Lemon Cake From Scratch

This Lemon Cake From Scratch is perfectly moist, light, and full of lemony flavor! Topped with a thin layer of lemon cream cheese frosting, this is a cake that will thrill your family and friends. I promise!

I’m all about the lemon flavors. For more deliciousness, head to my Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting, my Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, or go try the most delicious Lemon Sugar Cookies ever! If you are all about strawberry lemonade, I’ve got you covered in the cocktail category with my Strawberry Lemonade Vodka Slushies or my Limoncello Moscow Mules!

Best Lemon Cake

Back in the day, my mom used to make a delicious lemon cake NOT from scratch, using a box cake mix and some glaze on top. I tried to replicate that and ohmygosh, making it from scratch is SO much better. I wish she was here to taste this one!

There are many ways to describe this cake:

• Moist – Melt in your mouth deliciousness!
• Light – Has a super light and springy texture, as opposed to the denseness of my Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake.
• Lemon-y – I used 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice in the cake plus a Tablespoon of zest (and more in the icing)!
• Topped with a light icing – I used cream cheese to develop a creamy texture and added fresh lemon juice and topped it with zest! Perfection.

Ingredients Used:

Most of the ingredients are classic pantry baking staples. Just stock up on lemons! You’ll want to buy a few extras in case you get some that don’t produce as much juice as you’d like. Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

For the cake:

• Butter – Use unsalted butter and let it come to room temperature.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar is needed here.
• Eggs – Just two eggs.
• Milk – I used whole milk to create that richness.
• Lemons – You’ll need to freshly squeeze enough lemon to get 1/4 cup. Zest it first though because it’s much easier that way!
• Vanilla – A couple of teaspoons of vanilla. We prefer Watkin’s brand.
• Flour – I used all-purpose flour. Cake flour would also be great.
• Baking Soda + Baking Powder – Needed for leavening the cake.
• Salt – Just 1/2 teaspoon is needed.

For the lemon icing:

• Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for a thicker, fuller consistency.
• Lemon – Again, use freshly squeezed lemon and zest first. You’ll want to sprinkle fresh zest on top (because it’s pretty and adds flavor)!
• Powdered Sugar – This type of sugar is needed for icing.

How to make a Lemon Cake From Scratch

1. Prep lemons. Start by rinsing two lemons in cold water. Dry completely. Then zest two lemons to get one tablespoon for the cake and one for the icing. Follow up by juicing the lemons until you get 5.5 Tablespoons of juice. Set aside.

2. Make icing. Combine the cream cheese, (1 1/2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine. Set it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Make the cake batter. Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together using a hand mixer (or use a standing mixer). Add eggs, milk, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla – and mix again. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Mix and then pour into the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.

4. Pour into pan. Prepare an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan, and smooth it out evenly to all edges. You can use a slightly bigger pan if desired but baking time will shorten.

5. Bake. Bake the cake in a preheated 350-degree oven, until done in the center (approximately 30-33 minutes). Use a toothpick to test for doneness. If it comes out wet in the center, bake a little longer. It’s normal for it to get slightly browned on top! When done, let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes. Then gently remove it (using the parchment paper as handles) to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely.

Tips For Making Lemon Cake

• Use fresh lemon. Always use fresh lemons for this cake. The flavor is SO MUCH better than the bottled stuff you find in grocery stores.
• Zest first. Make sure you remember to zest your lemons BEFORE you squeeze them for juice. I have linked the tools you’ll need below.
• Use listed ingredients. Follow the directions in my recipe for the best cake. If you substitute, your final result may not turn out.
• Bake completely. Make sure you test the cake with a toothpick to be sure it’s done. Under-baking is ok with certain recipes but not this one!
• Adjust icing as necessary. If you’re icing is appearing to be runny, you can add a little bit more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick to spread easily, you can add a few more drops of lemon. Just make sure you adjust as you see fit. Letting the cake cool completely will also ensure that the icing doesn’t run down the sides.

Other Cake Recipes

I don’t make cake as often as I make cookies, but when I do, it’s going to be indulgent. The other thing about cake is that you can take a tiny sliver at a time, and nobody knows that you’ve been snitching. Am I right? 😀

• Apple Pie Banana Bundt Cake – One of my most popular cake recipes on the blog!
• Banana Layer Cake with Caramel Frosting – Simple and delicious.
• Texas Sheet Cake Brownies – A cake and a brownie in one. Highly recommend for chocolate lovers!

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

• Citrus Zester & Cheese Grater
• Citrus Press
• Hand Mixer
• USA 8×8 Pans
• Parchment Baking liners, X-Large