Homemade Lemon Cake Recipe

I’m sharing my Moist Homemade Cake recipe: a lemon velvet sheet cake layered with lemon curd and finished with cream cheese frosting, tailor-made for brunch and tea parties.

I never set out to perfect a lemon cake but this one kept me awake thinking about cake flour and the way cream cheese can make frosting almost sinful. It’s not just another slice, it’s the kind of Moist Homemade Cake that makes people ask where you bought it.

i wrote it down because everybody wants to know How To Bake Lemon Cake that actually tastes like sunshine, and this version does, with a velvet crumb and a lemon curd layer that surprises you. Bring it to brunch or hide it from guests, you’ll be proud and maybe a little smug.

Ingredients

• Cake flour: low protein, makes a tender crumb.

  Mostly carbs, little fiber.

• Granulated sugar: sweetener that adds sweetness and browning, all carbs, no fiber.
• Butter: adds richness, moisture and flavor; mostly saturated fat and calories.
• Eggs: give structure, protein and lift, they also add moisture and color.
• Buttermilk: adds tang and tenderness, reacts with leavening, some protein, low fat.
• Lemon juice and zest: bright sour flavor, vitamin C, hardly any calories, really wakes cake.
• Cream cheese: tangy and creamy, some protein and fat, helps balance sugary frosting.
• Powdered sugar: makes frosting sweet and smooth, pure carbs, adds texture not nutrition.

Ingredient Quantities

• For the cake: 2 1/2 cups (312 g) cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temp
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the lemon curd: 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• For the cream cheese frosting: 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Optional: candied lemon slices or fresh berries for garnish

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), grease and line two 8 inch round pans with parchment, set aside.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in a bowl; set the dry mix aside.

3. In a large bowl beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until light and a bit fluffy, add 3 large room temperature eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

4. Combine 1 cup room temperature buttermilk with 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemon zest. Add the dry mix to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry mix, mixing just until combined, dont overmix.

5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smooth tops and bake at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Make the lemon curd while cakes bake: whisk 3/4 cup granulated sugar with 3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks, stir in 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest, cook over medium low heat whisking constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon about 7 to 10 minutes, strain into a bowl, stir in 6 tablespoons unsalted butter until melted, press plastic wrap directly onto surface to stop a skin forming and chill until spreadable.

7. Make the cream cheese frosting: beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter until smooth, gradually beat in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar until you reach spreading consistency, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and a pinch of fine sea salt, taste and adjust lemon or sweetness if you want more zing.

8. Level the cooled cakes if needed, place one layer on your serving plate, spread a thin even layer of chilled lemon curd over it (too much will slide), add a light layer of frosting or more curd if you like a really lemony center, top with second cake layer.

9. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting all over the cake, chill 15 to 20 minutes to set, then finish with a smooth full layer of frosting, use a spatula warmed in hot water and dried to get a clean edge.

10. Garnish with candied lemon slices or fresh berries if you want, chill briefly to set, then serve at room temperature and enjoy.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven set to 350°F, obviously

2. Two 8-inch round cake pans, parchment paper and a pastry brush or nonstick spray

3. Stand mixer or hand mixer (with paddle or whisk attachment)

4. Mixing bowls, at least one large and one medium

5. Measuring cups and spoons, and a kitchen scale if you got one

6. Whisk, rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for scraping/stirring

7. Small heavy-bottomed saucepan and a fine-mesh strainer for the lemon curd

8. Wire cooling rack, serrated knife or cake leveler and an offset spatula or bench scraper for frosting

FAQ

Homemade Lemon Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Cake flour – dont have cake flour? For every 1 cup cake flour use 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsp, then add 2 tbsp cornstarch and sift. Do that for each cup, so for 2 1/2 cups cake flour adjust it the same way. Keeps the crumb light.
• Buttermilk – no buttermilk? Make a quick sub by adding 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk, let sit 5 to 10 minutes. Or use plain yogurt or kefir thinned with a little milk to reach 1 cup.
• Unsalted butter – if you only have salted butter, use the same amount but cut the added salt by about 1/4 tsp per stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter used. For the curd or frosting, chill slightly if using a softer alternative like coconut oil so texture stays right.
• Cream cheese (for the frosting) – swap in mascarpone 1 for 1 for a richer, less tangy frosting, or use a full-fat vegan cream cheese 1 for 1 if you need dairy-free. If using a softer substitute, chill before whipping and add a bit more powdered sugar to firm it up.

Pro Tips

1. Get everything to room temp and go easy with mixing — eggs, butter and buttermilk should be warm so the batter emulsifies quickly and you dont have to beat like crazy. Overmixing with cold ingredients is the fastest way to a dense cake.

2. Be patient with the lemon curd: cook over medium low, whisk constantly, then strain and press plastic on the surface while it cools. It will keep thickening as it chills. If it breaks or looks grainy, take it off heat and whisk in a small piece of butter or a splash of hot water to smooth it out.

3. Stop the filling from sliding: chill the curd until just spreadable, not soupy, and pipe a thin ring of frosting around the edge of the lower cake layer to make a little dam before adding curd. Use a thin, even layer of curd — too much and the whole cake will want to slip.

4. Handle the frosting smart: beat cream cheese and butter until silky but dont overbeat or it gets runny and hard to smooth. Add powdered sugar slowly, chill briefly if it feels too soft, and use a spatula warmed in hot water then dried for the cleanest finish. For neat slices chill the finished cake 20 to 30 minutes before cutting.