Velvety Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you ask me, lemon cake with cream cheese frosting is one of life’s simple pleasures.

This classic dessert combines the bright, fresh taste of lemons with a smooth, rich frosting that’s just the right amount of sweet. The cake itself is moist and light, with a gentle citrus flavor that comes through in every bite.

It’s topped with a cream cheese frosting that’s whipped until it’s soft and spreadable, creating the perfect balance between tangy and sweet. A sprinkle of lemon zest on top adds a pop of color and an extra burst of flavor.

It’s the kind of cake that works for any occasion, from casual weekend gatherings to special celebrations.

What Kind of Lemons Should I Use?

Regular grocery store lemons (usually Eureka or Lisbon varieties) work perfectly fine for this cake, but if you can find them, Meyer lemons add an extra special touch with their slightly sweeter, less acidic flavor. When picking your lemons, look for ones that feel heavy for their size and have a bright yellow color – these will give you the most juice. Since you’ll need both zest and juice for this recipe, choose lemons with smooth, unblemished skin, and remember to zest them before juicing – it’s much easier that way! If you’re buying lemons ahead of time, they’ll keep on your counter for about a week, or in your fridge for up to two weeks.

Options for Substitutions

This lemon cake recipe can be adapted with several ingredient swaps if needed:

• All-Purpose Flour: You can use cake flour for an even lighter texture – just add 2 extra tablespoons per cup of flour. Self-rising flour works too, but remember to skip the baking powder and salt if you use it.
• Sour Cream: Plain Greek yogurt makes a perfect 1:1 substitute for sour cream. Regular yogurt works too, but strain it first to remove excess liquid.
• Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Mix 1/2 cup regular milk with 1½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Cream Cheese: For the frosting, mascarpone cheese can replace cream cheese – it’ll give a slightly different but equally good flavor. Just make sure it’s room temperature too.
• Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: While fresh is best for this recipe, you can use bottled lemon juice if needed. For zest, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of lemon extract per tablespoon of zest, but reduce the vanilla extract if you do this.
• Yellow Food Coloring: This is completely optional – your cake will still look and taste great without it. You can also use natural alternatives like a pinch of turmeric for color.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making lemon cake is using cold ingredients – room temperature eggs, butter, sour cream, and cream cheese are essential for a smooth, well-combined batter that bakes evenly. Another common error is overmixing the batter once you’ve added the flour, which can lead to a tough, dense cake instead of a light and fluffy texture – mix just until the ingredients are combined. When it comes to the frosting, rushing the process while the cake is still warm can cause the cream cheese frosting to melt and slide off, so make sure your cake layers are completely cool before assembling. For the most intense lemon flavor, don’t skip zesting your lemons before juicing them, and remember to gently press the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the essential oils.

What to Serve With Lemon Cake?

This bright and tangy lemon cake pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of tea or coffee – I especially love it with Earl Grey tea since the bergamot complements the citrus flavors so nicely. For a refreshing summer treat, serve it alongside fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries, which add a nice pop of color and tartness to balance the sweet cream cheese frosting. If you’re serving this at a party or gathering, consider adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side – the cold, creamy texture works really well with the light and fluffy cake. You can also dress up each plate with a small mint sprig and a light dusting of powdered sugar for a simple but pretty presentation.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This lemon cake will stay moist and yummy for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated, so don’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Just make sure to use a container tall enough to not mess up that pretty frosting!

Freeze: Want to make this cake ahead? You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 3 months. The frosted cake also freezes well – just place it in the freezer until firm, then wrap it up tight. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Serve: For the best flavor and texture, let the refrigerated cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. This helps soften the frosting and brings out all those lovely lemon flavors. If you’re serving from frozen, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator first.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	30-35 minutes
Total Time	50-65 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 4000-4500
• Protein: 40-50 g
• Fat: 220-240 g
• Carbohydrates: 500-520 g

Ingredients

For the lemon cake:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3 tbsp freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk

For the lemon cream cheese frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz block-style cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 drops yellow food coloring

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan to ensure your cake releases easily after baking.

Step 2: Sift the Dry Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

This step helps to evenly distribute the leavening agents throughout the flour.

Set the bowl aside.

Step 3: Combine Sugar and Lemon Zest

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3 tbsp freshly grated lemon peel

In another bowl, use your fingers to mix the white sugar with the freshly grated lemon peel.

Rubbing these together releases the oils in the zest, giving your cake a more vibrant lemon flavor.

I always take a moment here to really work the zest in for maximum fragrance.

Step 4: Cream Butter and Sugar, then Add Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• sugar-lemon zest mixture from Step 3
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk

In a standing mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter and the sugar-lemon zest mixture (from Step 3) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.

Reduce mixer speed to low, then add the sour cream, fresh lemon juice, and buttermilk (or whole milk) until combined.

Step 5: Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Bake

• sifted dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• batter mixture from Step 4

Gradually mix the sifted dry ingredients (from Step 2) into the wet mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 27–33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool fully in the pan before frosting.

I always let it cool at least an hour to prevent the frosting from melting.