Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake
The Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe ever! This simple southern lemon layer cake is soft and moist with a tangy-sweet frosting.
The Best Lemon Cake Recipe
Ok guys, so here’s my disclaimer… When I share a classic recipe like this, I see no point in adding another recipe to the chasm of the online world, unless I can state with some authority that it is the best I’ve ever made and tasted.
Therefore I’m very excited to share this lemon layer cake with you today.
It’s moist, pillowy, and ultra tangy, just as a perfect lemon cake should be.
Southern Lemon Cake
When I first moved to the south, I did not realize there is a difference between a southern cake… And all other cakes.
In fact, I might go as far as to say I never truly had a mind-blowing cake until I moved to North Carolina.
For those of you living anywhere else in the country (or world) a southern cake has nothing to do with the style or flavor of the cake. Instead, it has everything to do with the overall texture, moistness, and sweetness.
Good Southern Cakes Are:
- Delicate in texture. The kind you have to be careful about flipping out of the pan, so they don’t fall apart.
- Ultra moist. There is nothing “bready” about a southern cake. If you press down on a piece with your fingers, you can almost squeeze out the butter or oil.
- Very sweet. Although I tend to like desserts to be not-too-sweet, I make an exception when it comes to cake. The best cakes I’ve ever eaten have been powerfully sweet.
So What Makes This The Best Lemon Layer Cake?
I have eaten more than my fair share of cakes in my lifetime, and this one checks off all the boxes, plus some!
- It is super soft and light with a fine delicate crumb.
- It is very moist and tender, due to the addition of buttermilk. Plus, the moisture in the frosting protects the cake layers from drying out.
- It is in fact sugary-sweet. However, the lemon flavor balances the sweetness, so it doesn’t come off too overpowering.
Speaking of the lemon flavor, it is derived from three places… Lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Therefore it offers both a bright fresh lemon flavor and a deeper underlying lemon essence.
How To Make The Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps in this lemon cake recipe.
You can totally do this!
In fact, in the recipe below I actually added steps, just to make sure you didn’t misunderstand an instruction and make a mistake.
The Key Factors In Making This The Best Lemon Cake You’ve Ever Tasted Are:
- Prep your pans. Make sure to grease your pans and add a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. This will guarantee the cakes come out in one piece.
- Cream the butter and sugar long enough. This is a step rookie bakers often skip. When you beat softened butter and sugar together on high speed, it fluffs the butter for a light airy cake texture and breaks down the sugar crystals. To do this properly, it usually takes a full 3-5 minutes. If you skip this step, your cake will be dense, instead of pillowy.
- Measure properly. Think of cooking as art, and baking as science. If you are heavy-handed with your measuring, or don’t add enough of an ingredient, the chemical reaction in your oven will be different than mine. Be exact. And don’t forget to sift, or at least stir, your flour before measuring.
- Scrape the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixing bowl in between steps, so all the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
- Don’t overbeat the batter. It’s easy to turn on the mixer, then go about doing other things, forgetting about the batter. However, cake batter can be overmixed! This leads to a tough texture or even a cake that sinks in the middle. Mix the batter until smooth, and no longer. Once all the ingredients are incorporated… TURN THE MIXER OFF.
- Don’t disturb the baking cake. Leave it alone guys! Don’t open the oven door fifteen times while it’s baking. I would even suggest you walk lightly through your kitchen while the cake is baking. It needs consistent heat, and no movement to rise properly. Opening the oven door and banging around the kitchen can cause your cake to collapse in the center before it’s fully baked. If you can be patient you will be thrilled with the results.
- Cool completely. Don’t rush the cake frosting. Make sure to give your cake ample time to cool. Even a little warmth will make the frosting slump down the sides as you try to smooth it.
Get the Full (Printable) Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe Below!
I’ve also included pro frosting tips to make this the easiest and most beautiful cake you’ve ever baked!
Learn How To Make Buttermilk Here.
If you are new to baking, check out our 100 Best Baking Tips Tutorial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How well does this cake keep?
You can let it sit out 3 days at room temperature, or it will last 7-10 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to wrap it well.
Can I freeze this cake?
Wrap the cake well with a layer of plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 6 months. Then thaw at room temperature.
To preserve the best possible appearance on the outside, you can “flash freeze” the cake, unwrapped, for about an hour so the frosting hardens. Then wrap well and freeze.
What if I want to make these into cupcakes
For cupcakes, I would increase the heat to 375 (for a higher dome) and bake for about 15-18 minutes. This recipe would make about 18-24 cupcakes.
Can I make this in a 9×13 pan?
Yes, you can! Bake it at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Can I add in poppy seeds?
You sure could! I would start by adding 1 tablespoon of poppyseed to the batter and then add more as needed.
My cake came out spongy and rubbery? Any idea what I may have done wrong?
It sounds like you might have overmixed the cake batter. It’s important to stop mixing the batter once the ingredients are fully combined.
More Classic Southern Desserts:
- Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake
- Perfect Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
- Hummingbird Cupcakes
- Chocolate Mint Texas Sheet Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe
- Fluffy Divinity Candy Recipe
- Scottish Shortbread (Easy Shortbread Cookie Recipe)
- The Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe
- Linzer Cookies (Cut Out Cookies Recipe)
Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake –
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour, sifted (or 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour + ¼ cup cornstarch)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Zest of 1 lemon (save juice for frosting)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3-5 drops yellow food coloring *optional
- 1 ¼ cup whole-fat buttermilk
For the Frosting –
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 5-7 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Cut out 9-inch parchment paper circles, and press down in the bottom of each pan. (Trace the pan for perfect circles.)
- For the Cake: In the bowl on an electric stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (Cream: Beat on high approximately 3-5 minutes to break down the sugar crystals.)
- In a separate bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Once the butter and sugar are well creamed. Scrape the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and beat in the eggs, oil, lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and yellow food coloring.
- Scrape the bowl again. Turn the mixer back on low and alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk until both are well combined. Once the batter is smooth, turn the mixer off immediately.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack, undisturbed for 30 minutes.
- If the center of the cakes are puffed up, check the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, take them out of the oven. If the toothpick has batter on it, bake another 5-10 minutes and recheck.
- Allow the cakes to cool 10 minutes in the pans. Then carefully flip them out on a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely.
- For the Frosting: Once the cakes are room temperature, place the butter in a clean stand mixer bowl. Beat until fluffy. Then scrape the bowl and turn on low. Mix in the buttermilk and lemon juice. Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating to incorporate.
- After adding 5 cups of powdered sugar, turn the mixer up to beat out any clumps. Check the consistency of the frosting. If it is too loose, add another 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- To Assemble:Move one cake to a cake stand or platter. Scoop about 2 cups frosting onto the cake. Use a large flat spatula to spread the frosting out evenly.
- Set the second cake on top of the frosting, being careful to center the cake. Gently press the cake a little to level the top. Then scoop all remaining frosting on top of the cake. Use the spatula to work the frosting over the top and down the sides.
- Turn the cake stand to smooth out the sides with the flat edge of the spatula. Once you are satisfied with the sides, use the spatula to make swooping marks on the top of the cake. Use a wet paper towel to clean up the cake stand.
- Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. When ready to serve, make sure the cake is at room temperature… All classic layer cakes taste best at room temperature!
Video
Notes
- Spread a thin “crumb coat” layer of frosting over the cake to catch and seal in the crumbs. Then spread on the final “pretty” layer of frosting on top.
- Or you can wrap the cakes in separate pieces of plastic and freeze them. Then a few hours later, you can unwrap, level, and frost the cake with a lot of added stability. Just be sure to do this at least 6 hours before serving so the cake layers have time to thaw.
Nutrition
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This was my first cake from scratch. I was really stressed about my stove heat and the batter. But I will say it must be a bit forgiving because the whole thing came out amazing and delicious. Everyone LOVED it. I had to use Bulgarian buttermilk, lemon oil instead of extract, and added a few more drops of yellow food coloring and added a couple to the frosting. IT WAS SO SO GOOD! Thank you.
Have not made this yet, but I will be soon. Not as a layer cake but can imagine what it wiykd be as a strawberry chortcake-minus frosting. Has anyone tried that yet? I will come back after I’ experimented.
Love your recuoes and site.
This very delicious recipe. i’m gonna try today.
I’m not a fan of lemon extract. What can I use to replace it but maintain a strong lemon flavor?
Hi Mary!
Try adding the zest of two lemons. That should give it a bright lemon flavor. :)
The cake is good, however not very lemony. I added 5 oz of cream cheese to the icing, extra lemon extract and lemon juice. That made the icing wonderful! Overall, very nice cake and not too sweet. Thank you!
I made this yesterday, for the first time. Absolutely delicious, with well-balanced flavours and a tender crumb. I followed the cake recipe exactly. For the icing, I substituted 2/3 of the butter with low-fat cream cheese, and it was great. (We’re not fans of buttercream.)
Ok Summer, I made the Homemade Lemon Cake for my other daughter birthday that is in September also. This cake was toooo good!!! Everyone loved it. Again I followed your recipe to the letter. And now I think I’m a baker 😂. Thank you for these recipes. I will try another on and let you know the results.
I made this cake for my Dad’s 85th Birthday, which I could not attend at the last minute because of illness. Afterwards I received messages from relatives telling me how much they enjoyed the cake! Thank you for a great recipe…it takes cake baking to the next level!
I had a request for a lemon layer cake and I looked at several recipes and decided to try this one, instead of 2 9 inch pans I used three 8 inch pans–cake was moist and rose high i added an extra zest of lemon to give it more lemon taste
I Made This Cake, And Everyone Loved It, I Didn’t Have Buttermilk On Hand, So I Used A Substitute, But It Still Turned Out Great, The Cake Was Gone The Day I Made It
What are the cup and tablespoon equivalent in grams uk measurements please
Hi Patricia,
We have a metric measurement option in the recipe form at the bottom of each post. It automatically converts the ingredient measurements for us… I’ve heard from a few readers that it is pretty accurate. Hope this helps!
This cake looks so elegant and delicious. I bet that icing is the best ever.
Great : This cake tasted delicious, I added a few drops of Lorann oil. Thanks
This formula is peeerrrfectt! Made it more occasions up until this point. I love the character and surface. Besides, the frosting sets wonderful with the cake.
This cake was incredible!!! The buttermilk kept the texture so moist and the lemon popped!
LOVE this recipe. There wasn’t a single leftover piece at my father’s birthday, which my family noted rarely (if ever!) happens to a birthday cake. I can’t wait to make it again!
One user error: the icing was super thin and runny. I came to the comment section trying to figure out what I did wrong, but no one else seemed to have the same problem. It tasted *amazing* but looked a little… off.
I am first time baker , I made this for new year 2022! Instructions were easy to follow and precise. The cake turned out very well , the flavors and moist was just right..
I made few changes , replaced vanilla extract instead of lemon extract , used only 4 cups of sugar for fostering , butter milk substitute – equal quantity of milk and few lemon drops.
Like it!! Made for Mother’s Day for my garden man’s wife. Thank you so much. This is my very first lemon cake.
Hi!
Will adding a little more lemon extract make the lemon flavor taste too artificial? The first time I made this cake it was delicious but almost needed slightly more lemon flavor.
Thank you!!
Hi Rachel,
You can certainly add more extract if you like. It’s hard to say exactly how much will push the flavor of the line, but I would start with adding another 1/2 teaspoon.
This formula is peeerrrfectt! Made it more occasions up until this point. I love the character and surface. Besides, the frosting sets wonderful with the cake.
I really want to try this recipe, however I don’t see measurements in weight/grams which is the best/accurate way to make a cake. It’s looks like it would be very moist, I really wish you had the updated measuring system option.
Hi Terri!
Our recipe form has a button you can press to convert the recipes to metric measurements. :)
Great!! Thanks for sharing….
This recipe is peeerrrfectt! Made it more times so far. I love the flavor and texture. Furthermore, the frosting pairs lovely with the cake.
I do add an extra teaspoon of lemon extract (because that’s my business and I’m addicted to lemon flavor).
If anyone is having troubles I suggested you just re attempt it.
I love lemon cake!!! I have for years tried to find a recipe that I loved. Well, this one hit the nail on the head. Thank you so much.
My husband does wholistic (the whole body) health. So I made a few changes:
1. I used all organic ingredients.
2. I used a glass pyrex dish, lined it with parchment paper and baked for 45-50 minutes
3. Instead of lemon zest, I used an extra 1/2 tsp of lemon extract
4. I used raw sugar
5. I used salted butter
Thank you so much for my base. I am so excited.
sound is very good!!!!!! thanks for sharing
Great : This cake tasted delicious, I added a few drops of Lorann oil. Thanks
This cake tasted delicious, I added a few drops of Lorann oil. Thanks
Delicious! I added a layer of blueberry sauce filling in between the two layers instead of the frosting and it was amazing.
Hello,
This cake looks great and I’m encouraged by the rave reviews. I’m hoping to use it for cupcakes this weekend, but the party is 4th of July themed and I’d like to make the batter itself red white and blue. I know I could use a plain vanilla or yellow butter cake more readily, but those can be so boring. Will the extra stirring needed to dye the batter impact the texture too much?
This is Super delicious recipe. I have tried in my cooking channel stevi’s Kitchen but I made a plain lemon cake and I didn’t add buttermilk because it will get much sour taste. I have made little changes to the recipe because of the unavailability. It came out really Delicious.
Absolutely delicious! I made slight change added somethings differently Absolutely amazing
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Can sour milk be substituted for the buttermilk called for in this lemon buttermilk cake?
Hi Judy,
Yes, absolutley! Happy baking. :)
Made this cake with your directions. Turned out beautifully. Just enough lemon taste for me. Really good. Made for Mother’s Day for my garden man’s wife. Thank you so much. This is my very first lemon cake.
This cake looks so fabulous I am going to attempt to make it grain free! Wish me luck😆
Everyone at my house really loved this cake!! Thanks for the recipe!
This really is the best cake with the most perfect texture! My family love lemon!
