Love lemons? This cake is going to rock your world.
Our homemade lemon cake with cream cheese frosting brings together the tangy zest of lemons and the velvety richness of cream cheese frosting. The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this lemon cake is a crowd-pleaser that will have everyone asking for seconds. Its a from scratch cake that tastes like sunshine!
About this Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Flavor: The cake itself is loaded with lemon flavor. The buttercream has lemon, but also the richness of cream cheese which will melt in your mouth.
- Texture: This cake is soft and moist. It has a nice structure to be able to hold the weight of the layers and the buttercream.
- Method: This cake bakes in 4 8-inch cake pans. You can use a different cake pan size (such as 9-inch), but you’ll have to adjust the baking time.
Ingredients
LEMON CAKE
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2% milk
LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
FOR THE LEMON CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare 4, 8-inch round cake pans with a bakers spray such as Baker’s Joy or rub with cake release. Or grease the pans with shortening and dust with flour. You also line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper if you’d like.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry mixture and the milk alternately until completely combined.
- Divide the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack while making the frosting.
FOR THE LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until completely combined. Add the powdered sugar a little but at a time until fully incorporated.
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Tips for Making Lemon Cake
- It’s best to mix this cake with with an electric mixer. You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you’d like, but a simple hand mixer would be fine.
- To ensure the cake comes out of the pan cleanly, spray with a baking spray or rub with cake release. You can also line the bottom of each baking pan with parchment paper to get a clean release.
- Whisk together the dry ingredient in one bowl, then mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Then add the dry mixture and the milk alternately until completely combined.
- Divide the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
How to Decorate a Lemon Cake
- To decorate a cake with fresh lemons, first slice the lemons in slices.
- Then cut a straight line from the middle of them lemon to the edge of the lemon.
- Hold the open edges of the lemon with your thumbs and twist in opposite directions once until you have a swirl. You can then take the twisted lemon and place it on the top of the cake.
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, this should not be stored at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
Freezer: Freeze the cake whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
**We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**