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 been in our top 10 recipes for the past 4 years. 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 between 3 9-inch or 8-inch round cake pans—roughly the same bake time for both sizes. 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.
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 cake stand (pictured with coconut carrot cake cupcakes and strawberry cake)
- Glenna cake stand
- Glass covered cake stand
If you love lemon cake, you’ll adore my lemon bars and lemon meringue pie!
PrintLemon 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.
- Pour batter evenly into 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. The baked cakes are fluffy, but they are not thick—about 1 – 1.5 inches.
- 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.
- 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 close to 40 minutes; use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hey, love the smell of the lemons, but I can’t seem to bake mine through, I baked it so many times, yet it comes out as a gooey cake. I am trying to make this for my mom’s birthday, and I’m not sure what to do. Am I supposed to let it cool or give it more time in the oven. Please let me know soon.
Hi Emily! If the cakes are coming out gooey and undercooked, a few more minutes in the oven will help for next time. Make sure to use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I have made many of your recipes and they’ve turned out excellent, so I made myself your lemon cake for my birthday. It is delicious, but though yummy, I thought the cake texture was a bit coarse and crumbly, especially on the sides, and became very crumby on the sides which I am thinking was the flour on the greased pan perhaps? What could have caused this?
Thanks,
Shane
Hi Shane, Thank you for trying this recipe. If you decide to try it again, you don’t have to flour your pans. Simply give them a light spry with non stick spray, line with parchment paper, then spray the parchment paper. This helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans every time! If you think the cake is crumbly because it’s super moist before frosting, refrigerating it before frosting will help.
Have you ever made this cake and substituted sugar for artificial sweetener or natural sweetener?. I would like to include this cake in a tier of a wedding cake but bride needs low or no sugar cake . any ideas?
Hi Amy! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
I was planning to make the cake and frosting a day ahead, and I still will for the cake, but could I make the frosting two days ahead? Or is that not recommended? And store in fridge of course.
Hi Inna, you can make the frosting a day before you need to assemble the cake. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting.
Thank you, but can it be made two days before assembly? The frosting, not the cake.
For best freshness, we recommend just the day before, but you should be fine with two days if absolutely needed.
This recipe looks delicious! My daughter has her heart set on making a lemon roll for her upcoming birthday. Could this be converted into a roll cake simply by changing the pan and following instructions for baking and rolling a cake, or would any ingredient substitutions be needed? Would love your input!
Hi Jessica! For a lemon roll cake, you could use the cake recipe from our vertical cake, replace half teaspoon of the vanilla extract with lemon juice and add some lemon zest as well. Instead of rolling into a vertical cake, you can roll it like we do in our traditional Swiss roll cake. Hope it’s a hit!
I made this cake last night – tastes amazing but the end result was very moist, nearly wet, and very sticky. Followed the recipe exactly but wonder what I did wrong?
Hi Liam, this is certainly a moist cake, but it sounds like it may have been slightly under baked. A minute or two more in the oven should help for next time. You can use a toothpick to test for doneness. We’re glad you still enjoyed it!
Amazing lemon cake recipe! I made it for my sister’s birthday and we all loved it. The family runs the gamut from frosting lovers to *meh* about frosting and EVERYONE loved the lemon buttercream. I’m usually a bit relaxed about measuring flour but I followed your directions exactly. I didn’t change a thing and it worked perfectly. Thank you! (PS Just saw the comment about lemon curd between layers and I will definitely try that because Lemon Curd.)
This recipe sounds fabulous, and I want to make it for my daughter’s birthday. She is a lemon-fanatic. I’m wondering if adding a layer of lemon curd along with the frosting would take the cake from lemony to overpowering? Has anyone tried this?
Hi Kat, many readers have added lemon curd with the frosting between layers and said it was delicious! Hope the cake is a big hit for your daughter’s birthday.
I made this cake several times according to the original recipe and we loved it. I love lemon and this was by far my favorite cake I have ever made (50 years of baking). I was not happy with the updated recipe. Please repost the original. Thanks,Sally.
Hi Bev! See recipe notes for details on the updates made.
Hello Sally,
I wanted to know if I could use cake flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe as well as your Lemon Cupcakes recipe?
Hi Jessica! You could use cake flour, yes, but we find it’s 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 weren’t happy with the result. We like to use all-purpose flour in this lemon cake and our lemon cupcakes.
