Lemon Cake

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This is the best Lemon Cake recipe you'll ever make, with a moist, fluffy lemon cake layered with creamy Lemon Buttercream Frosting. You can bake it from scratch or use my easy cake mix shortcut for the ultimate Spring and Summer treat.

The Best Lemon Cake (Two Ways)

Coming from a snobby cake person, I can say with conviction that I'm completely obsessed with this incredible Lemon Cake and it definitely has it's place in my round-up of favorite cakes (right up there with german chocolate, carrot and coconut cake). The lemon buttercream frosting it other-worldly and may be the actual real winner of the whole thing, but what I love most of all, is we have TWO options for making this cake:

1. a “from-scratch Lemon Cake” that's simple to make and completely divine!
2. dare I say it, an equally as amazing doctored-up cake-mix version. Gasp! I know, it's not completely from scratch. But, I can't lie to you, this version is also absolutely delicious, and a great option of you are intimidated by cake making, or super short on time.

Either way you prepare the lemon layer cake, pair it with an amazing homemade lemon buttercream frosting and it will be your favorite summery cake of all time!

Don't miss all of my favorite cake recipes, including Hummingbird Cake, Yellow Cake, Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Chocolate Mousse Cake, or this Berry Cake!

How to make Lemon Cake:

Make Cake Batter: Combine sifted flour and cake flour in a mixing bowl then stir in baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest then mix with an electric mixer until it's fluffy and pale (3-4 minutes). Add the whole eggs then mix well. Add each egg whites, one at a time and mixing after each. Stir in the vanilla. Add a little bit of flour mixture into the wet ingredients then pour a little buttermilk in. Alternate back and forth until both are incorporated.

Bake Cake: If you want your cakes to come out effortlessly, I strongly recommend using these parchment paper cake rounds and spraying some cooking spray in the pans. Pour batter into cake pans then bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 24-29 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Watch it close so you don't over-bake it! Remove from oven and let it cool in the pan for several minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

Frost Cake: For the lemon buttercream frosting, beat butter with an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer) for 1 minute then add 4 cups of powdered sugar, lemon zest, and half of the lemon juice. Beat well until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes). Add the last cup of sugar and remaining lemon juice slowly, until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Place one cake round on serving tray and spread a little bit of frosting on top only. Set the other cake round on top then spread frosting on sides and top.

Serve this moist lemon cake recipe for Easter, Mother's Day, special occasions, or anytime!

If you love lemon, make sure to try my Lemon Bars, Lemon Brownies, Lemon Tiramisu, or Lemon Zucchini Bread!

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Lemon Cake

Author: Lauren Allen

If you're searching for a moist, homemade Lemon Cake recipe that's bursting with fresh lemon flavor, you've found it–and I have a from-scratch OR cake mix version (see recipe notes) you can choose from.

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 16

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Equipment

• Cake Pans
• Hand mixer
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

1. Lemon Cake (FROM SCRATCH):

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, , softened
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon zest, from about 4 medium lemons
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 4 large egg whites
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup buttermilk

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

• ▢ 1 cup butter, (2 sticks), room temperature
• ▢ 6 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ⅓ – 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions 

• Prep pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 9'' round baking pans with a piece of parchment paper and lightly spray all over the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Sift all-purpose flour and cake flour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt then stir to combine.
  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
• In a separate mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar and lemon zest then mix with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and mix well. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing after each. Stir in the vanilla.
  1 cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon zest, 2 large eggs, 4 large egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Alternately add in a little bit of the flour mixture and then the buttermilk, stirring between each addition. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared round cake pans. 
  ½ cup buttermilk
• Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of the cakes comes out clean, about 24-29 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting:

• Add butter to a stand mixer or large mixing bowl and beat with beaters for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, half of the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Beat well until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. 
  1 cup butter, 6 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ – ½ cups fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, and the remaining lemon juice until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Add more juice to thin, or more sugar to thicken.
• Frost cake once the cake is completely cool.

Notes

Lemon Cake using a Cake Mix:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 small package lemon instant pudding
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup water
• ¾ cup oil
• 4 large eggs

Add the cake mix and pudding mix to a large bowl then stir to combine. Add Greek yogurt, water, oil, and eggs then mix well. Bake at 350 degees in two greased 8 or 9” round pans for 24-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before frosting with lemon buttercream. 

To Freeze Unfrosted Cake: Bake the cake and allow it to cool completely.  Wrap each cake round in a layer of plastic wrap then place in a gallon ziplock bag or wrap in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze frosting in a separate air-tight container. Thaw both at room temperature.

To Freeze Frosted Cake: Frost the entire cake and place it, uncovered, in the freezer to “flash freeze.”  Once the frosting has hardened slightly, cover the cake as best as you can with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for 1-2 weeks (or longer if you can keep it well protected and covered). Allow to thaw for about 2 hours before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 815kcal, Carbohydrates: 115g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 556mg, Potassium: 122mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 78g, Vitamin A: 824IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 144mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe July 2016. Updated July 2020, April 2024 and March 2026.