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! Just baked this cake 9×13 and made the frosting. A lot of frosting for this sized cake. Can this frosting be frozen for a nice Xmas cookie frosting? Thank You.
Yes, absolutely. Store up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
Excellent recipe! I made it for Thanksgiving and it is all gone! I made two adjustments: added lemon curd to the icing used in between the layers, and added lemon zest to the icing. I’ve used a different lemon cake recipe for years but this one is much less complicated and has more lemon flavor.
Hi! Can I bake this in one 9 inch cake pan?
This will be too much batter for one pan, we don’t recommend it.
Can I use a Bundt pan for this cake?
Hi Betty, for a Bundt cake we recommend our Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. You can leave out the poppy seeds if you wish.
Hi Sally thank you for this recipe! I want to bring it to a Friday night dinner party but as I work during the day I need to make it ahead. I know you said it’s suitable for freezing but how would you do it: do you remove it from the freezer the night before to let it thaw then you ice? Would you ice it whilst still frozen? Would you freeze only after icing? There seems to be so many opinions online and I’m left wondering what the best way forward is. I’ll have time to ice it on Friday but would need to bake it beforehand. Thank you!
Hi Kev! Here’s our guide to freezing cakes.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes:) my question is can I use just egg whites for this lemon can recipe just like the coconut cake? Baking a cake this morning
Hi DeeDee! We recommend following this recipe as written for best results. Happy baking!
I wish I could give it 10 stars!! I followed the recipe to a tee and this is hands down the best lemon cake I have ever had! I will be making this regularly.
Wonderfully light and lemony. I’ve made this cake twice now. Both times for a Birthday and both times it came out perfectly
This recipe is so delicious. Do you have an option or can you create a recipe for the addition of poppy seeds.
You can definitely add poppy seeds to this recipe!
Hi Sally! For a 9-inch 3 layer cake, should I 1.5x the batter? Thanks!
Hi Amy, you can use your 9-inch cake pans here for slightly thinner layers. Bake time will be slightly shorter.
I used this recipe for my wedding cake in 2020 and received so many compliments!
I made a blueberry compote for the filling and frosted it with vanilla buttercream.
I decorated it with fresh lavender springs, candied lemon slices, and a drizzle of the left over compote.
This cake is perfectly moist and lemony and pairs beautifully with fresh fruit and a cup of coffee.
This is my go to lemon cake recipe and four years later there’s now a touch of nostalgia any time I make it.
Loved this recipe! I baked it in one sheet pan and cut out four 6 inch round layers for the most amazing little cake. Fluffy light sponge with just the right amount of lemon, plus a tangy, not too sweet frosting…lemon lovers will be in heaven!
I brought this cake to a friend’s house and it was an absolute hit! Everyone loved it (I’m talking ‘scraped the crumbs off the bottom of the tin’)
I substituted half of the butter for oil, and put powdered sugar instead of the frosting. It was delicious, even with the changes!
Hi Sally. Thanks as always for the fabulous recipes. If I wanted to write a message on this cake, could I set aside and color some of the buttercream to use with that tip? Or what do you recommend for icing for that purpose?
Hi Meredith, cream cheese frosting does not hold intricate designs as well as traditional buttercream. We’d recommend making a small batch of vanilla buttercream frosting for your writing instead.
Hi Sally. I have buttermilk could use this instead of whole milk? Would I use the same quantity?
Merci
Hi Sandra, 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. That said, you can use buttermilk in a pinch.
Fantastic!!!
Hi, I’ve made this recipe before and loved it, thank you! Just wondering if this could be adapted to a 6inch cake, perhaps with four layers? Thanks!
Hi Lucy, our recipe for Lemon Cupcakes fits perfectly in to three 6-inch cake pans. You can follow the baking directions and all of my tips in my post 6 Inch Cake Recipes.
Excellent recipe. Everyone loved this cake. (I made a lemon scented white chocolate ganache (not a cream cheese icing fan) so didn’t refrigerate the 30 minutes before serving. It still cut quite well.) The thing that most impressed me with regards to the recipe was your explanation on sifting. I have never encountered a better explanation. Chattiness was minimal on the page (appreciated that). Kudos!