I love a good cake, and I could eat cake with or without icing, and this cake is amazing, even without the icing! The fluffy texture inside is to die for, and it tastes great at room temperature. I must have not made the icing properly, but the flavoring of the icing was great!!
3 people have asked me for this recipe, which is a easy way to know that it is yummy. This will be the last time I have to try a new lemon cake recipe!
Hi there – can you use a Bundt pan for this? I don’t have two small pans. If so, how might you suggest cooking temp/time?
Hi Ainsley,
This is a pretty delicate cake, I’m not sure it could handle the extra weight in a bundt pan. Here are a couple of other recipes that would work in a bundt pan: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/blueberry-lemon-pound-cake/ https://www.aspicyperspective.com/farmstand-fresh/
This recipe is peeerrrfectt! Made it 4 times so far. I love the flavor and texture. Furthermore, the frosting pairs lovely with the cake. I do add an extra teaspoon of lemon extract (because that’s my business and I’m addicted to lemon flavor). If anyone is having troubles I suggested you just re attempt it.
This cake turned out horrible! it was hard, and it has no flavour! maybe you recipes will be better in the future (i hope).
Obviously user error.
So delicious!
I’ve been baking a long time and know my way around scratch cakes so I was excited to try this. As I know the science of baking, I followed the recipe to the T. I was actually shocked at my cake results. I noticed when removing the pans from the oven how heavy they were, and indeed the cake was very heavy, very dense, and dry. I thought this was strange since my batter looked a little too thin but I was trusting the process. I went ahead with the frosting, which was very good! I keep going over the steps in my head and of course can’t definitively say I didn’t make a mistake somewhere but I can’t figure out where that would’ve been. Anyway I’m torn between trying again or never using this recipe again lol. I’m happy to see many positive reviews though so I won’t toss it quite yet as I have some fresh lemons and lots of time this weekend :)
Hello! Made this cake for my husband’s birthday this weekend and it was very good. My daughter in law who is not a lover of lemons thought it was delicious, the perfect balance of lemon and sweetness. I did reduce the sugar to 1 and 1/2 cups and added the oil to the mixing bowl when creaming the sugar and butter before adding the eggs. Most recipes I’ve worked with usually mix the fats first together and then the sugar is added. I have found that this helps to emulsify the mixture and produces a smoother consistency. I actually didn’t have two 9 inch round pans so I used two 9 inch square pans and baked for 25 to 30 minutes. Turned out beautifully! Thank you!
Tried this and love it! Question, can I add poppy seed to it? If yes, how much would you recommend?
Thank you.
Hi Elaine,
You sure could! I would start by adding 1 tablespoon of poppyseed to the batter and see if you feel it is enough. Happy Baking!
hi…i was wondering if i could make 3 layers of this with 8×3 inch pans…would it be enough to make layers as thick as in the photos? please help me out…
Hi Eve,
Yes, you can! Just check the cake after baking 22 minutes, then bake for another 5 minutes if needed.
It says in the instructions a 9” pan. Is this a 9×2” round pan or 9×3” round pan. I’d like to make this in 9×3” pans for more height. Trying to figure out if there will be enough batter.
Hi Lauren,
In this recipe, the height of the pan does not matter. If you split the batter between two pans they can be either 2 inches or 3 inches tall. Happy Baking!
As my grandson tells me
“Nana this was DEWISHUS!”
Love love this recipe!
Didn’t change a thing!
Hi,
This is really a recipe for best lemon cake. I made it and it was loved by all. Few substitutes i made were first i used all wheat flour instead of all purpose so i used a little bit of lesser amount. Second, instead of eggs i used ripe bananas. It turned out to be a big hit..thanx for the recipe
This is actually one of the best cakes I’ve ever made- its delicious! Everything is perfect. Mind you, I’m no baker, just a random 13 year old, but turned out amazing anyway. The author was n o t lying about the magic of Southern cakes- yummm
The first time I baked lemon cake using this recipe was for my son’s first birthday. Everybody loves it! Now, I am baking it again for my friend’s birthday.
I love the smell and the texture of this cake everything is just perfect. My husband love the crispiness on the outside, and the moistness and fluffiness inside.
Thank you for sharing your Recipe!
I made this delicious cake on Thanksgiving and my family loves it. We had a small gathering and they devoured the cake, I had none left over. Definitely a keeper. I have made dozens of lemon cakes, it’s something about the buttermilk and ratio of lemon to sugar in this recipe that does it good justice.
would this work with a lemon cream cheese frosting? And maybe a few small wild blueberries in the batter?
Hi Klj,
Yes, to the lemon cream cheese frosting! As for adding blueberries to the batter, it is a very delicate batter and if you mix them into the batter, the blueberries will end up at the bottom. I suggest flouring the blueberries and sprinkling them on top of the batter. That way, some will sink in more than others. Let me know how it turns out! :)
Amazing cake. Very easy to make, great flavour and good texture. Definitely make again
How many tablespoons of lemon zest?
Hi Eileen,
A standard-sized lemon will produce about 1 tablespoon of zest.
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This cake was so good but I had to add a lot more lemon- in the batter and frosting. Awesome thing about lemon cake, you can taste as you go so keep an extra lemon on hand and/or extract.
Did any of you have the cake turn out a little dry?
If I used 8 inch by 3 inch (in height) round pans would it be best to use two or three pans?
Hi Jody,
I’d go with 3 pans. Check the cakes at the 30-minute mark, then if needed, bake another 5-10 minutes.
I had a strawberry cake disaster the day of my friend’s birthday and this recipe saved me! I didn’t have lemon extract, so I doubled up on zest and it was perfect. Used the leftover strawberry cream cheese frosting from the disaster cake and it was so tasty with the lemon. Will definitely try it again with the original frosting. Thank you!
Literally just made this recipe (cut in half and made into cupcakes) and it’s absolutely, beautifully smooth and light. My only tweak was a half a teaspoon of cream of tartar, and i used my guns instead of an electric beater. Amazing recipe with sublime texture!
This is the best recipe for lemon cake EVER!! I have baked it for several friends’ weddings and they have all loved it. The only thing I change is I mix in the juice of lemon into the cake batter (gives it a little more lemon pop!) and instead of the traditional buttercream, I make vanilla Italian meringue buttercream.
Were you able to make tiered cakes using this recipe?
If I wanted to use 4 inch pans, roughly how long would it need to bake?
Hi Bonnie!
Start with 15 minutes. If the tops are not puffed, add another 5 minutes.
Can I use low-fat buttermilk instead? My local stores do not have full fat.
Hi Liz,
Yes, you can. Happy Baking!
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes? My husband is turning 50 on Sunday and he loves 🍋 lemon cakes.
Hi Suzanne,
Absolutely! Bake them for approximately 15-18 minutes.
Try to put your oven temperature at 345 instead of 350 if you are using dark coated pan. I set my temperature at the 350 recommended when I use glass or aluminium pan and it always come out fine.
Can I make a rosette cake out of this frosting? Will the frosting be to delicate to hold the rose shape? Love the recipe
Hi Alex,
You might need a little bit more powdered sugar to make the frosting stiff enough, but yes! :)
I made it. It tasted very nice after I made it but then I put it in the fridge and the next day it was no longer moist and soft. It became very hard. Was I supposed to store it at room temperature?
