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! Be sure to check out our other favorites in the The Lemon Dessert Collection!
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
Hi! Do you think it would be possible to swap the lemon for lime? As far as the juice and zest?
Yes, limes should work for a different flavor. Enjoy!
This is an excellent lemon cake recipe. I had a can of raspberry pie filling on hand and used about 2/3 of the can between the cake layers. I frosted the top and sides of the cake with the full amount of frosting which was a nice thick layer of frosting. I also added more lemon juice to both the cake and frosting for a more potent flavor. The cake is wonderful
Having made so many successful recipes from you, I am excited to make this for a graduation party. One question: I’ve used berry powders in frosting but was wondering if you have used / had thoughts on using lemon powder in this cake.
Thank you!
Hi Lulabelle, we haven’t tested lemon powder in cake – let us know if you do!
can you make this and refrigerate it two days in advance. Will it lose taste of freshness?
PS… this is my go-to site for all things dessert! Love it!
Hi Shannon, you can make and assemble the cake 2 days in advance. Be sure it’s covered well (we like to use a cake carrier) to ensure the cake stays fresh. Hope it’s a hit!
I am planning to use this and make it into a 3 layer 8in cake, but i only have one 8in pan. While one cake is in the oven, is it okay to leave the rest of the batter out while baking? Or should i buy another cake pan
Hi C! You can leave the batter covered at room temperature while you wait to use your pan.
I volunteer at a women’s shelter in another country and I use your recipes all the time to teach women baking. Sometimes ingredients in other countries are hard to find, but we manage. Love all the receipts.
This was just the recipe I was looking for! Didn’t want to make a lemon meringue pie but needed a heavily-lemon dessert.
Room temp ended up being too warm and I had the issue another commenter posted about runny icing, but sticking it in the fridge solidified it nicely. It’s still not super thick but it’s cool today so it’s not going to melt off the cake and it looks perfect. I also wanted to make the cake more lemony so I replaced the vanilla extract with lemon extract and added a teaspoon of butter extract. I do that for my pound cakes and it subtly adds that pop of lemon. Added lemon curd between the cake layers in addition to the icing. And to top it, I bought mini Lemon pies from my local bakery (they’re like 1 inch pie shells filled with curd and meringue) so each slice has a tiny topper and added a few dried lavender bits. Lemon overload in the best way!
Hi! Is this cake strong enough to do lemon curd and buttercream in the layers?
Hi Kelsey, absolutely. Enjoy!
If i wanted to make a one layer cake can i divided this recipe by three?
Hi Cindy, we have not tested scaling this recipe down to a one layer cake, but let us know how it goes if you do!
HI! Could I replace the lemon zest/juice with orange ice/zest and turn this into an orange cake? Thinking of making vanilla buttercream infused with some orange juice to create an orange creamsicle cake. Thanks!
Hi Nav, that shouldn’t be a problem! Let us know if you give it a try.
I replaced with orange and it turned out great! Thanks!
Made this for the first time yesterday and it turned out so well. It was a birthday cake for a friend and one or two asked me if I was a professional baker (!) This is my go to site and I tell anyone who bakes to get on it. I did add a touch of gel color to the frosting for a slightly more lemon-y look and decorated it with a few roses and a sprig of rosemary from my garden. Gorg.
I followed the recipe to the letter but my buttercream was way too runny. I added another 300g of icing sugar but it didn’t thicken. The cake was a total puddle when I put it together, with the layers sliding off each other. Why is this??
Hi Louise, how strange that it didn’t thicken when you added more powdered sugar. Perhaps your cream cheese was a bit too warm/soft when starting out? If you wish to try again, make sure the cream cheese is just room temperature. You could also try refrigerating the buttercream for a few minutes before icing the cake. Thanks for giving this one a try!
How many does this cake serve..I love it so much
Hi Indira, This cake yields 10-12 generous size pieces.
We had a little over 12 servings. 12 ish!
Love your recipes! Do you think this would taste good with a raspberry cream cheese buttercream or would it take away from the lemon?
Hi Ashley, yes that would be delicious!
Can 3 6” pans be use
Hi Terry, For a 6 inch cake, use this recipe for lemon cupcakes to make a three layer 6 inch cake. You can read more about using cupcake recipes to make 6 inch cakes in this 6 inch cakes post.
