Dessert
Lemon Butter Sponge Loaf
Whip the yolks and whites separately, then fold the flour and melted butter into the foam carefully. Lemon zest gives this version its citrus flavor.
- Yield
- 1 small loaf
- Cuisine
- French-inspired
Bring it to the table
Keep the air in the batter
Use a wide spatula and gentle folding strokes. Mix a little batter with the melted butter first so it blends into the main bowl more easily.
At the table
Cool before slicing and serve plain or with fruit prepared separately.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 150 g unsalted butter — plus a little to grease the pan
- 150 g granulated sugar — divided equally
- 3 large egg yolks
- 150 g egg whites — weighed separately
- 150 g all-purpose flour — sifted
- 1 lemon — finely grated zest only
A few useful notes.
This version uses lemon zest throughout.
The whipped whites provide the lift; no baking powder is included.
The recipe control represents one small loaf rather than a fixed slice count.
Do not taste raw batter.
The cooking plan
How to make Lemon Butter Sponge Loaf.
Heat the oven to 340°F. Grease an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving a little overhang for lifting. Melt the measured butter and let it cool until just warm.
Whip the yolks with half the sugar until pale and thick. Mix in the lemon zest. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the weighed whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar and whip to glossy peaks that still bend at the tips.
Fold about one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold in the sifted flour and remaining whites in alternating additions, gently lifting the mixture until no flour pockets remain.
Mix a few spoonfuls of batter with the just-warm melted butter in a separate bowl. Fold that mixture back into the main batter gently until evenly incorporated.
Transfer to the prepared pan without filling above two-thirds full; bake any excess separately rather than overfilling. Bake until golden, the top springs back gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out without wet batter, starting to check around 40 minutes and continuing as needed.
Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift onto a rack and cool completely before slicing. Wrap the cooled loaf well. Add any perishable topping only when serving and store that topping according to its own instructions.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Lemon Butter Sponge Loaf
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Ingredients
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 340°F. Grease an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving a little overhang for lifting. Melt the measured butter and let it cool until just warm.
- Whip the yolks with half the sugar until pale and thick. Mix in the lemon zest. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the weighed whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar and whip to glossy peaks that still bend at the tips.
- Fold about one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold in the sifted flour and remaining whites in alternating additions, gently lifting the mixture until no flour pockets remain.
- Mix a few spoonfuls of batter with the just-warm melted butter in a separate bowl. Fold that mixture back into the main batter gently until evenly incorporated.
- Transfer to the prepared pan without filling above two-thirds full; bake any excess separately rather than overfilling. Bake until golden, the top springs back gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out without wet batter, starting to check around 40 minutes and continuing as needed.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift onto a rack and cool completely before slicing. Wrap the cooled loaf well. Add any perishable topping only when serving and store that topping according to its own instructions.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Is there baking powder?
No. This version relies on carefully whipped eggs and gentle folding.
Can I slice it hot?
Let it cool completely so the delicate crumb can settle before slicing.
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