Hi Kevina,
Cakes do harden when you put them in the refrigerator. However, if you wrap them well, and then let them come to room temperature before serving, they will soften again. You cal also leave this cake out at room temperature for 3-4 days.
I made this cake 1 time and it was AMAZING. Since then, I’ve tried it 3 more times and each time, the center falls. I am following the recipe perfectly except for the food coloring and extract. I bought new baking soda and powder. The pans are the correct size and I have tested the temperature of my oven with a hanging thermometer. What is happening? This is so frustrating. I am not new to baking…I’ve been at it for at least 20 years. I have never been so puzzled.
Hi Kristen,
Wow, that’s so weird! Since you’ve addressed all the most common issues, I would suggest considering the weather when you are baking the cake. Soft delicate cakes HATE being baked in high humidity. (And so many of us love to bake on rainy days!) The only other thing that might be an issue is if you are letting the batter sit/rest too long before baking. Once it is mixed, it needs to go right in the oven. Could either of these things have come into play?
Note to new Baker’s like me, make sure you have the right sized cake pans it your cake will book over! Thought I was being so careful by pre measuring making sure I had all the right ingredients, eggs and milk at room temp and see salt. Well it did no good without first checking to see what size my plans were. Flopped this time. I but I’m better prepared for the next time I try this!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday. I did not have cake flour or corn starch so I used all All Purpose flour. I used extra lemon zest and added a few tsp of lemon juice. Also, I did not have buttermilk so I made my own. This cake was Ah-mazing! I used a lemon cream cheese icing (not what’s here on this page) and made a blueberry filling to go in my middle layer. This is the BEST cake I’ve ever made!! If you’re looking for a good lemon cake. You’ve found it!!
Hi there!
How can I make this into a 10 inch 2 layer cake?
Hi Jessica,
You’ve got a couple of options… You can use the recipe as-is to make two thinner 10-inch layers, and bake for 22-25 minutes. Or you can use our “servings slider” function in the recipe form to move the servings from 20 to 25. That will change the batter proportions to be close to what it would be for 9 inch pans. then bake for 30 minutes.
One last thing- the top of my cakes (when they fall) do not brown at all. Not sure if that helps narrow down what’s happening
Hi Tiffany,
Sorry that is happening to you… Most likely it is altitude related, OR your oven temperature is off. It sounds to me like your oven temperature is straying on the low side. You can check your oven accuracy by hanging an extra oven thermometer in it to see how far off it’s running. Then find a calibration tutorial on youtube for your oven model. It’s pretty easy to adjust.
Here is an article on high altitude baking that may also help you: https://www.wheatmontana.com/content/high-altitude-baking-how-make-your-recipes-work-mountains
I’ve made this cake 4 times now and it is SO delicious! I live in a high altitude area, so I’m not sure if that’s why my cake keeps falling in the middle. I read not to beat it as much, so I’ve tried tweaking that and it’s still falling. What am I doing wrong?
My first cake as an adult and it was divinely perfect. Thank you for this perfect recipe. God bless you I wish I could share a picture. I added flowers for presentation.
What changes are needed to use a bunt cake pan?
Hi Lisa,
This isn’t really a bundt cake recipe, because the cake is so light. However, here is a recipe that offers a fabulous lemon flavor. You can use or omit the strawberries. https://www.aspicyperspective.com/farmstand-fresh/
I like it. Cake rosse perfectly. Icing is justvtoo sweet. Added extra lemon juice to cut it. If you reduce sugar is too loose. Just loving the cake gonna try another type of icing three sticks of butter and 5 cups sugar is just alot. Maybe a whipped icing or cream cheese maybe. Yoi did say very sweet and it is. I do love the texture ans lemon taste of it.
Question! If I were to use two 6” pans for a 4-layer cake birthday cake, would this hold or would it cave in as the cake is light/fluffy? Thanks!
Hi Ashley,
This is a very soft cake, but as long as you are not topping it with heavy garnishes, four layers should hold. Just make sure to add enough powdered sugar, so the frosting is firm, not loose.
The best lemon cake! I made this for my birthday and it came out perfectly, so I decided to make an orange version too, just used orange zest and extract instead, came out great too! As they both turned out so well, I thought I’d then try to make a simple vanilla version, omitting the lemon zest and extract and adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla. For some reason, this one didn’t turn out very well, it didn’t have that lovely melt in the mouth texture and was a little rubbery with a ‘gluey’ streak and slightly sunk when cooled. Followed everything as per the recipe like the other two times so not sure what happened.. perhaps I over-mixed? This was the first time that this has happened to me with a cake, so disheartening! Would appreciate any feedback :)
Hi Melina,
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, it sounds like maybe you let your mixer run a little too long on the vanilla cake batter. Overmixing can definitely change the texture. Omitting zest and extracts would not have changed the texture. However, here’s my favorite vanilla cake recipe if you are interested: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/the-best-homemade-vanilla-cake-recipe/
I made this cake twice. I’ve measured exactly and made sure all my ingredients were room temp, etc. Both times the cake didn’t rise. My baking soda and baking powder are new. I used cake flour and sifted it. Complete mess. When the first one came out bad I thought maybe it was something that was off, so I tried it again. Sorry but not happy
Hi Paula,
Hmmm… I’m so sorry about that! As you can see from the comments, plenty of people have had success with this cake recipe. I’m wondering if your oven needs calibration. Consider adding a hanging oven thermometer to your oven to see how accurate it is. (It is VERY common for ovens to stray 20-30 degrees in either direction.) If the temperature is low, that could account for the issue. You can find youtube tutorials on how to calibrate your oven for most models. Hope this helps!
Hi there,
I am so excited to make this cake today! I do not have lemon extract, though. I do have limoncello. Can I substitute the limoncello for the extract?
Thank you!
Hi Melissa,
Sure! The lemon flavor will be slightly more mellow, but still delish!
Amazing cake. Great texture great flavor. If your a real lemon lover you could add a little more to the cake but it is wonderful!
I just made this cake for my son’s birthday today and it was delicious! Rave reviews from all our guests! Super moist, light, and the lemon flavor is just perfect, not to overwhelming. I can’t thank you enough for your easy to follow recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
The cake turned out to be absolutely heavenly! So soft, moist and delicious. I substituted buttermilk for plain greek yoghurt. Not a difference.
OMG YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS RECIPE
I’m 15, and made this for my sister’s birthday, and it turned out to be one of the best cakes I ever made. Honestly the flavor, texture, and balance that this cake has is like no other. The texture is super moist, and didn’t turn out dense like other cake recipes I’ve tried. If you like lemon cake, you DEFINITELY have to try this recipe! Huge thanks to Sommer Collier, you made my sisters birthday so special❤️❤️❤️
Unfortunately, I didn’t have lemon extract or lemon zest. But I did have lemon juice. I made this cake on a whim, adding 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the batter. Turned out great. Had a hint on lemon in the cake itself and more so in the frosting. The texture is superb and everyone loved it. Was hoping to upload a photo bc it was beautiful, too. I will be making this cake in different flavor variations in the future, too. Thank you for this recipe.
