Time for another layer cake! Not quite 14 layers like my no-bake s’mores cake or Smith Island cake, but just as fabulous as both. If you’re a lemon dessert lover like I am, meet our crowning glory.
This lemon layer cake recipe is adapted from the most popular cake recipe on our website: lemon blueberry cake. Lemon blueberry cake has consistently been in our top 10 recipes. It’s moist, sweet, buttery, and loaded with fresh lemon. Since its publish date, we’ve received many questions about leaving out the blueberries to make it plain. We decided a plain lemon cake needed its own separate blog post. Enveloped with lemon cream cheese buttercream and garnished with whipped cream, this towering beauty stands up to its blueberry studded sister!
Behind the Recipe
Besides the flavor and texture, this cake is loved is because of its ease. Very basic ingredients including a base of creamed butter + sugar, eggs, lemon, milk, and flour. We left out the brown sugar and replaced with more granulated sugar. No rhyme or reason hereโjust didn’t feel like reaching for both types of sugar this time. Between the cake and frosting, you’ll need 2-3 lemons. Both the juice and zest.
Let’s chat about the flour for a second.
The key to this recipe is using sifted all-purpose flour. Sifting the flour aerates it, creating an overall fluffier cake.ย Just like we found in our 6-inch citrus cake, cake flour is too light for this lemon cake; our cakes were squat and flimsy. All-purpose flour is great, sifted all-purpose flour is much better. Sift flour in a large bowl, then measure 3 cups. Whenever the word “sifted” comes before an ingredient, that means you sift before measuring. (Alternatively, if the word “sifted” comes after an ingredient, sift after measuring.) Here’s our set of sifters. Love them. We’re using the medium one in this photo.
The lemon cake batter is velvety and thick. Divide evenly between three 8-inch round cake pans.ย For a 2-layer cake, divide batter evenly betweenย two 9-inch cake pans. Bake time will be longer, but you can use a toothpick to test for doneness.ย This lemon cake batter will fit into a 9ร13-inch pan. Bake time will be close to 40 minutes. And while we’re on the subject of different size cakes, this recipe yields at least 30 lemon cupcakes. For 1 dozen cupcakes, here is our lemon cupcakes recipe. They taste identical to the cake!
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
We were torn between cream cheese frosting and lemon buttercream, so we combined the two by adding 8 ounces of cream cheese and a little extra confectioners’ sugar to lemon buttercream. The result is an infinitely CREAMY and BUTTERY lemon cream cheese frosting that we know you’ll love!!! Look at this stuff!!! Glides on effortlessly.
The raspberry frosting from my lemon raspberry jam cupcakes would also be fantastic here.
Optional Garnishes!
- Homemade whipped cream (I used Wilton 8B piping tip)
- Food-safe or edible flowers
- Lemon slices
- Fresh berries
- Fresh herbs
- Candied citrus
You could also add a filling between the layers: this raspberry cake filling would be delicious!
The cake stand you see in my pictures is the brand Juliska. I can’t find it anywhere online anymore! Here is a similar one.
Others I love:
- Wood slice cake stand
- Stoneware white cake stand
- Marble & wood cake stand
- Glenna cake stand
- Glass covered cake stand
If you love lemon cake, you’ll adore my lemon bars and lemon meringue pie!
Print
Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This 3-layer lemon layer cake is made completely from scratch with real lemons. It’s deliciously moist and light and is remarkable paired with tangy cream cheese buttercream.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (354g) sifted all-purpose flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 heaping Tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Grease three 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake:ย Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for around 21โ26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.ย
- Make the frosting:ย 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’ย 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!)
- Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife,ย sliceย a thin layer off the tops of the cakesย to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!).ย Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate.ย Evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer andย evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer.ย Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I like to top mine withย homemade whipped cream (I used Wilton 8B piping tip).
- Refrigerate for at least 30โ45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cakeย tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See How to Freeze Cakes for more information, and a helpful video tutorial.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) |ย Wilton 8B Piping Tip | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Flour: Sift all-purpose flour before measuring.
- Whole Milk: You can use lower-fat or nondairy milks in a pinch, but the cake wonโt taste nearly as rich and moist.
- Recipe updated in 2022: The amount of leaveners are now 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. (Increased from 2 teaspoons and 1/4 teaspoon, respectively.) The amounts listed above amount help provide extra rise, which creates a lighter cake. I also now recommend whole milk instead of buttermilk, so the cake batter is slightly less acidic.
- Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream: For a vanilla cream cheese buttercream, replace lemon juice with milk or heavy cream in the frosting. Add an additional 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
- 2-Layer Cake: For a 2-layer cake, divide batter evenly between two 9-inch cake pans. Bake time will be longer; use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- Lemon Cupcakes: This recipe yields about 30 lemon cupcakes. Bake for 18โ22 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. For 1 dozen cupcakes, here is my lemon cupcakes recipe. They taste identical to the cake!
- 9×13-inch Cake: This batter will fit into a 9ร13-inch pan. Fill 2/3 full. If thereโs extra batter, you can make a few cupcakes. Bake time will be around 40 minutes; use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi, would it be possible to mix in lemon curd on this frosting for a lemony filling in between layers? If so, which ratio of lemon curd to frosting would you recommend? Thanks so much!
Hi Lili! In our Sunshine Citrus Cake we use a mixture of 1 cup frosting and 3 Tablespoons curd between the cake layers.
I’m making your 3-layer lemon cake layers today (Sunday), then making the frosting and assembling tomorrow (Monday), but it’s for a party on Tuesday. Can I just refrigerate the frosted/assembled cake overnight? Thank you!
Hi Suzy, after decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, itโs fine for 1 day at room temperature. After that, we would refrigerate it. But, use your best judgment and whatever you are comfortable with. Cakes do dry out in the fridge.
Thank you, Trina! I usually make cakes with buttercream frosting, so have put them in the fridge assembled and ready overnight. But wasn’t sure about cream cheese frosting – so if I cover it and put in fridge overnight, is that o.k.?
How to convert this to a 6 inch cake?
Hi Taija, if youโre looking to make a 3 layer, 6-inch cake, this will be too much batter. Weโd recommend using the batter from our lemon cupcakes instead and using the bake times from this 6-inch cakes post as a guide. Enjoy!
This is a great cake recipe. I filled the cake layers with Sally’s lemon curd and iced with her Swiss meringue buttercream.
Sally, I made this cake for my 2 year old’s birthday. It was a triumph! I followed the recipe to a complete tee, although I did divide the batter into 2 large cake tins rather than the 3. By adjusting the time in the oven they turned out perfect. Moist, not too sweet and a lovely texture. Everyone was raving about it and I was so happy as I’m not the most confident person in the kitchen. Thanks for a great recipe! ๐
This is my go to recipe for a great light and fluffy lemon cake. Only tip Iโd say is the buttercream recipe makes a lot so I make little bits at a time to get the right amount. Thank youuu
Hi Sally, Greetings from Melbourne, Australia
I am about to embark on a number five birthday cake for my granddaughter using the Lemon Layer Cake as the base.
My intention is to make an 8″ round cake and 9″ square cake and cut a number 5 from these.
Can this cake be made in a single layer in these pans by filling one 8″ round pan to 2/3’s full and 2/3’s filling the 9″ square pan? I realise I will have to make two batches of batter.
PS I have found your recipes and instructions sensational. The Ultimate Muffin Recipe is baked at least fortnightly.
Thank you
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, that should work just fine here. One batch of batter should be sufficient if you are only using 2 pans. Either way, use any leftover batter for cupcakes on the side. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Can I use cake flour for this recipe? Also can you recommend an icing that doesn’t have cream cheese in it?
Hi Tina, you could use cake flour, yes, but we find itโs a little too light with this ratio of wet to dry ingredients. Some readers have used it (as a 1:1 ratio for AP flour), but we werenโt happy with the result. We like to use all-purpose flour in this lemon cake and our lemon cupcakes. Here is our regular lemon buttercream recipe as well. Enjoy!
Hi Sally. Im doing a food tech assignment for school and i would love to bake your lemon cake. But i wanted to ask if it takes 4 hours and if i could shorten it to 1 hour.
Thank you
Hi Ava! Baking, cooling, and assembling the cake will take more than 1 hour. Sorry we can’t help more!
Can you pipe the butter cream on cupcakes or no?
Hi Kendra! Cream cheese frosting can be piped in simple designs (like a round piping tip), but won’t hold other shapes/designs.
Hi Sally, would this taste like a lemon poppy seed cake if I added poppyseeds?
Definitely! You can add 1 Tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients. Thatโs usually plenty, but feel free to add a little more if you think the batter needs it. No need to adjust anything else.
Hi, can i replace the buttercream with lemon whipped cream and add lemon curd to the layers?
Hi Laura, those flavors would be lovely here, but we fear the cake may lose its structural integrity with a softer whipped cream and soft lemon curd added. You can reference this sunshine citrus cake, where we add curd and use a sturdier whipped frosting to hold the cake together. Let us know what you try!
Hi! I was wondering if you can make this with a lemon or vanilla whipped cream instead of buttercream and have lemon curd on the filling. Thx!
Absolutely! This would be lovely with whipped cream, like our fresh berry cream cake.