Best Lemon Cake Recipe
A bright, velvety citrus cake topped with a rich, tangy lemon cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- Cake Batter:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the cake pans with butter and parchment paper to ensure a clean release.
- Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
- Incorporate the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract and fresh lemon zest for maximum aroma.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl to ensure the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients, milk, and lemon juice into the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Transfer the smooth batter into the pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prepare the frosting by whipping together softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla until airy.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before spreading a generous amount of frosting between the layers and over the top.
Notes
Temperature Matters: Ensure the cream cheese and butter are fully softened to avoid lumps in the frosting.
• Zesting Tip: Always zest the lemons before juicing them to make the process easier.
• Storage: Keep the cake refrigerated due to the cream cheese content, but serve at room temperature for the best texture.
• Substitutions: If using salted butter, omit the additional salt listed in the batter ingredients
• Zesting Tip: Always zest the lemons before juicing them to make the process easier.
• Storage: Keep the cake refrigerated due to the cream cheese content, but serve at room temperature for the best texture.
• Substitutions: If using salted butter, omit the additional salt listed in the batter ingredients