My sister loves a tangy, lemon cake and I really want to make this recipe for her birthday tomorrow. The catch is that she is gluten-free. I usually just use 1-to-1 gf flour and everything turns out fine, but I’ve never subbed gf flour for cake flour. So you think it will make a large difference if I just use 2 3/4 cups of gf flour instead of the cake flour? Thanks in advance!
Hi Layla,
It depends on the brand of gf flour you use, and the ingredients in it. Some work better than others. Here is a gf recipe I’ve tried that always comes out well. You can use at as a base to combine with our recipe. ;)
A great cake. I used squeezed lemon juice in stead of lemon extract and it worked great. I didn’t have a mixer but managed to mix the sugar and butter just fine with a wooden spoon, it took 10 minutes, though. I changed the frosting to a cream cheese and butter frosting and put a layer of raspberry jam in the middle. Perfect for my eight year old’s birthday party.
This is a great cake, I’ve already made it several times. Now I’m making it for a wedding cake. I’ll be using 3″ pans, an 8″, 12″ and 16″. The pans say to fill halfway, I have also got cake heating cores to use. Can you help with the amount of batter? The charts say 24 wedding servings for the 8″, 56 for the 12″ and 100 for the 16″. What do you think?
Hi Mary! How did your wedding cake turn out? I’m wanting to use this recipe for a three layer 9 inch wedding cake.
It really is the best lemon cake. Light, sweet & tangy. I’ll make another for a family outing this summer.
This cake is awesome!! If you can even find a lemon cake in the store, it usually has too much food color and you can taste the preservatives. I will never look for a lemon cake in the store again. Thanks for making me a hero to my family and finding out that one side of my grater is a zester 😳
This is the yummiest lemon cake. I made it foe mt husband and while banana cake is his favourite, this one is now his favourite cake. He keeps asking, when will you make the lemon cake? I will frost it next time with some raspberry frosting 🤤🤤thank you!
This is Super delicious recipe. I have tried in my cooking channel stevi’s Kitchen but I made a plain lemon cake and I didn’t add buttermilk because it will get much sour taste. I have made little changes to the recipe because of the unavailability. It came out really Delicious.
Thank you Soo much for this Delicious Recipe 👍
Are all the eggs actually added all at once?
Hi Cheryl,
Yes, they can be added at the same time. Happy Baking! :)
Made it twice. Mine didn’t come out super lemony even so I doubled zest and extract.
Also, I creamed the butter separately from the sugar on the second try. It worked better than creaming the butter and sugar together.
HOW CAN I ADJUST THE RECIPE TO MAKE 2 – 10″ LAYERS FOR A WEDDING CAKE?
Hi Donna,
If you adjust the “serving slider” in the recipe for 25 servings (instead of 20) the ingredients should make enough batter for two 10″ cake pans. Then bake as directed. :)
I was craving a lemon cake so I went on line to get a recipe! OMG! This cake is amazing! It’s the best lemon cake ever! It’s absolutely delicious!
So moist too!
What an amazing cake! It’s soft and crumbly! A beautiful texture and flavour. I used castor sugar but reduced the sugar by half.
If you make a soft and rich cake the I think you r professional and you help me lot about cake.
Thanks
I made this cake with gluten free flour, and it turned out amazing. I used the ratio of cornstarch to flour in the recipe, but gf flour tends to be dry. I added a tsp of lemon juice and an additional TBS of buttermilk into the cake mixture at the end of the mixing process. It turned out light, lemony, and moist.
I baked this cake it’s simply wow… It’s so soft and rich. I did reduce on the sugar I don’t like my cakes sweet but 👏👏👏
Yummy. I can’t control myself to have a slice of this incredible cake!! hahahaha… going to try it out!
Most amazing lemon cake made ever! I made a cream cheese frosting instead and it worked well. I flavoured it with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to taste. It was super yummy and will be making it again tomorrow!
This cake is literally heaven in your oven. It’s soooooo soft and it rises very well. It’s so good that I was shaving off pieces before it was ready to eat. All you have to do is follow the steps and it will turn out perfect. I didn’t have any lemon extract so I just put in extra lemon zest. But this cake is definitely the best I have ever made!
I made this in a 13 x 9 pan & baked for 35 min & it turned out great! It was spongey, flavorful, and moist. I didn’t make the frosting bc I had limited ingredients but it was so tasty I’m not sure it needed it.
Can I make this recipe using all purpose flour?
Hi Lori,
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour, plus a little cornstarch, to mimic cake flour. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe. Happy Baking!
I made this for Mother’s Day. This is bright and flavorful cake, not too sweet and deliciously moist. I loved that the cake was perfectly level right out of the oven, which made it much simpler to frost. I made a blackberry sorbet to serve with it which complimented the freshness of the lemon. I will definitely make this one again. Every one loved it!
Does this recipe succeed if you only have an electric hand mixer?
Hi Maureen,
Yes, you can use a hand mixer. Just be sure to cream the butter and sugar thoroughly before moving on.
I made this cake for Mother’s Day. It is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made!! The recipe is going into my permanent recipe book. The cake was moist. Initially, I thought the icing was too thick, but it spread nicely with good coverage. I thinned just a small amount down to use as a crumb icing for the sides. I did have to bake it for about 10” longer than what the recipe stated. I will check the temperatures my oven, but location may make a difference too. I’m right at sea level. Thank you for this great recipe!!!
I really like this cake. It is very moist and very delicious. I made it for my mom for Mother’s Day and she loved it. Is there a way to make the frosting not quite as sweet? But other than that it is VERY good. I will definitely make this again. I would totally recommend it to anyone.
when I make cakes with American Buttercream I add a pinch of salt which takes down the sweetness! (:
This recipe looks amazing. Any hints for adjusting the recipe for high altitude?
Hi Celeste,
Here is a great resource for adjusting recipes for high altitude baking. Hope this helps!
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
The cake of this recipe was excellent – moist and flavorful. The frosting I found much too buttery, not the way you would want frosting to taste. I’ll find an alternative frosting recipe next time….and there will be a next time for making this cake!
Very good cake, however the buttercream is quite tart. It helps of you add a splash of vanilla.
Really delicious and fluffy cake for a layer cake!
Very good! Wow! For sure will bake this again ♥️
Exactly what I wanted in a lemon cake. The cake is a perfect texture and the sweet tangy amazingly fluffy icing compliments it perfectly. Definitely keeping this recipe.
Can i make the buter milk for this recipe and if so, whats the ratio for lemon juice to milk?
Lol I had terrible luck with this recipe. This for sure doesn’t cook for 30 mins, I used 3 6in rounds and they needed way more time. Overall flavor was not bad, I would maybe add a bit more lemon flavor next time.
Hi Dasha,
If you need more than 30 minutes to bake this cake, I would suggest purchasing a hanging oven thermometer to test the accuracy of your oven. There’s a good chance it’s running 25+ degrees below the actual temperature. (This is a VERY common issue.) Once you know how far off your thermostat is reading, you can most likely pull up a youtube video that shows how to calibrate your oven model. Hope this helps!
