I put all the lemon flavor in this lemon cake recipe, y’all. It has four layers of lemon sponge with a cream cheese frosting that’s bowl-lickin’ good. You will never taste another lemon cake this tender and moist, boos. Like seriously, the texture is everything! I also doubled up the lemon with both lemon zest and lemon extract, so you know you are gonna taste lemon for reals. Get into it.
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How to Make Lemon Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make my lemon layer cake with lemon cream cheese frosting, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Lemon Layer Cake Recipe
1. Cream together the oil and butter, then add the sugar
Beat until light, pale, and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time, fully mixing after each addition.
2. Mix remaining ingredients for the lemon cake batter
Turn mixer to low, add the flour in two parts, then add baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix in sour cream, milk, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla until just combined.
3. Divide the batter evenly in pans
Smooth the tops.
4. Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean
Cool the cakes briefly in the pans, then turn out onto racks to finish cooling.
5. Beat the butter and cream cheese for the frosting
Beat them together until thick and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
6. Finish the lemon cream cheese frosting
Add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon extract, and salt, then whip until light and fluffy.
7. Slice the cake layers
Level the cakes if needed, then slice each into two layers for a total of four.
8. Assemble your lemon layer cake
Add frosting between each layer, then frost the outside of the cake and serve.
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PRO TIP: Make sure your cake is completely cooled before you even think about frosting it. If it’s still warm, it will melt right off.
Full Lemon Layer Cake Recipe
Lemon Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Cake
- Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then liberally spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, add oil and butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add baking powder, salt and baking soda. Be careful not to over beat.
- Lastly, add sour cream, milk, lemon zest, lemon and vanilla extracts, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Evenly pour cake batter into prepared baking pans and place in oven to bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes just barely clean but don't over bake (crucial not to over bake this cake)!! I personally start checking the cakes around 27 minutes just to ensure.
- Remove cakes from oven and rest in pans for 10-15 minutes. Invert cakes from pans onto cooling racks until cooled.
For the Frosting
- Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
- Next slow down mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.
- Add in heavy cream, vanilla, lemon extract and salt and continue whipping until it is smooth, light and a fluffy frosting.
To Assemble
- Level the cakes, if necessary, and slice each cake into two layers making a total of four layers of cake. Add frosting between layers then frost entire cake with remaining frosting. Serve.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep the frosted cake covered on the counter overnight. Perfect if you plan to serve it the next day and want it soft.
- Fridge: You can refrigerate the cake for up to 5 days. Before serving, let it sit out and come back to room temp. Butter based cakes tend to firm up in the fridge and you want that tender bite, boo.
- Freezer: Freeze whole layers or slices by wrapping them tight in plastic wrap, then foil. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the cake come to room temp before serving.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Keep ingredients room temp. Let the butter, eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese warm up so the batter comes together smooth and the frosting whips up good.
- Measure the leaveners right. Lemon extract is acidic, so the baking powder and baking soda amounts matter here. Follow the recipe and level those measuring spoons, boos!
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the dry ingredients hit the bowl, mix just until they’re combined, then stop. That’s how you keep this easy lemon cake real tender.
- Check the cake early. Start peeking about five minutes before the timer goes off so the layers don’t dry out.
Yep boos! Bake them, let cool, wrap well, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temp before frosting.
It probably got too warm. Chill the frosting in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes, then whip again until it firms up.
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Could I use the batter for a sheet cake in lieu of layers? Thanks in advance!
Yes you can.
Does the recipe double well?
I honestly cannot tell you this since I didn’t double but I always suggest people just make it twice in order to keep ratios in tact.
My 18 year old daughter and her 19 year old cousin made this and it was fantastic! Excellent flavor and texture! The cake was so moist, fluffy and practically melted in my mouth. It was even better the next day.
I only have lemon juice and not lemon extract. Can I use the juice instead or does it have to be the extract?
You can actually add a bit more lemon zest like a teaspoon or 2 to replace it.
Excellent recipe. Best lemon cake.
Thank you.
I absolutely loved this recipe and followed it to the letter. The cake was so rich and moist. The frosting was an added bonus as well! Thank you for sharing!
My daughter made this for her birthday cake – first time ever making a layer cake and she could not be more pleased with how it turned out. She followed the recipe to a T without any changes. She was so pleased with how tender and moist the cake was, with a frosting that perfectly balanced the cake. She had been looking for some weeks to find the perfect lemon cake, and since “we eat with our eyes first” that was how she went about choosing her cake. She saw the photo of your finished cake in a series of photos on Google, clicked on the image and it took her to your site. What a phenomenal turn of events that has turned out to be.
Even her picky siblings, that are not fond of most homemade cakes, either due to the cake texture itself or the taste and texture of the frosting, absolutely loved this amazing lemon cake! I tried to post a photo on your FB page but for some reason it would not load. In any case – my avid little baker is delighted to have found your site and had a phenomenal birthday thanks to you and your incredible Lemon Layer Cake recipe!
This is just wonderful. Thank you so so much for this super sweet message. I appreciate it so much. If you want, you can email me a photo at info@jdelkadams.com
My frosting was not thick, I followed the instructions. It taste really delish
Simply refreshingly delicious! Followed to a T with a couple exceptions – one of which is something I will not do again. I used salted butter. While not noticeable at all in the cake because I omitted salt in the batter, the salt did come through in the buttercream frosting. Truly – Not bad at all – but as the baker – I am cognizant of it. I didn’t have 8″ so I used round and cake tested at 27 minutes and removed at 32. The layers came out perfect – even with me splitting them a bit uneven – when it was fully assembled, no one noticed and certainly cared. Will do the crumb frost next time because I worked a bit harder on frosting the cake than I did mixing it. 🙂
Thank You Jocelyn for sharing all your classics. Stay safe and Be well. When shelter in place is over and travel is restricted, I hope you will travel to the Bay Area. I will have my cookbook in hand and will await your autograph!
Made this superb cake recipe over the weekend. If you are a lemon fan, this one is sure to please. I am not happy with my stand mixer as everything sticks to the sides, and I am CONSTANTLY having to scrape the sides/bottom. It is not a Kitchen Aid, and maybe that’s the problem. In frustration, part way through the creaming of the butter/cream cheese, I bailed and switched over to the hand mixer. That worked A LOT better for me. The lemon frosting is divine, and if you mix the daylights out of it, it will be a Lemon Cloud of Deliciousness. I may have eaten more off the spoon than I should have because it is THAT GOOD.