First, the cake recipe was easy to follow and I loved the taste! Only thing would be I find the cake part not lemony enough? Could I add more zest or lemon juice? Im assuming the frosting makes the lemon flavor more noticeable!
Hi Bianca, Yes the frosting will bring out the lemon flavor even more. But you can certainly add more zest to the cake layers if you would like.
This is an amazing cake! I made it for my own 80th birthday. I love to bake and this was great fun! I made it with the raspberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting. Can’t wait for the next special occasion so I can make it again.
Hi! Is it possible to make this with a 1:1 gluten-free flour? Would you adjust anything other than the type of flour? Thank you, can’t wait to try it!
Hi Elisabeth, we haven’t tested this cake with a gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the exact results. But let us know if you give it a try!
It’s very good. It’s the first cake I have made by myself without a box. Definitely have to wait for the cake to cool off before putting the frosting on. I was just practicing before I make one for my wife’s birthday. Very good recipe and description. Thank you. I used buttermilk because I have seen on other recipes to use it. I noticed you had used it in the past also.
Can I make this with 3, 9″ pans? The recipe says to use 8″ pans but in the “Behind the Recipe” section you mention using 3, 9″ pans. Can you clarify? Thanks!
Hi Betsy, You can use your 9-inch cake pans here for slightly thinner layers. Bake time will be slightly shorter.
My cake tasted fabulous but was so crumbly it was literally falling apart out of the pan. Initially out of the pan it the crumble stuck to the pan a little and pulled pieces of cake with it. I assumed i didn’t grease it enough but as it sat on the cooling rack it was separating more. Then I added frosting gently and the whole thing was separating in chucks! Ugliest cake I’ve ever frosted. We celebrated very quickly then chucked it all into a bag for cake pops. It was very delicious so I’ll try again and see if I have better luck. It was very embarrassing but we all just laughed.
Hi Belinda! Could the cake have been over-baked? That would make an extra crumbly cake. Did you use parchment paper rounds to line your pans? That will help the cakes stay in tact as well.
I usually love your recipes, and while the flavor was great, the cake was too heavy and dense. I followed the recipe exactly.
Hi Klc, this cake is slightly denser than, say, a white cake, but here are all our tips for preventing dry and dense cakes. Thank you for giving this one a try!
We are making this with a 4” mini bundt cake pan that has 6 cakes in it. Do you know what the bake time would be for that? Thanks!
Hi Natalie! We are unsure of the exact bake time, but would begin checking them around 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Great flavour and quite moist. A little too dense for my liking. I have to admit that I forgot the baking soda. How much of a difference would that have made? Would using cake and pastry flour be better than all purpose?
Hi Janis, baking soda is what gives the cake lift and would yield a dense cake if left out.
Spectacular!
I am baking this for a requested Lemon Cake for Easter and want a 3 layer cake but only have 9” pans. What adjustments would be needed to make this as a 3 layer 9” cake?
Hi Mary! You can use your 9 inch cake pans here for slightly thinner layers. Bake time will be slightly shorter.
Hi Sally, I am a little confused about how many eggs to use. The recipe says 3 eggs, but I see in the comments that some people mention using 4 eggs. I am going to try making this cake for Easter. Thanks….
Hi Nancy, 3 eggs is correct. Happy baking!
Why not used lemon extract instead of vanilla?
Hi JW, we found that the best, natural lemon flavor comes from a combination of lemon juice and lemon zest. The vanilla adds a touch of flavor, preventing the taste from being a bit flat. You could use some lemon extract if you want, but we don’t recommend leaving out the vanilla entirely. Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla + 1 teaspoon of lemon extract (and the written amounts of lemon juice and zest, too).
Great recipe- made as directed and it is easy and delicious. A classic for this kind of cake.
Can you use buttermilk or semi skimmed milk instead of whole?
Hi Alex! We prefer the texture of whole milk here, but you can use buttermilk or a lower fat milk in a pinch.
I want to use a wilton heart shaped pan that is 12×2 for granddaughters birthday. How many recipes would I have to make for it to be a 2 layer heart. Also is the frosting thick enough to pipe with.thx Ann
Hi Ann, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. This cream cheese frosting is thick enough for simple piping, but if you’re doing more intricate piping, we’d recommend using this lemon buttercream frosting instead. Hope it’s a hit!