This recipe looks awesome! I’m wondering if you think self raising flour would work? I’m in Australia & maybe cake flour exists here but I have never heard of it! I thought SR flour could kill 2 birds with one stone- low protein (like cake flour) & has a raising agent (so I can leave out the baking powder & sofa). I wouldn’t mind cutting down on the sugar too if you think that may work? Thanks so much!
Ahhh, that’s soda, not sofa (thanks autocorrect!)
Hi Melissa,
I haven’t tried this recipe with self-rising flour but it should work. If you give it a try, please report back. :)
Will do! I’ll be making it today & eating it tomorrow so will let you know! 😊
So the cake was a success! I used the self raising flour using the same amount as the total of the flour/sofa/powder you use & I also cut the sugar to 1.5 cups. My tins were 1 inch smaller than you recommended so they took a little longer to cook but the cake was moist & yummy (& huge!) & everyone loved it! Thanks so much :)
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Made it exact but I didn’t have lemon extract so I put a little lemon juice and almond extract and the flavor is divine. So awesome and fun to do during quarantine. Would love to send you a photo… so pretty :)
It baked over my 9″ pans! The batter was very fluffy, related to the humidity? Wish I could saY the cake was delicious:(
This cake was beautifully light, fluffy and and delicious. The buttermilk frosting is also delicious too, AND tolerable. I just don’t like frosting much, but this frosting is pretty good. I think the cake is great on its own as well and doesn’t need the frosting anyway.
I used white whole wheat flour and it turned out great! I think this cake could be quite more lemony, but it was certainly lemony enough to please my friends and family.
The very best cake I have ever baked!!! Thank you for all the information that made my cake yummy. I will check with you when I am looking for a recipe for now on first!
Thank you
The video shows powdered sugar but the recipe calls for granulated. If you use the granulated add 4 T of butter. I used cold. If you use powdered – stick with the 10 T of butter! It turned out delicious!
Hi Kat,
We used granulated sugar in the cake batter and powdered sugar for the frosting. So glad you liked the cake! :)
I made this for Easter today and it may be the finest cake I have ever made. I didn’t have cake flour so did as you suggested with the cornstarch. I also did not have lemon extract but I used Wild Groves lemon infused olive oil instead of veg oil. I did cut the sugar by 1/4 cup as I did not want it too sweet. I made a lemon curd for two of the layers and the lemon butter cream frosting for the rest. Really a perfect cake. Wish I could post a pic.
Question! I am attempting to make this cake but realized I have no corn starch left and no cake flour! Am I able to still make this cake with all purpose flour and no cornstarch? Is there a suitable substitute? Thank you!
Hi Taylor,
Yes, you can don’t have cake flour or cornstarch, use regular all-purpose flour and reduce each cup by 2 tablespoons. Hope this helps! :)
Awesome cake! Well worth the effort.
Making this toast. The recipe says 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted. Everywhere I have read it says that means measure first, sift after. However in your preamble tips you say to sift before measuring. Which is right?
I’m not a great Baker, hope it turns out🤞
My Cake came out spongey and rubbery? Any idea what I may have done wrong? The flavor was on point.
Hi Shamika,
It sounds like you might have overmixed the cake batter. It’s important to stop mixing the batter once the ingredients are fully combined.
I love this cake, however mine tends to fall in the middle. I made mine in 3 8in layers . do you have any idea as to why it would fall? I did not open the oven door the second time
It was excellent. Will be baking this cake on a regular basis.
This was an amazing cake but I only had one problem. I was eating the cake and I got a bit of pure lemon zest. Make sure your lemon zest is totally mixed in!
The batter turned out yummy, and the cake is baking now. But I have to say, the recipe is a little misleading. Mixing in granulated sugar with the butter is a big mess. It did not blend at all, despite putting the setting on high and mixing it for 10 minutes! However, when I saw the video, it looks like they used powdered sugar for the cake, which makes more sense. Please rectify this!
I had the same problem! But I fixed it by warming the butter and sugar up in a hot bath so the butter could melt more and the moisture would break down the sugar crystal. This is a southern cake so I guess it should be made in hot weather! Once things were warmed, the butter and sugar creamed up nicely!
For the butter and suger to compine the butter must be softend or set to room temperature or it wont smooth out well nor combine with the suger well.
This looks delicious! But do you think it would come out ok if I use gluten-free flour?
Hi Erin,
I have not personally made this cake with gluten-free flour. However, I have made other buttermilk cakes with basic 1-to-1 gluten-free baking mix and they come out pretty well. The overall consistency is usually a little more crumbly and delicate, so you have to be careful when stacking and frosting… But they taste great.
Please report back if you give it a try! :)
The cake itself was delicious – rich, dense and flavorful. The frosting however was definitely WAY too much butter and not as flavorful. I will definitely make the cake recipe again but search for a better frosting recipe…and will also try the suggestions of using lemon curd in the middle. I just didn’t have any and couldn’t spare all the eggs during the pandemic.
My family and I absolutely love this recipe!!!
I had issues my butter and sugar never got creamy after 5 minutes of beating. I am no amateur baker either. I had to bake in 12” pans my oven temp is fine, but it sank in the middle. I tried not to over beat I watched your video 3 times. Thoughts?
I made this cake a few weeks ago. Was your butter soft or at room temperature? Usually when it takes a long tine to cream it’s cause the butter was cold.
Hi Kathy,
Sorry that happened… That’s very strange! Was the butter softened? It seems odd that the sugar wouldn’t beat into it.
Oh my God I can’t tell how amazing this lemon cake is, I made half of the batter(10 servings) with lemon buttercream frosting and it came out absolutely gorgeous the flavor or lemon is very good not too much or too little I ate the warm crumbs or the cake when I cut the cake in half they were a bit warm and beautiful. The cake came out pretty clean it even left the sides of the pan (mine was square) I added food coloring to both batter and Frosting. Moist is an understatement because as you said you can squeeze the butter or oil out of the cake and it’s true I tried it my fingers were greasy 😅. This is definitely worth trying.
I have made this cake 3 times now and once for my sister-in-law’s wedding we kept it small so I made the cake. Everyone loved it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe ❤️
I had the same problem. Butter sat on counter all day and definitely room temperature. I have a very powerful stand mixer and started slow to avoid mess but then on high speed for over 5 minutes. I never achieved remotely as fluffy state. When done cooking, the middle of both pans were severely sunken. Should the sugar been added gradually to the butter? Another comment above questioned if it is actually powered sugar (I would think not though)?
Hi
I have been looking for a light lemon cake without icing, do you think if i baked the cake without the icing it would be good? Can I make any changes to the batter to compensate for the lack of icing or add a glaze?
Sure, it tastes amazing on its own! :)
Hi from Colorado! Are there any alterations that you would make to the recipe for baking at altitude?
Hi Julie,
Here’s a resource to help you adjust your baking recipes: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Let me know how it turns out! :)
I am thinking of making this cake for my Book Club, but would like to use lemon curd between the layers. Has anyone tried that? If so, would I still include icing in the middle as well as the curd? Any suggestions most appreciated. The cake looks delicious….
