Lemon Layer Cake

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

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings 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. Whisk 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.

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.

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