I’m planning to make this for my 30th in a few weeks, as it sounds like the cake of my dreams! I only have 8.2 og 9.4 inch pans (one of each) and I’m wondering if I could bake it in the 9.4 inch one, all at once, at then cut it into layers once it has cooled? Or should I bake the layers one at a time?
Hi Inna, we don’t recommend baking all of the batter in one pan. It will be too much and could overflow, and the cake would likely not bake evenly in the pan. You can either bake the three layers individually in the 8 inch pans (leave the unused batter covered at room temperature while the individual layers are baking) or do the same but for two layers with your 9 inch pan (see recipe notes for more details). Hope this helps and happy early birthday!
Brilliant, thanks! I looked at your conversions, and if I increase the recipe by 33%, I can bake it one at a time in the 9 inch, and then I’m sure there’s enough for everyone!
Has anyone tried piping flowers with this frosting with some gel coloring added? I absolutely want to follow this recipe for my daughter’s 18th birthday cake, but I also want to pipe some flowers to decorate it.
Answered my own question. I assembled my cake this morning – can’t wait to try a piece! The lemon cream cheese buttercream is much too soft to use for piping flowers. I’m going to make some regular buttercream to make the flowers.
I wonder if most people know how important it is to weigh ingredients. The recipe calls for 3 cups or 354 grams of all purpose flour. When I weighed 3 cups of all purpose flour, it weighed 440 grams. As a result, I had to adjust the leavening, salt, sugar and eggs to the recipe. Adding 1/4 teaspoon of lemon oil also added a bit more lemony flavor.
Hi Maureen, I’m not sure if adjusting was necessary because sifted flour weighs less. If spooned and leveled, 3 cups of sifted all-purpose flour weighs about 354g and that’s how this recipe has been tested. I hope you enjoyed the cake after your adjustments!
I am going to bake this cake for my son in law for his birthday this weekend. We are at 5280 feet above sea level. What high altitude adjustments do I need to make?
Hi Linda! We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I followed the recipe exactly, including the tablespoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda which seemed like a lot to me. The cake was fluffy and moist but SALTY. I think next time I’ll skip the extra 1/2 tsp salt the recipe also calls for, because I frosted it with Sally’s SMBC and decorated with fresh raspberries, but there was a distinct saltiness to the cake itself.
That’s interesting because I increased the salt to one teaspoon. Did you use salted butter?
Hi! I have made this cake several times with buttermilk but today am having issues that it’s falling in the center when it bakes. The batter rises initially when it’s baking then the center drops. I have made it 4 times before with no issues. Any advice??
Hi Marnie, We find that whole milks produces the best texture for this lemon cake. It did used to call for buttermilk, but we’ve recently updated it to reflect our latest recipe testing.
I faced the same issue. The cake turned out well, but it’s crumbling on its own. Where did I go wrong, please help!!!
Hi RD, Was it that the cake was so moist that the edges are crumbling when you are trying to frost it? If that is the case refrigerating it before icing can certainly help.
Hi there! I am really new to baking in general. I made this cake and it tastes delicious! I followed it as close as possible, it was pretty crumbly for me (definitely user error), which step should I likely need to change to avoid a crumbly cake? Basically the cake was coming apart as I iced it, but I managed to cover it and it tasted great!
Hi Brian, Thank you for trying this cake recipe! Was it that the cake was so moist that the edges are crumbling when you are trying to frost it? If that is the case refrigerating it before icing can certainly help.
I reviewed my process and I believe I cut the top of the cakes off before they were fully cool… and then I did let it cool completely after that..: I am going to try again and leave myself time to just leave the cakes be before I touch them
I have made this cake several times and it is a huge hit. Can I use half & half instead of whole milk in this recipe?
Hi Greg, I’m so glad you enjoy this cake! Half-and-half is too heavy for this batter. I recommend regular milk.
My family loves this cake so much its a huge hit. Could i adapt this to a vanilla cake simply by omitting the zest and lemon juice? Would i add 2 TBS of milk?
Hi Carleigh! We recommend making our favorite white cake (2 layers) or vanilla cake (3 layers) instead – both these cakes are written to produce a delicious vanilla cake 🙂
Can you use buttermilk instead of whole milk for this cake?
