Lemon Layer Cake

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This lemon layer cake is bursting with real lemon flavor! Three layers of light, fluffy lemon cake are filled and frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting. You will fall in love with this perfectly vibrant and delicious cake!

The Best Lemon Layer Cake Recipe

I love the bright flavor freshly squeezed lemon juice adds to recipes. Incorporate it into a dessert and I’m completely sold. Between the citrusy flavor and bright color, lemon desserts are just perfect for spring and summer.

I have done a couple of lemon layer cakes over the years but couldn’t resist sharing this new recipe with you. It’s simple, flavorful and totally gorgeous. Both the cake and the frosting are bursting with fresh lemon flavor, while lemon slices add a fragrant and beautiful finishing touch.

Get ready to sink your teeth into three layers of light, fluffy, lemony cake divided by layers of smooth, lemony cream cheese frosting. It’s a dream come true for those of you citrus lovers out there.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Dessert

There’s a lot to love about this cake but allow me to fill you in on some of my favorite things about it.

• Well-balanced. Some lemon desserts can be so lemony that they overwhelm your palate and make your mouth pucker. This lemon layer cake doesn’t have that problem. It strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tart. The tangy lemon flavor sings through the cake and the frosting but isn’t so strong that it overwhelms the dessert.
• Real lemon flavor. The lemon flavor in this cake comes from freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. No store-bought juices and certainly no lemon extract here and gosh can you tell the difference!
• Perfect for summer. There’s something about the flavor of fresh lemon juice that just screams summer to me. This cake is great all year round but I particularly love it during warm summer months filled with sunny, outdoor gatherings.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a look at what you’ll need to whip up this lemon layer cake recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• All-purpose flour – Nothing fancy needed here. Just regular all-purpose flour.
• Leaving – Baking powder and baking soda are both used in this cake for the ideal rise and texture. Be sure yours are fresh.
• Salt – Always needed to amplify the flavor of the cake.
• Unsalted butter – The butter should be at room temperature otherwise it will not cream properly for the cake or combine properly in the frosting. We don’t want lumps.
• Vegetable oil – For additional moisture in the cake.
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is used in the cake layers. This adds sweetness and also moisture to the cake.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor.
• Eggs – They should be large (not medium or extra large) and ideally at room temperature for easier mixing.
• Milk – I suggest using 2% or whole milk here.
• Fresh lemon juice – Don’t use the bottled stuff! Trust me. Taking the extra minute to squeeze fresh lemon juice is well worth it. The flavor is just a hundred times better.
• Fresh lemon zest
• Cream cheese – The cream cheese should be at room temperature. It will produce a much smoother, lump-free frosting.
• Powdered sugar – To add sweetness and volume to the frosting. Cream cheese frosting has a tendency to be softer than buttercream, so it will help thicken the frosting and make it pipe-able as well.

How to Make Lemon Layer Cake

Layer cakes can seem intimidating but this one is pretty straightforward. You’ve got this! Here’s a quick overview of how to make it. Be sure to scroll to the recipe care below for more detailed instructions.

Make the Cake

• Prep. Line the bottoms of 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles. Grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat the butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract together until light in color and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each.

• Put it all together. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter. Mix to combine. Add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix to combine.
• Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
• Cool. Remove the cakes from the oven. Allow them to cool in the pans for 2-3 minutes before turning them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Frost and Assemble Your Cake

• Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add half of the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest. Mix until well combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.
• Flatten the cakes. Remove the domes from the top of the cakes with a large serrated knife.

• Stack. Place the first cake on a serving plate and spread 1 cup of frosting over the top. Repeat with the other two cakes.
• Frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
• Decorate. Add swirls of frosting to the top of the cake and finish it off with some lemon slices.
• Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
• Serve. Note that this cake is best served cool, but not cold. So take it out of the refrigerator for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Can I Make This Cake Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can! Bake the cakes and allow them to cool completely. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, or wrap them in clear wrap and foil and place then in the fridge. For longer storage, wrap them and place them in separate Ziplock bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve, all you have to do is unwrap and thaw the cakes in the fridge and stack, fill, frost, and decorate.

You can also make the frosting up to 7 days in advance. Just store it in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring it back to room temperature before using it. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months.

Tips for The Best Layer Cake

This citrus-filled recipe is pretty manageable for most skill levels but I definitely have some simple tips and tricks for you that will help you make the best lemon layer cake possible. Here they come.

• Measure your flour correctly. This is the most common issue with getting a dry, dense cake. The best and easiest thing to do is use a food scale to be sure that your flour is accurate.
• Room temperature ingredients. It is important that the butter in the cake batter as well as the butter and cream cheese in the frosting are at room temperature. The butter in the batter will not cream properly with the sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil if it is too cold or too melted. This will give you an overly dense cake. When it comes to the frosting, If the butter and/or the cream cheese are too cold, they will not incorporate smoothly and you might end up with a lumpy frosting. So think ahead and let your ingredients come to room temperature before beginning.
• Don’t skimp on cream time. When creaming together the butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla, beat the ingredients for 2-3 minutes. No less. The mixture should become fluffy and lighten in color significantly. The process of creaming incorporates air into the mix. This air is, in part, responsible for making the cake light and fluffy. Skimping on creaming time will give you an overly dense cake.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically as you add ingredients and mix them in. Do this when making the cake batter and the frosting. This will ensure that any ingredients stuck to the sides and/or bottom of the bowl make it into the batter and are well incorporated.
• Don’t over-mix. When incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, do not overmix the batter. This can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, leaving you with a tough, dense cake.
• Let it cool. Before stacking, filling, and frosting the cake be sure to allow the cake layers to cool completely. If the cake is still warm, the frosting will slide right off, leaving you with a visually unappealing mess.

How to Store Leftovers

If you find yourself with leftover lemon cake, store it in an airtight cake carrier. You can leave it at room temperature for up to 24 hours, then should refrigerate it. If you don’t have a cake carrier, allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before covering it in plastic wrap. Use toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the cake, if needed. Alternatively, you can arrange the slices in a single layer in an airtight container. In any case, store your lemon cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

If you want to freeze the cake, pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up before wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, arrange slices in a single layer in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

More Lemon Desserts

Are you a citrus nut like me? Good. I have just the thing(s) for you. After you make this amazing lemon layer cake, try one (or several!) of these equally delicious lemon desserts.

• Lemon Loaf Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Lemon Poppyseed Cake
• Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• Easy Lemon Bars Recipe

See How To Make Lemon Cake

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