Put a thin coat of icing on top of the layer you want to put the curd on. Then make a small ring of icing around the edge of that layer, using an icing bag with round tip (or a Ziploc with the corner cut out). Spoon the curd inside the ring of icing, spreading it thin (don’t need much). Thinly ice the bottom of the layer that will go on top of this layer. Gently press it onto the ring of icing. All this helps insure your curd doesn’t just soak into the cake, and the ring helps keep it from oozing out between layers.
A nice seedless raspberry jam would also make a nice filling!
I made the cake a couple of weeks ago and it turned out great! The only think I might change is adding a little more lemon flavor to the icing. I want to make this recipe this weekend for my child’s birthday party but I want to do it in cupcakes. Do you have a suggested cook time do that I do not have to open the oven and check?
Hi Melody!
Cupcakes usually take 15-22 minutes in the oven. Check them through the window at 15 minutes. If they still look loose on top, keep the door closed and bake a little longer.
I made this recipe last night and used salted butter and I think it still turned out amazing!
I also made a lemon glaze instead of the lemon frosting…was trying to mimic a glazed lemon-poppyseed muffin. So good!
Good luck if you decide to try the recipe!!
The buttermilk lemon cake is amazing!!! My daughter loves lemon cake. So for her 21st birthday party I made this cake. She loves it! I have never used cake flour before and WOW it makes such a difference. Usually when I find recipes there’s always something I would change and take out, but with this one it’s perfect just as it is. The only thing I might change would be to make it a strawberry cake or some other flavor just for variety, but the basic Recipe is spot on. I will make this again and again and again!!
I made it for my sons 24th birthday. He likes lemon cake with lemon frosting. There was a lil batter left over for 4 cupcakes so we got to preview the cake flavor and frosting before the party. My son said, “It was amazing, it melted in his mouth!” I thought it was light and fluffy with the perfect amount of lemon. I had to bake it in my convection oven for 5 more min. I baked 2 cakes at a time on the same rack. I also used flour with the cornstarch. Thanks for sharing!! I added it to my recipe collection. :)
This cake is fabulous! it definitely needed the 10 extra minutes of baking time. I added some store bought lemon curd between the 2 layers after icing the bottom layer. It has a GREAT texture and the perfect flavor. I will make this again!
Most amazing lemon cake ever! I made this cake for a dear friend’s 40th birthday party with friends. I was a bit concerned as my past experience with layered cakes has not been good. After scouring the internet for the best lemon cake recipes, I landed on this one and was not disappointed. It’s been a week and I am craving more lemon cake so I am making two more cakes today for both family and friends! And, I am not even a baker. What is wrong with me? So fun to find great recipes that both taste and look delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Jen,
That’s awesome. I’m so very glad you liked it and felt successful!! )
The top of the cake is taking on color right in the middle after 20 minutes while the rest of the cake is light yellow. Any idea as to why?
Hi Ellen,
It might be the circulation in your oven. I would loosely tent a piece of foil over the top, where it doesn’t touch the cake, but creates a dome.
Looks great! Is this cake stackable (for tiering)?
I made the lemon buttermilk cake for the first time today. I was being lazy so I made it in a sheet cake pan, instead of layers. Doing it that way makes it take twice as long or longer to cook. However it was still wonderful! The icing is yummy too I made the lemon buttermilk cake for the first time today. I was being lazy so I made it in a sheet cake pan, instead of layers. Doing it that way makes it take twice as long or a little longer to cook. However it was still wonderful! The icing is yummy too! This was my practice run to see if I wanted to make it for my daughter‘s 21st birthday party. She loves lemon cake. This should be a big hit! Thanks for the great recipe!!
I haven’t made this cake yet, but plan on it soon. Could I make the cake layers and freeze them to frost later?
I would like to make this cake in a novelty mold pan- is it too delicate to handle a pan that I won’t be able to line with parchment paper? Thanks for your input!
Hi Jane,
It might be a little bit too delicate for a bundt pan. However, we have this fabulous lemon yogurt strawberry cake that would be perfect. You can skip the strawberries in it if you just want lemon cake. https://www.aspicyperspective.com/farmstand-fresh/
Will this work in a 9 by 13 pan ??
Hi Leslie,
Yes! However, it may need another 5 minutes in the oven. :)
I just baked it in a 9×13 pan and it took 45 minutes.
This isthe most delicious lemon cake I have ever made! Moist, light and full of flavor, I will never try another lemon cake, this is a keeper!
I can only find low-fat or Bulgarian cultured buttermilk. Which would be best for me to use in this recipe?
Hi Kelli!
Go with the Bulgarian cultured buttermilk. :)
This looks amazing! I want to make this for a gathering the family is having next week. Can this be translated over to cupcakes? Would that change the recipe or baking time at all?
Hi!
Not the author of the post, but if you were to make it into cupcakes, it would affect the baking time as the portions are smaller than full cakes, and would take less time to cook through and bake. Other than that, any cake batter can be translated over to cupcakes. It’s just a different mold.
-Hannah
Absolutely fantastic!! i made this for my brothers birthday and everyone LOVED it!!!
made this recipe today it was FABULOUS…the cake came out fluffy and moist…..the trick was to cream butter and sugar for at least 5 mins…..picture to follow
I used the recipe almost as is..only because I like to try different things. I used lemon extract and instead of vanilla I used lemon concentrate. I also added 1 tbsp of dried basil. I put lemon curd between the two layers and then frosted. I loved how fluffy and lush the batter looked..
How about including weights for ingredients? That is the only way I bake. It makes measuring ingredients so so easy and more accurate.
Hi Christine,
We have a metric converter in our recipe form, right above the ingredients. :)
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Made this cake last night! The cake turned out really well, super moist and lemony. I used the juice of one lemon instead of lemon extract and added the zest the recipe called for. Used all purpose flour and corn starch for cake flour. My boyfriend stunned me by finding real whole fat buttermilk at the third grocery store he went to. We’re in NYC. Whole fat buttermilk is certainly a unicorn in the northeast. I wasn’t even able to find it online. I was thrilled. Have to work on the icing a bit more. I added more lemon juice to the icing than the recipe called for after test tasting. It seemed like it needed to be more lemony. I added some zest to the icing as well. Have to work on the consistency of the icing. I may use milk or half and half instead of buttermilk for the icing next time, it really affects the flavor of the icing. Overall, really happy with this recipe!! Wish I could share my photos here.
Hello,
I’m wanting to make this for my son’s birthday party this weekend. I’m just wondering if there’s a specific reason that you use lemon extract instead of lemon juice?
Thanks, Danielle.
Am wondering about the same thing.
Thanks,
Gillian
Hi Danielle,
I use both fresh lemon and lemon extract in the recipe to give it a deeper lemon flavor.
I have been looking for a really good lemon cake recipe to make for a friend’s birthday. Quick question, have you ever added poppy seed in this? If so, do you need to do anything to the recipe in order to account for it?
Hi Jenny,
You can totally add poppy seeds to this cake without any alteration. Star with a tablespoon of seeds, then add more if needed.