Hi Alli, We find that whole milks produces the best texture for this lemon cake. It did used to call for buttermilk, but we’ve recently updated it to reflect our latest recipe testing.
Hello Sally,
I just made this recipe and while the cake turned out well. But I can still feel sugar crystals on my tongue in the buttercream if I mix it for longer though the cream tends to separate. What am I doing wrong how can I make the sugar dissolve?
Hi Athena, Are you using confectioners’ sugar and not granulated sugar in the buttercream?
Definitely a wonderful lemon cake. My daughter and I made this for a birthday gathering. Everyone loved it.
I wonder if I can substitute some of the milk for extra lemon juice? Or perhaps more zest? I’d like a little stronger lemon flavor in the cake despite the perfect lemon icing.
Hi D, absolutely! I’ve actually subbed in 2 extra Tablespoons of lemon juice (took out the same amount of milk) with great success. And yes, you can absolutely add more zest.
Could I substitute cake flour for the all-purpose? Also, how much would it change the texture if I used 2% milk instead of whole?
Hi Nicole! You could use cake flour, yes, but we find it’s 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 weren’t happy with the result. We like to use all-purpose flour in this lemon cake. You can use lower fat or nondairy milks in a pinch, but the cake won’t taste nearly as rich and moist.
I have made this cake so many times I have lost count. It is a firm favourite Could I use buttermilk instead of milk? I could have sworn this recipe used to state buttermilk or I misread it and possibly used it in the past. Was checking recipe to ensure I had all the ingredients. This is my sisters favourite cake so I’m making it for her birthday next week.
Hi Rachel, we’re so glad you love this cake recipe! We find that whole milk produces the best texture for this lemon cake. It did used to call for buttermilk, but we’ve recently updated it to reflect our latest recipe testing.
Thank you. That makes sense why I used buttermilk. I thought I had been making it wrong. Amazing cake.
I’ve made this cake before and it was wonderful! I now want to make it again but for someone who is gluten free – is there a substitute for the flour please?
Hi Ellen, We have not tested any gluten free flours in this recipe, but other readers have reported using a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour with success. Let us know if you give it a try!
I love this recipe. My church family also loved it. There was none left. Bravo
I would love to make this in a 12″ round cake pan. Would I double the recipe?
Hi Kathryn, Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Is this a good recipe for tiered cakes?
Hi Serene, absolutely. While we haven’t personally tried it, many readers have used this recipe for a tiered cake.
Seriously one of the best cakes I have ever made! Was a little skeptical about the cream cheese in the buttercream (I am a purist) but it was fantastic!! Huge hit at the office … this will be a go to cake for me! As always- Sally has hit a home run!
Made it for my moms birthday, it was perfect and she loved it!
This recipe was delicious. I made it for a birthday cake paired with Sally’s Swiss meringue buttercream with raspberry flavoring. Delicious! However, my cake turned out pretty dense. I sifted the flour and ensured not to over-mix the ingredients, so I am wondering if there are any additional tips to avoiding a dense cake at the end.
Hi Lindsey, So glad you enjoyed the flavor of the cake! The sifting and not overmixing your batter should help! You can find more tips in our post on how to prevent a dry or dense cake.
I made the cake as instructed. Perfection!
Then a few days later I made a limoncello cake. “From another site. Also awesome.
Tonight I’m incorporating the 2 cakes,”sort of”.
The limoncello frosting is cheesecake like with a lemon curd in the middle. My sister had an allergic reaction to the eggs in the sponge though! She is fine with Sally’s cakes though. So I’m doing your lemon cake with the frosting of the limoncello cake, and using the lemon simple syrup in the middle. Hope it turns out good.
Did it end up good?
Has anyone added a raspberry or strawberry filling?
Can I make a half batch of the cream cheese frosting
Yes, you can cut the frosting recipe in half.
I absolutely love this cake!!! It is so perfect, so delicious!! It’s one of our familys’ favorites now!! Thank you so much for sharing❤️ Anyone who loves lemon and cream cheese icing, this is the cake for you!! This is the best lemon cake I have ever made/eaten I added a bit extra lemon to the cake and icing and also tweaked the icing a bit, but without that it is still so AMAZING!! I highly recommend it!! It’s a 5 star review for sure
Thank you kindly for sharing❤️
Marisaa