Lemon Cake

This easy Lemon Cake recipe with lemon buttercream frosting is a simple dessert made with real lemons! An easy cake recipe for beginners!

Course Baking, Dessert

Cuisine American, North American

Keyword Lemon Cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings servings

Calories 485kcal

Author Chrissie

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 cup sugar
3 lemons zest
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt

For the Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 lemon zest and juice

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat your oven to 325℉ (165℃) and prepare a square cake pan by greasing it with butter or baking spray and lining it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the sugar and the lemon zest.
Mix well until the lemon zest releases its essential oils and the sugar has the consistency of wet sand.
Add the butter and whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix until homogenous.
Add the dry ingredients and mix together on low speed just until the mixture is smooth. Make sure you don't over mix your batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes at 325℉ (165℃). To see if the cake is done, insert a toothpick into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

Add the butter to a mixing bowl and mix on high speed with a hand mixer until pale in colour (2-3 minutes).
Add the powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, until well combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the zest of a lemon and about a tablespoon of the juice. Feel free to add more juice if you want a tangier taste.
Add the vanilla and salt and mix well to combine.
Add the heavy cream a little bit at the time, just until the frosting reaches a fluffy, light consistency.
Be sure to frost the cake after the cake has cooled completely. Adding frosting to a hot cake will cause the frosting to melt.
Add the frosting on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to push the frosting out to the edges of the cake, smoothing out the top.
Slice and serve immediately or store at room temperature until ready to serve.

Notes

Double this recipe and bake it in 2 9-inch round pans to make a layer cake. Alternatively you can bake the double batch in a 9x13 inch pan for a larger, rectangular cake.

Storage Instructions

Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezer Instructions

We recommend freezing this cake unfrosted in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Defrost at room temperature and then frost before serving. It's possible to freeze the cake once it's been frosted, although the frosting might change slightly in texture as it freezes and thaws.

Nutrition