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 here—just 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. 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. For a 2-layer cake, divide batter evenly between two 9-inch cake pans. Bake time will be longer, but you can use a toothpick to test for doneness. This lemon cake batter will fit into a 9×13-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 350°F (177°C). 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: 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 21–26 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.
- Make 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!)
- Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I like to top mine with homemade whipped cream (I used Wilton 8B piping tip).
- 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.
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) | 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 won’t 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 18–22 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 9×13-inch pan. Fill 2/3 full. If there’s 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
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. It would be super helpful if batter weight was included, I’m not great at converting and mathing! I always scale ingredients and batters, it’s just more consistent that way.
Hi Barbara, we don’t have the weight of this batter, but it yields about 7 cups total. Hope this helps!
Loved reading this! i am a student in high school, i go to a vocational school and i am in culinary, our assessment for bake lab is to make a cake and frost and decorate it, if i need to would i be able to make this into a 10 inch cake recipe and make it so that i only make 2 cakes? and do you think this would pair nicely with raspberry filling and a lemon raspberry buttercream (thinking on changing my idea for the buttercream but just an idea that i’ve come up withLOL! i’d love to get your insight and advice!
Hi Maddie, this recipe yields about 7 cups of cake batter, which is helpful for scaling to other cake pan sizes and conversions. Raspberry cake filling would be fantastic here!
Hello there.
What would the ingredients be for servings for 14-16 people
Hi Cindy, the recipe as written yields 10-12 generous servings. You could always slice the pieces smaller to feed 14-16 people.
Will this cake dry out in the fridge if left in the fridge for a few hours? I plan on assembling the cake in the morning for a birthday that will be celebrated around 7pm. I will put the cake in a simple box like the kind you pick up from a bakery. Any advice on how to keep the cake from drying out because I always have this problem. How long can the cake be left out at room temp?
Hi Tina, once the cake is assembled and frosted, you can leave it out at room temperature for up to 24 hours, but longer than that we’d recommend storing in the refrigerator. Cakes can get dense when they are chilled which is why we usually store it on the counter if it’s under 24 hours. We do recommend refrigerating it for at least 30–45 minutes before slicing to help the cake hold its shape when cutting. Cover any leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. Hope it’s a hit at your party!
Hi there! Would I be able to cut the sugar way down to about 1 cup or will this affect the texture/recipe at all?!
Sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended.
My go to recipe whenever I have a taste for lemon cake! Very delicious! Always on point! Thanks Luv
I made this cake recipe twice (yes 6 layers) for a big birthday party. They stacked beautifully. But, the texture of the cake was more like pound cake not crumb like as your pictures. Followed recipe precisely. I did use cake wraps so cakes cooked without any humps. Made stacking so easy. Could the wraps have changed the texture?
Hi Jacquie, is it possible that the batter was overmixed? That’s often the culprit for overly dense cakes. This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may also be helpful for troubleshooting. We hope this helps for your next batch!
Is it possible to cut back on the lemon zest? Or omit all together?
Hi AT, You can simply omit the zest- hope you enjoy this cake!
Hi. Would I be able to add poppy seeds to the batter ?
Hi Maria, you can add 1 Tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients. That’s usually plenty, but feel free to add a little more if you think the batter needs it. No need to adjust anything else.
Thank you so very much I just baked a double batch and I think my batter is too thin how thick should the batter be I’m on my second try
And measuring exactly and it’s pretty thin , any suggestions ? . Thank you so much for the help!!
Hi! I’m making this for a friends small wedding – is there a way to make 4 8 inch cake layers instead of 3?
Hi Masha! You can try increasing the ingredients by 1/3 (but the math can get a little tricky).
Hi Sally!
Will this recipe create a firm enough cake that’ll hold up well if I want to use it for the bottom layer of a 10″ triple layer 3 tier cake?
Hi Angela! This cake holds up well (with dowels) as a tiered cake. See our wedding cake post for tips on tiered cakes if needed. Hope it’s a hit!
Yes, the tiering kit just arrived, so there will be plenty of dowels used!
Thanks so much Trina! I hope it’s a hit too … It’s my first wedding cake!
hello! i absolutely love a good lemon cake but I was worried it would be too strong for my non-lemon cake lover friends LOL. Is there any way to scale this down to a 6 inch cake pan + any ideas for a contrasting filling? is the lemon cream cheese buttercream stable enough to use for decoration for a vintage cake deco style?
