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Hi Bold Bakers!
If there’s one cake recipe that will jumpstart you from winter blues to sunny spring days, it’s my lemon cake with lemon buttercream. I could make many arguments as to why lemon desserts are so perfect (any time of the year, if we’re honest), but for the sake of simplicity and saving you some time, I’ll just say they’re so darn good!
I think a lot of people are a bit confused when they are presented with a cake that features lemon so prominently. Dessert? With one of the key ingredients being sour? It isn’t until they have that bite of the zippy, lemony, moist, and sweet cake that they’re converted to lemon-dessert-believers. My gorgeous lemon meringue cake has been a fan favorite for years!
The acid in the lemon juice doesn’t just add a refreshing zip of flavor either—it helps keep the cake as moist as can be! There’s some serious science going on inside your oven, but you don’t need a degree in chemistry to know that the results are magical.
I pair this homemade yellow cake with homemade lemon buttercream, which comes together super quickly, and is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Shake off the winter blues with this one!
What Is Lemon Cake?
This is a homemade yellow cake flavored with lemon juice and then frosted with lemon buttercream, made with lemon juice and zest, that creates a dessert that isn’t too sweet and certainly isn’t mouth-puckering sour. It’s perfect for welcoming warmer weather when people want a lighter, citrusy dessert!
Lemon goes so well with both sweet and savory dishes. Lemons should always be a staple item in your refrigerator! In an airtight container, they should stay fresh for up to a whole month!
What You Need To Make Lemon Cake With Lemon Buttercream
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two or Three 8-inch (20cm) round cake pans
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
How To Make Lemon Cake
This three-tiered cake comes together in no time, and the lemon buttercream is even easier! Here is how you make the perfect spring-time dessert (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter, flour, and line your 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Then, one at a time, add in the eggs until they are fully combined.
- Combine the milk, lemon juice, oil, lemon extract, and lemon zest into a measuring cup. Gradually add the liquid to the butter mixture until it is thoroughly mixed.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually beat this mixture into the batter until it is just evenly combined.
- Divide the batter between your prepped pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes if you are using two pans, and 20-25 minutes if using 3 pans until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- As the cakes cool, prepare the lemon buttercream. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. Then, gradually add the powder sugar. Beat until it is fully combined.
- Pour the lemon juice, cream or milk, and lemon zest into the butter mixture and beat until combined.
- Once the cake is thoroughly cooled, level your layers and frost.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making This Cake
- Always use room temperature ingredients when making cakes. It will give you the best rise and most even mixing.
- To intensify the lemon flavor in the cake, you can make a lemon juice concentrate: place ½ cup (4floz/115ml) lemon juice in a small pan and let simmer away until it is reduced by half. Let cool completely and use this in place of the lemon juice called for in the cake.
- You can make a lemon-poppyseed cake by add 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter along with the dry ingredients.
- Use my homemade lemon curd between the cake layers along with the buttercream for an extra lemony kick!
- For something a little special and different, make a lavender-lemon buttercream by mixing 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh or dried culinary lavender into your buttercream.
How To Store This Cake
You can store this spring cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Make More Lemon Desserts!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Lemon Cake Recipe with Lemon Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cake:
- ¾ cup (6oz/170g) butter (at room temperature)
- 1½ cups (12oz/340g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 cup (8floz/225ml) milk
- ¼ cup (2floz/57ml) lemon juice
- ¼ cup (2floz/57ml) neutral flavored oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract (optional)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 ⅔ cups (13⅓oz/378g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (1½oz/40g) cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Lemon Buttercream:
- 1½ cups (12oz/340g) butter (at room temperature)
- 6 cups (24oz/680g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter, flour, and line with parchment three 8-inch (20cm) round cake pans. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and then add the eggs one at a time until fully combined.
- In a measuring cup with a pour spout, combine the milk, lemon juice, oil, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Gradually add the liquid to the butter mixture until thoroughly mixed.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat into the batter just until evenly combined.
- Divide the batter between your prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes if using two pans and 20-25 minutes if using 3 pans, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
To Make the Buttercream Frosting:
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon buttercream: with an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until fully combined.
- Into the butter mixture, pour in the lemon juice, cream or milk, and lemon zest and beat until combined.
- When the cake is thoroughly cooled, level your layers and frost.
- Store this cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Hi I made the recipe into cupcakes.i cant eat loads as I’m diabetic but I can share them with my neighbours.
Hi Dear!
I made this cake today to celebrate my sister’s 2nd anniversary. Everybody loved it.
Love
Shamima
Made the cake last night, added blueberries. Iced it today. WOW, so fresh and bright. We love it. BTW, I baked it in two layers. I froze one layer. The other I cut in half, iced the top of one piece and stacked the other on top and iced the top and outside. It looks like we have already eaten half 🤣. This works great for us, now we don’t have a whole cake to eat. We will eat the other half later. Thanks for sharing.
Hi what can i use instead of eggs in this recipe please tell.Thank you.
Can I freeze the cake?
Hi Gemma
Was wondering can we use Chia seeds instead of poppy in the recipe? and will the quantity be same i.e. 3 Tbsp
How would you substitute lemon extract for the fresh lemon ratio-wise?
Hi Gemma, are the microwaving instructions for your “3 Layer Cake Made in the Microwave” transferable to this cake too or is the addition of lemon juice change things?
Hi Gemma, Your Lemon cake with lemon buttercream looks delicious – I can’t wait to make it…. just asking if it’s possible to freeze it in portions?
Came out great but way too strong lol. I will need to figure out a way to mellow it some