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
Could I split this recipe in half if I only wanted to make an 8×8 pan instead of 3 layers? Or would you suggest using your lemon loaf bundt cake recipe instead?
You should be able to halve this recipe.
I am really excited to try this recipe! I have to make a strawberry cake next week with jam filling, and I am using this cake as practice before the big day. I was hoping to try this cake with a lemon curd to learn how to assemble a cake with a filling. Is the cream cheese buttercream sturdy enough for the filling, or do you recommend a pure lemon buttercream instead?
Hi Mackenzie, are you hoping to use the cream cheese buttercream for a dam around the edges? If so, this recipe should work well. Hope you enjoy it!
Is this recipe high altitude friendly? If not, what changes should I make?
Hi Haley, 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
Why sift flour and is the sifting before or after measuring
Hi Debra, sifting the flour aerates it, creating an overall fluffier cake. 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.)
While the cake had a good lemon taste, I was hoping for a less dense crumb. I would liken the cake itself closer to a pound cake, rather than light and springy. I did follow instructions exactly and did not over mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Mixed it in until combined and no longer. Probably not a recipe I will use again.
I made this cake along with Sally’s lemon curd and it was a big hit. The lemon flavor is just perfect. The layers are the perfect thickness and sturdy to make a nice 3 layer cake. I highly recommend it.
Hi James, I was planning a similar cake. This is my first time using curd. Other comments seemed to indicate the cake would be VERY dense if I refrigerate it for 24 hours before the party, but once I fill with curd, I’m assuming it MUST be refridgerated. Can you advise?
Hi Connie, curd should be refrigerated yes, so we would assemble the day of serving, if possible, so you don’t dry out your cake.
Is there a way to decrease the amount of lemon juice and still maintain the texture? I loved it as written but husband said he felt like the amount of lemon juice caused him some stomach discomfort. I know it will make the flavor less lemony, but although I’d love to just eat it all by myself I probably shouldn’t!
Hi Cheri, you could substitute some of the lemon juice with more milk if needed.
Good Morning Sally, For the citrus lemon cake or the Lemon cake can you use buttermilk instead of whole milk. Will it make a big difference in taste or texture.
Thank you,
Lisa
Hi Lisa, 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.
Hi! How would I convert this recipe to a 2 layer 6-inch cake? Thanks!
Hi JoJo, Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
I made this cake for the first time recently; it was gone fast. The cake turned out light and fluffy. It was so good. I plan on making another one soon.
Love all of your recipes so much, and this one is no exception! What is your recommendation for making this cake as a Bundt cake with a 10 cup pan? Thanks!
Hi Emily! For a Bundt cake, we recommend our Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. You can leave out the poppy seeds if you wish.
Can I reduce the quantity of sugar? If yes, what is the ideal quantity I can reduce it to?
Hey, I reduced the sugar in the cake to 3/4C and it was lovely! Still quite sweet- you definitely won’t miss the extra cup of sugar lol. Next time I may even reduce it to only a half cup of sugar. I also only used one cup of icing sugar in the frosting but forgot to reduce the butter so it tasted perfect but was quite rich. Easy enough to fix by just not eating too much frosting.. but next time I would reduce the butter too. The cake had a great light fluffy texture and was over all a success. It certainly doesn’t need all the sugar called for in the recipe.
How many medium eggs to use if I don’t have large ones ?
Hi Lorraine, Egg weights can vary but usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. So you’ll need about 150g of eggs out of the shell.
Hi thank you for sharing the recipe can this cake be iced the day before? And if so so should it be covered or not in the fridge ?
Thank you
Hi Anna! After decorating anything with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, it’s fine for 1 day at room temperature, covered. After that, we would refrigerate it.
It seems as if I’m with the reviewers who are on the “heavy, dense” side of the fence. Sometimes I sub things if I don’t have whole milk etc but this recipe I followed to a T and it was much drier and denser than I was hoping for. Possibly it was over baked since I used 2 cake pans instead of 3? The flavor was very nice though and the icing was perfect.
I was looking for an orange cake recipe when I came across this and your 6 inch citrus. I’m wondering if you think I could swap out the lemon for orange and it would still turn out.
Hi Jessie, 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!
I love this recipe and I will definitely be making it again!
My grandson requested a lemon cake for his 6th birthday, so I used this recipe. I made it as a two-layer cake, so I had to bake it a few minutes longer. Nevertheless, it came out moist, tender, and delicious. I added a splash more lemon juice to the frosting, because I wanted it to have more lemon flavor. Next time I might add some lemon zest to the frosting, as well. Great recipe, easy to make, and best of all, my grandson declared it “The best cake I’ve ever had!”
I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! It was fluffy and moist. The lemon taste was exactly what I was looking for. Not overpowering. The icing wasn’t too sweet. (I didn’t add the salt to the icing and it was perfect! I did use buttermilk instead of whole milk for the cake (I had some left over from a previous recipe) but no regrets! I also made it as a three layer cake using three 8″ pans. The texture was perfect! Thank you for this recipe. I’ll definitely be using it again!
I came here looking to see if anyone had tried it as two layers. Thank you for posting!
Hi! How long do you think it would take this cake the reach room temperature if I froze it?
Hi Adyson! Here’s our guide to freezing cakes. We usually let cake layers thaw overnight in the fridge.
Hi! I was wondering if you knew how long it would take this cake to get back to room temperature if it was frozen?
Hi Tauriel, We recommend thawing frozen cakes in the refrigerator, this usually takes at least 8 hours. You can read more details about it in our post on how to freeze cakes.
Thank you!
How many cups of batter does this recipe make?
Hi Heather, this recipe yields about 7 cups of batter. Enjoy the cake!
Could I make this with cake flour?
Hi Monica, 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.
SOOOOO good! And that icing… I don’t even really like icing and I couldn’t stop eating it.
I made this cake for my birthday, it is good so far, although I used less sugar for the frosting and added a whole Lemon skin to the cream to make it extra lemony.
Have made and love this recipe-have. Have never gone wrong with one of yours!
Could I add poppyseeds to the recipe?
Hi Heidi, 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.
I made this today for my kid’s birthday and all the kids said 10/10! I liked it as well but the frosting was way too sweet and also I made too much so if you have an idea how to use the frosting other than for cake, that would be great 🙂 thanks!
I tried this cake today .This cake came out very dry and dense. I should have known when I saw how thick the batter was, but I normally trust your recipes. Lemon cakes are so tricky and I love to learn how to make cakes but i scared always for my cake coming dense
Hi Mandii, I’m sorry to hear this cake didn’t turn out well for you. 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.
Tasty recipe! I didn’t have any milk, so I used water with a few tablespoons of melted butter in it, and that turned out great.
This cake came out very dry and dense. I should have known when I saw how thick the batter was, but I normally trust your recipes. The icing and raspberry filling saved it but the cake itself is not right. Lemon cakes are so tricky and I guess that’s why I haven’t found a go-to recipe yet but this one definitely isn’t it!
Can I make this in 2 10″ pans? And does this frosting hold up well when piped?
Hi Kim! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. Cream cheese frosting isn’t the best to pipe. If you would like to pipe decorations, you could use our lemon buttercream for that. Happy baking!