Oh my goodness… this cake is so amazing….. my kids are always looking for recipes that they like. Especially desserts. My son suggested a lemon cake. I found this recipe and baked it last night. Today I made the frosting. This cake is so moist, flavorful, and a breeze to make. My children raved over this dessert! I added cream cheese and some vanilla to the frosting. It was a symphony to my taste buds! MUAH thank you!?
I, would love to make this for a baby shower, but, I was wandering, can I use a margarine that has 80% fat content, instead of butter. Thank you
Hi Priscilla,
Yes, you can use margarine in as a 1-to-1 swap! :)
Hi just wanted to know Does using margarine change the cake texture?
Hi Maynaz,
No, it should work just fine. :)
Can this frosting be smoothed with the viva paper towel and smoother trick? Gonna make the cake for a birthday cake tonight and can do a crusting buttercream if it will not.
Hi Debbie,
Yes, it should work as long as you add enough powdered sugar.
I think I am a pretty good baker but this is probably the best cake I have ever baked. A friend mine requested a lemon cake for her birthday and this was a huge hit with everyone. I made a few tweaks: I zested all the lemons and used the zest in the frosting and on top as decoration. I also put a lemon curd layer on both layers destined for the middle. I let it soak in a bit before frosting. Did I mention that I love lemon? I’ll definitely be making this cake again.
Hi can I make this cake in three 8 inch cake pa s and adjust the time?
Hi can I make this cake in three 8 inch cake pans and adjust the time?
Hi Rebecca,
Absolutely! I would reduce the bake time by 5-7 minutes and watch it closely.
Hi can I make cupcakes using the recipe and if so how long should I bake it?
Hi Jolisa,
Cupcakes usually take about 15-22 minutes to bake. :)
I’m returning to bake this cake for a family Fourth of July party. The crumb is moist and delicate. It packs a punch of flavor.
This is the second time I’ve baked it. It was perfect the first and should be again. Simple and delish! Thanks
The lemon butter cake you share is very good. A great dish and suitable for every meal. I really like this dish.
I made this in a pinch for a birthday party in which a lemon cake was requested. Not having any lemons or buttermilk on hand, I replaced the zest with 1/2 T Realemon Juice, and the buttermilk with milk + vinegar. I was not disappointed – huge compliments from all around! The cake was so moist and yummy! Thank you for this recipe – It’s definitely a keeper!!
How is this with a lemon glaze added to warm cake instead of frosting?
wow looking delicious cake here thanks for sharing
I have made various cakes from your website and loved them, however all of my cakes always fall in the middle. Any tips as to what I could be doing wrong?
Hi Shay,
Unfortunately, LOTS of things can cause a cake to fall… Overbeating the batter, opening and closing the oven door, an oven that runs too hot, mismeasuring the flour, stale leavening agents. It’s hard to know exactly what is happening.
I would start by buying a hanging oven thermostat to make sure your oven temperature is accurate. Then replace your baking soda and baking powder.
I can’t find full-fat buttermilk anywhere! Will it make a big difference if I use low-fat buttermilk? Thanks.
Hi Katie,
It will make a little difference. However, you can make full-fat buttermilk by adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to half & half or whole milk and letting it curdle a bit.
How do you turn low fat buttermilk into whole fat buttermilk? I can’t find whole fat buttermilk anywhere. Please respond….I would like to make this for my sister’s birthday in a couple of days.
Thanks!
Hi Sue,
We actually have a tutorial for that! https://www.aspicyperspective.com/how-to-make-buttermilk/
Hi! I’d like to make this in 6-inch rounds. I figured I’d split it evenly between 3 tins and reduce bake time by about 5-7 mins. Thoughts?
Hi Lindsay,
I think it would take at least 15 minutes to bake. Just keep an eye on them! :)
I followed the recipe and it turned out so dry.. what could have I dont wrong?
Hi Jennifer,
So sorry about that! It sounds like you might have baked it too long. If not, your oven thermometer might be off. If would be a good idea to place a hanging thermometer in your oven to check its accuracy… Especially for baking.
This cake is stunning!
As I reviewed the ingredients and tips, I knew this receipe would be a winner. Omg… Moist and so good.
This is the perfect lemon cake! One of my favorite desserts.
Hello from N. Z. My son specificly asked for a lemon cake for his b’day and I can’t wait to make him this one! I would prefer to leave out the lemon extract and add more zest. Would this be a good idea and if so how much more zest/juice would you recommend? I’m also wanting to make it in a square 24′ ×24′ baking pan ( to get a soccor field shape) Would this work?
Thanks heaps for any advice.
My apologies I did mean 9′ × 9′ – haha. 24 inches would have been one humungous cake lol
Hi Tamryn,
Yes, you can use two square 9X9 inch pans or one 9X13. You might need to adjust the baking time just a tad… In one pan it might take a little longer.
As for swapping out the lemon extract, I would use just 1 teaspoon lemon juice to compensate for the liquid, and the zest of 3 lemons.
I would make it as is but without the lemon extract….I did this and the ze
st of one lemon was tasty! Not weak!
I would love a slice of this incredible cake!! YUM!!
best lemon dessert! I’m craving it already!
Adding buttermilk is such a brilliant idea! It’s so moist and delicious!
Hi
I have a quick question …
can you make this cake in a 9 by 13 pan instead of 2 9 inch pans ??? thanks .
Hi Nancy!
Yes, the cake should take between 30-40 minutes to bake. I would then HALF the frosting recipe. :)
This cake is perfectly moist and tastes like spring! So, sooooo good!
Instead of buying more lemon buttermilk Cake from outside, It’s time to make it my own.
This recipe looks just perfect for a kitty Party or brunch.
I attempted this cake, which sounds great, and I love lemon cake. I wasn’t able to get the butter and sugar to cream to light and fluffy. Is the ratio of 2 cups of sugar to 10 tbsp of butter correct? Just became a very grainy, buttery blob. Help!!
It’s ok if the butter and sugar are still a little grainy, because later you are adding in oil for additional fat. Did you finish the cake? If so, how did it turn out?
How long should I bake if making cupcakes!
Hi Christa,
Try 20-22 minutes for cupcakes, baked in standard muffin tins. :)
This is a delicious lemon cake! Love this lemon dessert!!
I love lemon desserts! And this one is really amazing!
Can I add blueberries to this?
Hi Amy,
Absolutely! We also have lemon blueberry bundt cake recipe: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/blueberry-cake/
This is definitely one of the best lemon cakes I’ve ever tried. Will this recipe work in a bundt pan?
This looks so delicious! My husband loves lemon and he’d be thrilled if I made this for him.
This cake was amazing!!! The buttermilk kept the texture so moist and the lemon popped!
I made this for my mother in law’s birthday party. She was SO impressed. Thanks for such a great recipe.
The buttermilk made this cake so delicious! Love it!
I always love a cake that uses buttermilk—always makes for a moist and tender cake! This lemon cake looks perfect!
This cake looks so elegant and delicious. I bet that icing is the best ever.
This looks and sounds delectable! I am going to make it this weekend. I love to eat cake for breakfast. That is okay isn’t it?
Hi Beth,
I’m on board with that. LOL!