tablespoons zest from 1 lemon into a medium bowl. Halve the zested lemon and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice into a small bowl.

Add 1 cup sugar to the lemon zest in the medium bowl; rub together with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and tinted yellow. Whisk in the sour cream, eggs and the 2 tablespoons lemon juice until well blended.

Using a spatula, add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to blend. Fold in the melted butter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown, the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes (I would check at 45 minutes). Let cool before slicing.