French Lemon Cake Recipe

You will love this homemade French lemon cake recipe. This lemon loaf is freshly delicious without being pretentious. And you get to enjoy a plain version also.

If you're planning to celebrate a special occasion, or if you simply wish to make any occasion special, then consider serving French lemon cake.

Dr. Chase's Traditional French Lemon Cake Recipe

Dr. Chase's Receipt Book (1891)

French Lemon Loaf

Ingredients: Sugar, 2-1/2 cups; butter, 1-1/2 cups; flour, 1-1/2 cups; 8 eggs; some milk, 2 tablespoonfuls; soda, 1/4 teaspoonful; 1 lemon.

Directions: Cream the butter and sugar together, then stir in the yolks (the French always beat the yolks and whites separately), then the whites; and, having grated off the yellow of the lemon (peeled off the white and thrown away), and also grated up the inside upon a coarse grater and picked out the seeds, stir this in, then the flour, and having dissolved the soda in the sour milk, stir it in.

Bake in a moderate oven (375°F).

An orange or two may be used instead of a lemon, for variety's sake, if desired or preferred.

Remarks. —It may not be amiss to say that the French not only beat the yolks and whites of eggs separately, and for a long time, but they also make their cakes very rich. If it is desired to have cake like theirs, we must follow their directions.

French Plain Loaf

Sugar, 2 cups; butter, 1/2 cup; sweet milk, 1 cup; flour, 3 cups; 3 eggs; baking powder, 3 teaspoonfuls.

Directions: Cream the sugar and butter together with the hand; beat the eggs well and stir in; then add the milk; stir the baking powder into the sifted flour and mix in thoroughly, and bake in a moderate oven (375°F) two fair-sized cakes.

Remarks. —Flavoring of any kind may be used with this French cake; but the first time I ate of it was at my own table, made by one of my married daughters, without flavoring.

If flavoring is used, of course, it is not plain, and it certainly is very nice with any flavoring. It's your choice to make.