I have tried countless lemon cake recipes and never get it right but this one is perfect and the icing is the best I have ever made as well. It will be saved in my recipe book forever now. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world.
Hello! I’d like to make this frosting but live in Italy and don’t have block cream cheese. Will regular cream cheese in a container work just as well?
Hi Heidi, yes, we know this is an issue and it’s very frustrating! Look for a soft white cheese with around 33% fat content. Not sure how easy it is to get where you are, but in some parts of Europe you can find Philadelphia cream cheese in the tub. Some readers have reported that they strain off excess liquid from the tub type of cream cheese before using. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
I love this recipe! I’ve also made the lemon blueberry cake and can’t decide which one I like better. In the lemon blueberry recipe, you use buttermilk but not in the lemon. Is there a reason for that?
Hi Christina, the buttermilk in the lemon blueberry cake helps with moisture, but after making the lemon layer cake for several years with buttermilk, we found the texture and taste better here with whole milk instead (slightly less acidic-tasting). However, you can certainly use buttermilk here if you prefer, or whole milk in the lemon blueberry cake instead of the buttermilk. Hope this helps!
Could this be made with 1:1 gluten free flour?
Hi Meredith, we have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but let us know if you give it a try!
Why don’t you use cake flour for this lemon cake? The texture in the picture looks courser, and I want a fine texture on my cake, so should I use cake flour?
Hi Mary Jean, 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.
This was the most fabulous cake! Moist, light, lemony! Perfection! Directions were clear enough that my husband, who has never made a cake in his life, made it for me for my birthday. It was fantastic!
I’m excited to try and bake this cake! Question is – will decreasing the lemon juice (say reducing from 80ml to 50ml) make a difference in the cake texture? I won’t be able to get more lemons by the time I need to bake this cake.
Hi Ashly, we’d recommend using more whole milk to replace the missing amount of lemon juice. Keep in mind that the lemon flavor won’t be as strong, so you may wish to wait to make this cake until you have enough lemons. Enjoy!
Made this for my son’s birthday. While the flavor was delicious — and very lemon-y — the cake itself was rather dense and not as fluffy as I would have liked. I followed the directions closely so not sure what I did wrong — overbeat the batter? Anyway it was tasty so I’ll give it another try at some point — maybe substituting cake flour for some of the AP flour would help.
Hi Carolyn, we’re so glad you enjoyed the cake! Overly dense cakes are usually the result of over mixing the batter. An easy fix for next time! This post on how to prevent dry and dense cakes may be helpful to review, too.
This cake was delicious and moist, but not very lemony. I made it with a lemon curd filling so it was amazing but I think it could have more flavor. 4 and a half stars?
Do you think the lemon juice and zest could be 1:1 replaced with orange?
Hi Dylan, 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!
Where I am we didn’t have in-season fresh oranges, so I used navel oranges from the store. I didn’t adjust the sugar and it still turned out great. I added the excess zest to the chocolate icing I made for a Terry’s Chocolate Orange inspired taste that everyone loved
This might be the best cake ever! I took it to a church luncheon, everyone loved it, in fact many took a piece home for a family member. It is moist and light and the frosting is delightful with a hint of lemon. I made it exactly according to the recipe, I followed every detail, it came out perfectly. I was reminded of something that you might find in a French pastry shop, light and delicious. I can’t wait to make it again.
This cake had a beautiful flavor as did the frosting (I added zest to the frosting though and it was DELICIOUS and think it was a good choice to make) I was however a little disappointed as it doesn’t really rise and was quite a thin cake so I had to go make another half batch, another thing I wasn’t a fan of was I didn’t find it fluffy or moist,at all, I was skeptical when reading the recipe given it calls for all butter and no oil the cakes I usually make are usually half oil half butter, butter= flavour and oil= moist but I went and made it anyway, while the flavour was nice I wouldn’t make it again simply because it was a moist soft cake unfortunately which is such a shame