Layer Lemon Cake
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This Lemon Cake recipe is light, fluffy, and deliciously tangy with fresh lemon juice and zest. With bright citrus flavors, this layer cake is moist, tender, and irresistible, especially with its lemon-flavored cream cheese frosting. It’s a melt-in-your-mouth dessert you’ll fall in love with!
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What I Love About This Lemon Cake
Layer cakes are special, especially when served for holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, or Christmas. They’re also special when you’ve gathered your favorite friends around a tea table, regardless of the season, and together, sip fragrant cups of tea with a beautiful layer cake.
You will find several lemon cake recipes here, which speaks to how much we love them. They range from the simple, like the easy Anytime Lemon Cake recipe, simply decorated with powdered sugar, to the quick Lemon Mug Cake, ready in 2 minutes.
If you love bright, citrusy, sweet treats as much as I do, you will find more inspiration on our lemon desserts page!
Lemon Cake Ingredients
One of the things I love about this lemon cake, besides the flavor and texture, is that it’s easy to make! With basic pantry ingredients that include a base of creamed butter plus sugar, eggs, lemon, buttermilk, and flour, plus 2 to 3 fresh lemons, you’ll have an utterly delicious cake that you can be proud of.
The frosting is equally simple: butter plus cream cheese, more lemon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. We’re including lemon zest in the frosting to elevate the lemon flavor further.
Pro Tip
Let’s talk about flour and a simple trick that transforms your layer cake.
The key to this recipe is using sifted all-purpose flour. Here’s why: Sifting the flour aerates it and helps create a fluffier cake. All-purpose flour in this cake recipe is great, but sifted all-purpose flour is so much better.
Here’s how to measure it: Sift the flour in a large bowl, then measure 3 cups. The result is a velvety, thick, and delicious lemon cake batter.
What size cake pans do I need?
For a 3-layer cake: Divide the batter between three 9-inch or 8-inch round cake pans—roughly the same bake time for both sizes.
For a two-layer cake: Divide the batter evenly between two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. The bake time will be longer, but you can test for doneness with a toothpick.
For a 9×13-inch pan: Transfer the batter to a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
Cupcakes: This recipe will also make about 20 lemon cupcakes.
How to Make This Lemon Cake Recipe
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F, greasing two or three 8-inch round cake pans, and lining them with parchment paper.
Step 1: Sift the dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions, and beat until well combined and fluffy.
Stir the buttermilk and lemon juice together.
Step 3: Make the batter
Add a third of the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed, followed by half of the milk mixture. Continue, alternating between the flour and milk, mixing just until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans.
Step 4: Bake the layers
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center of the cakes are springy to the touch and the sides are just starting to pull away from the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert and cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
While I always love buttercream frosting, especially when infused with lemon flavors, cream cheese frosting is undeniably delicious with lemon, too. So, I combined the best of both and created this Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting we love! It’s creamy and buttery at the same time!
Garnishing the Lemon Cake!
On top of the cream cheese frosting, here are some ideas for garnishing the cake!
- Sweetened whipping cream
- Food-safe or edible flowers
- Lemon slices
- Fresh berries
- Fresh herbs
- Candied citrus
Cake Stands I Love
I have a collection of cake stands, but some (like my husband) may think that the collection is too large. I would disagree! Here are some of my favorites:
- Glass covered cake stand
- White stoneware cake stand
- Marble cake stand
- Crystal cake stand
- Revolving cake stand for decorating
If you love lemon cake, you’ll adore my lemon lush and lemon crinkle cookies!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear your comments and consider giving it a 5-star rating. Explore the recipe index for more easy, delicious ideas, and stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!
Lemon Layer Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest about 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 3 teaspoons cooking oil like vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 4 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt to taste
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla then eggs one at a time, scrape down the bowl between additions, and beat until well combined and fluffy.
- Stir the buttermilk and lemon juice together.
- With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk mixture. Continue, alternating between the flour and milk, mixing just until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the cakes are springy to the touch and the sides are just starting to pull away from the pan. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes then invert and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until completely smooth and combined. Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more lemon juice if frosting is too thick, or add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I always add a pinch of salt!)
To Assemble
- Remove the parchment paper from the cake layers. If the layers are domed, thinly slide off the tops with a serrated knife and set aside. Place one layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Top this layer with 1 cup of frosting, spreading smoothly to the edges. Top with the second cake layer, another cup of frosting, and top with the last cake layer. If desired, spread a very thin crumb coat layer over the cake and refrigerate for 20 minutes. This helps create a smooth base for frosting and decorating. Then, spread the remaining frosting all over the outside of the cake with an offset or straight spatula. With any remaining frosting, pipe decorations around the edges using a pastry bag (or baggie) and a star tip. Adding thin lemon slices or edible flowers is really pretty too.
- Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Video
Notes
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: When using refrigerated ingredients in a cake, bringing them to room temperature will help them mix more evenly into the batter.
- Cake Tops: If the top of your cake layers are domed, use a serrated knife to cut off the top of each layer so you can stack them evenly.
- Cooking Oil: This small amount of oil helps maintain the crumb’s tenderness and keeps it fresh for days.
- Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled and stored tightly covered at room temperature overnight. The frosting can also be made ahead. Before frosting the cake, bring it to room temperature for about 10 minutes before frosting. Frosted cake and unfrosted cakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating and serving.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
What are the blue flowers?
Can this recipe be used to make cupcakes?
Yes— they can be made into cupcakes! Bake for 18-22 minutes in a standard size muffin tin.