Spring hits and I’m all about the lemon desserts all season long and on through the summer! I love a good tart, lemon treat and have shared many of my favorites on here! Don’t miss my Lemon Meringue Pie, Fresh Lemon Ice Cream, or my Lemon Macarons. If you have been looking for a light, fluffy, made-from-scratch lemon cake, you’re in the right spot. This one is definitely a keeper with it’s moist crumb and all-natural lemon flavor that doesn’t rely on lemon extract or pudding mixes for a citrus boost. Instead, we’re making the most of fresh lemon juice in both the cake and the frosting, as well as plenty of lemon zest, which packs the biggest lip-puckering lemony punch! Sweet and tart, made with fresh squeezed lemon juice and plenty of lemon zest, this cake is one you can enjoy all year round, although it’s perfect for Easter dessert or Mother’s Day. The weather starts to warm up and blossoms start to pop out, and I find myself craving bright, sunny flavors like lemon for a treat! I wanted a simple lemon cake that was light and airy, with a soft, fluffy crumb. These layers are thick enough that you could even carefully slice them in half for a 4-layer cake. It has a wonderful tangy flavor thanks to the addition of buttermilk, which also keeps the cake nice and moist. You are welcome to fill it with a layer of storebought or homemade lemon curd, or spread a layer of the bright yellow sunshine on top of the cake for decoration as much as for flavor. But I made sure the cake itself could stand alone in its lemon-packing power without needing lemon curd to carry the day. For decoration, I decided to keep things a little more rusting by casually spreading the frosting around and not worrying about perfectly smooth sides or piping swirls of frosting on top, although you can certainly go that route if you choose! I did go ahead and arrange some thinly sliced lemons right on top though for visual impact.
Homemade Lemon Cake Ingredients
Flour: Although I usually recommend cake flour in most of my cake recipes, this is one where I think all-purpose flour works just as well and it’s more common in most homes anyway. I feel like it stands up to the extra acid from the lemon juice in the batter than cake flour does.Sugar: Granulated sugar goes into the batter to make it perfectly sweet, while powdered sugar is beaten with butter, lemon juice, and cream to make the lemon buttercream frosting.Lemons: Depending on the size of your lemons you may need 4-6 of them. Be sure to always zest the lemons BEFORE juicing. It’s almost impossible to zest squeezed out lemons and this cake just won’t taste the same without the zest which I think does a bigger job of contributing to the flavor than the juice does.Butter: Sometimes I will use oil or a combination of butter and oil in my cake recipes, which you could do here. But I opted for salted butter because I like the extra flavor it gives to a lemon cake.Eggs: Make sure your eggs are room temperature for best results. If you forget, try sticking them in a bowl of really hot water for 10 minutes while you gather your other ingredients before cracking them and adding them to the batter.Vanilla extract: Even with lemon being the main flavor, vanilla rounds things out and gives baked goods more depth.Baking powder & baking soda: These two work together to lift the cake so it is light and fluffy. Make sure they aren’t expired before adding them to your cake batter if you aren’t a frequent baker.Salt: You have to add salt to baked goods! It actually makes sweet things taste sweeter and keeps the cake from being bland.Buttermilk: Not only does this keep things moist, but it adds a wonderful tanginess that gives dimension to the cake. Plus, I feel like the acidity of the buttermilk tenderizes the cake crumb.Heavy cream: Just a bit of heavy cream is used to make the lemon buttercream frosting, and only as needed to make it spreadable and smooth.
Let’s Make Lemon Cake
Can I add a lemon syrup to this cake?
Sometimes you want a cake to be EXTRA moist and EXTRA lemony. In those situations, a lemon simple syrup is a great strategy to amplify both of those qualities and it only takes minutes to make. Simply combine ½ cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice with ½ cup of granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until boiling and the sugar has completely dissolved, then remove from the heat and let the syrup cool. Brush as much of the syrup as you like over the cake before assembling and frosting. You can even poke holes into the cake with the tines of a fork to make sure the syrup pentetrates through the whole thing. It’s not a necessary element and this cake is plenty lemony and moist without it, but if you have never tried using a simple syrup before, this cake is a great chance to do so!
Tips for the Best Lemon Cake
Measure carefully: The biggest mistake novice bakers make with a cake recipe like this one is mismeasuring the flour. The best approach is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife for accuracy. If you scoop and pack the flour in, you can actually add too much which can result in a drier cake.Don’t overbake: When people tell me that their cakes turn out dry, 9 times out of 10 it’s because they are overbaked. Sometimes that’s just because some ovens bake hotter (or cooler) than others. An inexpensive oven thermometer that lives in your oven can help you fix this problem. Also, be sure when testing your cake layers to insert a toothpick into the center of each layer. If it comes out wet, you need to bake the cake a little longer. It should come out clean with just a few crumbs sticking to it.Level the cake layers: Stacking rounded or uneven cake layers is a recipe for disaster. A long, sharp serrated knife (or even better – a cake leveler) is your friend if you need to even out your cake layers so they have flat, level tops.
How to store leftovers
This cake can be kept overnight on the counter covered in an airtight container. I have a tall glass lid for my cake stand that works perfectly. If you are keeping it longer than one day, I recommend storing it in the fridge.
Variations
Lemon Blueberry Cake: Gently stir in 1 and ½ cups fresh blueberries to the batter. For even more blueberry flavor, spread blueberry jam between the cake layers instead of frosting.Lemon Raspberry Cake: Gently stir in 1 and ½ cups fresh raspberries to the batter. For even more raspberry flavor, spread raspberry jam between the cake layers instead of frosting.Lemon Rosemary Cake: Add 1 tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary to the batter along with the lemon zest for an herby twist.Lemon Simple Syrup: If you would like to brush the layers with a lemon simple syrup, simply combine ½ cup lemon juice and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat to boiling over medium-high heat. When the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool completely. Poke holes in the tops of each cake and pour or brush the lemon syrup over each cake layer before assembling and frosting the cake.
More of My Best Cake Recipes
The Most Incredible Chocolate Bundt CakeBest Carrot Cake RecipeVintage Cherry Chip Layer CakeSan Jose Burnt Almond CakeKentucky Butter Cake
Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Aunt Becky’s Black Forest Cherry Cake
Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
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