Hi Madison, for a 6-inch cake, we’d recommend using our similar lemon cupcakes batter instead. This cake is wonderful with raspberry cake filling! Cream cheese buttercream is fine for basic, non-intricate decoration, but for something sturdier you can use this lemon buttercream. Hope this helps!
I forgot to say, this is a wonderful cake, have made several times. Very popular and very tasty.
I just wanted to post here for those who struggle with lactose-intolerant loved ones. Whole Foods has a non-dairy cream cheese that worked great for this. I also used whole milk that is lactose-free. I read through that lactose-free milk sometimes can cause the cake to be a bit dry, so I added a bit more butter to the recipe. It tasted great, and the dairy-free cream cheese worked just as you would expect from regular dairy cream cheese. Hope this helps someone who loves these recipes!
Could you replace the lemon with lime?
Hi Ann, absolutely!
Hi! If I only have 9 in cake pans can the recipe be kept the same?
Hi Kelsey, If using a 9 inch pan, you can make 2 layers are outlined in the recipe notes. You could try for 3, 9 inch layers, but they would be quite thin.
I planning to make this cake for a birthday. Can we colour the buttercream and use it for decorating?
Hi Sandhya, you can add food coloring (we recommend gel) to this cream cheese buttercream, but cream cheese buttercream is a little softer and not ideal for intricate piping or decorating. We would make a batch of lemon buttercream for that instead!
Hi. I only have 4 inch baking pans at home. I would like a 3 layer cake. What would you recommend for the measurements as I don’t want leftover batter. Thank you
Hi Raveena, our lemon cupcakes would be a better choice here (scaled down from this recipe), but you’ll still have a bit leftover. Here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Has anyone had any luck making this dairy free? My grandson requested a lemon cake for his 10th bday but unfortunately can’t have dairy. Sally- any suggestions?
Hi Cindy, we haven’t tested this cake with any dairy-free substitutions, but let us know if you do any experimenting!
I’m making it tonight with lactose-free cream cheese from Whole Foods! I used it for a similar cake last year, and it worked well. The cakes just came out of the oven, so fingers crossed all goes well to the end!
After making this wonderful recipe for the first time (to which I added one teaspoon of cardamom), my grown son said, straight out, that this was the cake he wanted for his birthday.
How do you tell if it is overbaked when you remove it out of the oven?
Hi Sofie, over-baked cakes will often be brown around the edges, but you’ll really know when you cut into the cake – over-baked cakes will be dry.
Hi! I have made it with the dairy free cream cheese from Whole Foods. I was nervous to try it but it worked fine.
Would 3-9 inch cake pans work for this recipe?
Yes! The layers will be thinner.
Hi, I haven’t made this yet, but could I freeze the cakes after they have baked, then defrost to decorate on another day? Thank you so much xx
Yes, absolutely! Here’s our guide to freezing cakes.
If I use 3 x 7.5 inch tins for blueberry lemon cake can I put all the batter in each tin and for same amount of time
Hi Louise! We do not recommend baking all the batter in one pan, it is best to bake in two 9 inch pans or three 8 inch pans (see recipe Notes for 2 layer cake instructions). Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
I want to make this cake soon but I’m concerned that there is only butter in the recipe and not any oil or sour cream etc.
I haven’t had much luck with recipes that only have butter. They seem to turn out dry. Have you tried it with sour cream or oil? Thanks so much.
Hi Joan, we love this cake recipe as written, but let us know if you try any adjustments!
Everything promised. Non-baking neighbors are now my new best friends. Moist, flavorful, perfectly lemony (the cake, not the neighbors). THANK YOU!
Made this for my friend’s birthday (served with whipped cream) and she loved it. She particularly enjoyed that it’s a ‘cakey’ cake and not super heavy on the frosting. We both kept some leftovers. 😉
Hi can I sub in buttermilk for regular milk? Love your recipes and I love that I can always trust them to turn out well! Thank you for all that you do for the baking world!
Hi Cari! We find that whole milk produces the best texture for this lemon cake. That said, you can use buttermilk in a pinch.
Pics appear to be not a thick as a typical layer cake-will it work with just 2 layers?
You bet! See Notes after the recipe for details.
I LOVE this as a lemon cake … question if I want to convert it to an orange cake should I revert back to buttermilk to bring the acidity back up?
Hi Abigail, We have not tested this cake with oranges, but a few readers have reported success doing so. You can certainly try it, but they are sweeter and you may wish to try adjusting the sugar a bit. Hope it’s a hit!