Looking for an Easy Lemon Cake Recipe? This one is simple to follow and yields a delicious dessert. The cake is moist and tangy, with a subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee. Give it a try!
Do you love lemon? This easy lemon cake recipe is for you. It’s a soft, fluffy cake with a light lemony flavor. Best of all, it’s really easy to make!
So if you’re looking for an impressive dessert that doesn’t require a lot of effort, this is the recipe for you. Enjoy!
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I’m just here working my way through all of mom’s cake recipes. While a whole lot of them are several layers and super elaborate – she has some in her collection that are simple and easy – like this lemon cake.
I love this one because it falls into the snack cake category being that it is only one layer, is on the smaller side of 8″ square, and whips up fairly quickly.
It is perfect for bunco night, a small backyard bbq or brunch at church. I know you’ll love this one as much as we do.
lemon cake
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can this lemon cake be frozen?
Yes – of course. Just like any other cake, you can freeze this lemon cake. Just make sure to wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container before freezing. Use it within 3 months.
Can you make a lemon cake the day before?
Making this lemon cake the day before is a great idea. Just be sure to cover with plastic wrap before refrigerating. You can also make the cake and icing the day before and then add the icing fresh before you serve it the next day.
How to store lemon cake
This lemon cake should be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. This cake does freeze well if stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Can this be made with different size cake pans?
You bet – if you need to change the size of the cake you are making – please see the variations below. As with all cakes – bake until the toothpick test is clean as different ovens, climate, elevation, and other factors can change the baking time.
- 8″ square (used here) is the same as a 9″ round with both holding 8 cups of batter.
- 9×5″ loaf pan also holds 8 cups of batter – however, the depth of the cake would increase and change the baking time.
- 9 x 13 pan holds 14 to 16 cups of batter – you would need to double this recipe for a 9×13 pan.
- This recipe can be made in 2 – 6″ round pans – with each pan holding a total of 4 cups – baking for 18-21 minutes.
- You can convert this to cupcakes – it will make about 8-12 standard-size cupcakes.
Keep the depth of the batter the same.
The amount of batter in a cake pan is crucial to the recipe. The cake could sink in the middle or overflow if there is too much batter. If you don’t use enough batter, you’ll end up with a thin, flimsy, and dry cake (the moisture will evaporate too rapidly). When switching pan size, follow this guideline: fill halfway to two-thirds full. If you have any leftovers – make them into cupcakes.
Don’t miss these other great homemade cake recipes!
- Salted Caramel Mocha Sheet Cake
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Kahlua Ganache
- Blueberry Swirl Pound Cake
- Brownie Cookie Dough Freak Cake
- Homemade Funfetti Cake
- Slow Cooker Carrot Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Best Yellow Cake Recipe
Ingredients for Lemon Cake
Lemon Cake
- cake flour – scoop and level method
- baking powder
- salt
- lemon zest
- unsalted butter softened
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- almond extract
- sour cream
- lemon juice
- colorful sprinkles
Lemon Icing
- confectioner’s sugar-sifted
- lemon juice
- heavy whipping cream
Notes
- You may use vanilla extract instead of almond extract. I like the flavor of almond extract in certain baked goods, but it’s a personal preference. Almond extract enhances the lemon flavor in this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon of lemon zest is equal to about 1 lemon.
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice is about half of a large-sized lemon.
- You can use all-purpose flour in this recipe instead of cake flour. You will use 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour instead of 2 ½ cups as the recipe states above.
- The scoop and level method is the process you will use to accurately measure your cake flour. All you need to do is take a spoon and scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup, and then using the back of a knife scrape the top to level it.
How do I properly measure the flour?
The official way is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup & level off. This makes sure the flour isn’t packed tightly into your measuring cup, adding more than you need, as that will make your recipe too dry.
What is cake flour?
Cake flour is very finely milled making it lighter in texture, it is bleached so it has a lighter color, and has a much lower protein content than your standard all-purpose. All of these things will change the overall texture, rise and consistency of the cake since it will produce less gluten.
How to Make Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract, sour cream, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared 8×8 pan.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack.
How to Make Lemon Cake Icing
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and heavy whipping cream to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until smooth. If you would like a thicker icing keep adding more confectioner’s sugar. If the icing is too thick, add more lemon juice or heavy whipping cream to thin it out.
- Spread the icing on top of the lemon cake and sprinkle with your favorite colorful sprinkles.
- Serve immediately.
Why do the ingredients need to be at room temperature?
Room temperature ingredients help to ensure that everything blends together perfectly. You don’t want any pockets of unblended butter. You want everything evenly disbursed for the perfect texture.
When your dairy products are at room temperature, they can create an emulsion. It’s essential to have an emulsion because air gets trapped, so the baked goods expand and get fluffy as it bakes.
lemon snack cake
What do you mean by soft butter?
You will need to take your butter out of the fridge about an hour before you would like to make the recipe for the butter to soften but not get too soft.
How to soften the butter to room temperature?
First
There are a couple of ways to do this. The first being that you can take the butter (& any other ingredients that need to be at room temperature) out, leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes while you prep for baking.
I usually start with all my chilled ingredients and pull everything I need out onto the counter before getting started – so I know for sure I have everything before I’m mid-way through I realize I’m out of something.
But sometimes it’s winter and that isn’t enough time to get the ingredients warmed up – OR – I’m just not that organized to plan ahead. It happens. So I have another couple of tricks.
Second
I place the butter in the microwave – wrapped in the paper. (don’t do this if it is wrapped in foil) Then I microwave for 2 seconds – flip – go another 2 seconds – flip again – and continue for 2 seconds on each side.
This is usually enough to get it perfect – sometimes stopping before if it feels soft enough. Take care when doing this method – overly softened butter from the microwave WILL ALTER the end result of the recipe. Don’t over-do it.
Third
My third method is to place the wrapped butter sticks in a zip-top bag and place it in a bowl of warm water. I do this with the eggs too. If the water isn’t too hot it can be THE PERFECT way to get “room-temperature” ingredients.
This Lemon Cake recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made a homemade cake recipe before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love this. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this delicious cake recipe. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)
If you love this easy lemon cake recipe, you’re going to love these other cake recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
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Easy Lemon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 2 ½ cups cake flour scoop and level method
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Colorful sprinkles
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract, sour cream, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared 8×8 pan.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack.
Icing
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and heavy whipping cream to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until smooth. If you would like a thicker icing keep adding more confectioner’s sugar. If the icing is too thick, add more lemon juice or heavy whipping cream to thin it out.
- Spread the icing on top of the lemon cake and sprinkle with your favorite colorful sprinkles.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You may use vanilla extract instead of almond extract. I like the flavor of almond extract in certain baked goods, but it’s a personal preference. Almond extract enhances the lemon flavor in this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon of lemon zest is equal to about 1 lemon.
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice is about half of a large-sized lemon.
- You can use all-purpose flour in this recipe instead of cake flour. You will use 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour instead of 2 ½ cups as the recipe states above.
- The scoop and level method is the process you will use to accurately measure your cake flour. All you need to do is take a spoon and scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup, and then using the back of a knife scrape the top to level it.
