Lemon Layer Cake

This lemon layer cake has two layers of soft and moist lemon cake, topped with fluffy lemon buttercream frosting. It’s simple, flavorful, made in one-bowl, uses simple ingredients and beyond delicious. Melt in your mouth tender.

The perfect lemon cake recipe for any occasion. Step-by-step instructions for making the perfect layer cake each and every time. Sweet & tart lemon flavor.

While I already have a few lemon cake recipes; lemon loaf cake, lemon Bundt cake, lemon blueberry loaf – I was craving a lemon layer cake. I decorated my lemon cake with Boston fruit slices, pansies and violets. Boston fruit slices were a fond treat from my childhood and go perfect with this cake.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Perfect texture – This lemon cake has a soft and tender crumb. Oil, sour cream and buttermilk make this cake perfectly moist.
• Made from scratch – Simple ingredients and better than a cake mix.
• Fresh lemon flavor – Real lemon oil gives it a pop of fresh lemon flavor. The lemon frosting is the perfect combination of sweet and tart, not overly sweet.
• Easy dessert – One of the easiest desserts to make.

What you’ll need

• Flour – Use a high-quality brand of unbleached all-purpose or cake flour.
• Sugar – Sweetens the cake, granulated sugar keeps it light and fluffy.
• Salt – Added in baking recipes to heighten sweet flavors.
• Baking soda & powder – A leavening agent to help cakes rise.
• Vanilla extract – Always use a high-quality brand.
• Pure lemon oil – From cold pressing lemon rinds, no additives. Pure lemon flavor. Find it here from our favorite, most trusted company.
• Eggs and Yolks – Gives the cake batter structure, helps it rise properly and gives it rich flavor.
• Sour cream – For best results, use full-fat sour cream. Adds tangy flavor and moisture.
• Buttermilk – Use whole cultured buttermilk. Substitute 1 cup whole milk to 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice if you cannot find it.
• Oil – Use either vegetable or canola oil.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• Butter or vegetable shortening – Use a high-quality brand of butter or vegetable shortening. I prefer a mix of vegetable shortening and butter.
• Powdered sugar – Sift it for no lumps in your frosting.
• Cream cheese – Use a high-quality brand, room temperature.
• Salt – Heightens flavors in this lemon buttercream.
• Lemon juice – Fresh lemon flavor
• Vanilla extract – Adds a wonderful subtle flavor to frosting.
• Pure lemon oil – Adds a burst of real lemon.
• Evaporated milk – This is my secret ingredient. Mom always used this for her buttercream frosting. It makes such a fluffy & flavorful frosting.

How to make a Lemon layer cake

Layer cakes always look so impressive. They’re not as hard to make as you may think.

• Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round cake pans.
• Whisk dry ingredients – Sift flour into a large bowl. Add sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. Whisk together.
• Mix in wet ingredients – Add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon oil, sour cream, buttermilk, and oil. Combine with an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
• Bake – Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Be careful NOT to overbake!
• Cool cakes – Let cakes cool in pans for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire cooling racks.
• Frost – Place one cooled cake onto a cake plate and add an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top with the second layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake.

A cake decorating turntable is very helpful when decorating cakes. It’s got a heavy cast iron base that will last generations.

One of my favorite ways to store a round cake is in a Tupperware cake taker. While it’s an investment, it lasts a lifetime.

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Lemon Layer Cake

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

This lemon layer cake has two layers of soft and moist lemon cake, topped with a fluffy lemon buttercream frosting.

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American, Holiday Baking

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 820kcal

Author: Jessica Robinson

Ingredients

Lemon Cake

• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose or cake flour (sifted)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 5 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 egg yolks room temperature
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pure lemon oil
• ▢ Zest of one large lemon (optional)
• ▢ ½ cup full-fat sour cream
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups full-fat buttermilk
• ▢ ⅔ cup vegetable or canola oil
• ▢ A few drops of lemon food coloring (optional)

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• ▢ 1 cup vegetable shortening or butter (softened)
• ▢ 4- ounces full-fat cream cheese or mascarpone cheese (softened)
• ▢ 6-7 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure lemon oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons evaporated milk
• ▢ A few drops of lemon food coloring optional

Instructions

Lemon Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour two (9-inch) round baking pans. Tap out excess flour. Set aside.
• Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and soda.
• Add wet ingredients; eggs, yolks, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, lemon oil and canola oil. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with beater attachment. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Combine on low/medium.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with some moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake the cakes! Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes. Turn out of cake pans and cool completely on wire cooling racks.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• Make the buttercream while cakes cool. In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer with whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer. Combine powdered sugar, vegetable shortening (or softened butter), cream cheese, salt, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon oil on low to medium speed. Pour in evaporated milk. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Once incorporated, beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin. Add a few tablespoons more of evaporated milk or heavy cream if frosting too thick.
• Assemble and frost. Place one cooled cake on your stand or serving plate. Top with an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top that with the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use the icing spatula to make a swirl pattern on the top.
• Refrigerate the cake either uncovered or covered in a cake holder for 1 hour prior to serving. This will help set the frosting. Serve immediately after refrigeration or store refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Recipe Notes

Use a high-quality brand of butter or vegetable shortening. I prefer a mix of vegetable shortening and butter.

We like to use a 10-inch cardboard cake round covered in aluminum foil. This is especially nice when transporting a cake or giving it as a gift. Aluminum foil helps protect the cardboard so it doesn’t absorb moisture from the cake and get soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 820kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 87g | Vitamin A: 394IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg

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