The best lemon velvet cake that’s a perfect balance of tangy lemon flavor and a velvety, moist texture topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.
This cake will definitely leave you craving more. It’s moist and soft and the cream cheese buttercream is rich with a creamy texture that perfectly complements the bright lemon flavors.
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Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
You’ve heard of red velvet cake, well this is the lemon version of that beloved cake. It’s a tangy, zesty twist on the classic red velvet cake.
If you are a lover of lemon desserts, this lemon velvet cake is the perfect addition to your recipe collection. It is easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing. You can serve it as a birthday cake, a dessert for a family dinner, at a potluck, get-together, wedding or anytime you crave lemon cake.
This is a scratch lemon cake, but it’s actually easier to make than you might think.
Ingredient notes:
Now let’s talk a little about some of the ingredients in this lemon cake and frosting. (The printable list of all ingredients are in the recipe card below.)
Butter: Using real butter just makes cakes taste amazing. Not only does it add moisture to the cake, but it adds so much buttery flavor.
Buttermilk: Velvet cakes traditionally include buttermilk and this cake doesn’t break from that tradition.
Buttermilk helps give the cake a soft and velvety texture. Don’t worry though, the cake does NOT taste like buttermilk. You don’t even know it’s in it.
All-purpose flour: We’re using just plain ‘un-fancy’ flour for this cake, so it’s hopefully something you already have handy.
Lemon zest: This will add a lot of lemon flavor. Just make sure when you zest the lemons that you only get the yellow part and not the white part zested.
Lemon extract: This is an important part of this cake as it adds so much lemon flavor. Without it, the cake just won’t have as much lemon flavor.
Cream cheese: This is used to make the lemon cream cheese buttercream and I think the tanginess of the cream cheese frosting goes perfectly with the zest of the lemon cake.
(Make sure to check out the FAQ section below in this post for ingredient and substitution questions.)
How to make this cake:
Let’s talk about how to make this lemon cake with lemon cream cheese frosting. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
The first step is to make the cake. To start, make sure to preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. That’s very important.
Next, grease and flour two 8″ round cake pans. You’ll want to make sure they’re greased very well as this cake is delicate and will stick otherwise.
Step 2:
In one bowl, add the oil, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon extract and 1-2 drops of concentrated gel yellow food coloring then mix that well and set aside.
Step 3:
In another bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix that well and set aside.
Step 4:
Next, take a larger mixing bowl and add the butter and sugar. Mix that with an electric mixer on medium-high to high for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 5:
Now add the eggs one at a time and mix for about 20 seconds after each egg is added.
Step 6:
Next, alternately add in the dry and liquid ingredients starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
Be super careful only to mix until just combined after each addition. Mixing too long or at too high a speed will ruin the texture of a scratch cake.
Step 7:
Now, pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes on the middle rack.
Note that the cake layers will bake up with flat tops and that’s completely fine.
Step 8:
Let the cake layers cool on wire racks, still inside the pans, for only about 15 minutes or so.
Step 9:
After about 15 minutes, remove the cake layers from the pans and let them cool completely on the racks before adding the frosting.
Step 10:
While the cake layers are cooling, make the frosting.
Take a large bowl and add the room temperature cream cheese and the butter and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
Step 11:
Add the lemon extract, lemon zest, salt and mix again.
Step 12:
Add the confectioner’s sugar a bit at a time, mixing after each addition.
Step 13:
Add a drop or two of yellow gel food coloring if desired and mix again for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 14:
Add the frosting to the cooled cake layers and enjoy.
(Remember that the instructions will also be in the recipe card below.)
Tips & FAQs:
Butter is best for this cake. It gives the best flavor and texture. You are welcome to experiment using margarine instead of butter, but I cannot guarantee the same results.
Unsalted is always best because you can estimate the proper amount of salt that will be added plus salted has a different water content than unsalted. However, if you’re unable to get unsalted butter, you can use salted in the cake and the buttercream, but omit the additional salt that each recipe calls for.
It’s really best if you can use real buttermilk as it makes for a softer texture and really helps give the cake flavor. It will give you that classic velvet cake texture.
If you can’t get it, you can substitute with this sour milk recipe:
For every cup of buttermilk called for, fill a measuring cup with 1 cup of regular milk, take out 1 tablespoon and replace it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and stir well. Let sit for five minutes, then it’s ready to use.
This will not work exactly the same as buttermilk but can work in a pinch.
Yes as the lemon zest will give the cake it’s lemon flavor.
If you don’t use it, the cake may not have enough lemon flavor.
Lemon juice will not give enough flavor if used in place of lemon extract. If you add a lot of lemon juice in the attempt to substitute the extract, you will be adding in too much liquid and that will throw off the ingredient ratios. The cake texture will not come out correctly.
You can, however, leave the lemon extract out of the frosting if you don’t want to add more lemon flavor to that.
No, you don’t want to do that. Those are different and cannot be substituted for each other. If you’d like more information on the difference, check out this blog post: Baking Powder vs Baking Soda
No, you can omit that, but the cake probably won’t have the lemon yellow color.
Yes, however, you’ll have to use quite a bit more to get the same amount of coloring.
Make sure not to pack the flour down into the measuring cup when you’re measuring. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off, but don’t scoop the flour with the measuring cup as that can end up adding too much flour to the batter and will make the cake dry and/or dense.
No, you don’t want to do that. Those are different and cannot be substituted for each other. If you’d like more information on the difference, check out this blog post: Baking Powder vs Baking Soda
Yes, you can use whatever frosting you prefer.
Be very careful not to mix the batter too long. Scratch cakes should not be mixed for minutes at a time, or they will become dense. Stop mixing once the ingredients are well incorporated.
This cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but no raw batter.
These cake layers will bake flatter on the top. That’s not a bad thing. There is alot of moisture in these cake layers. It’s also easier to decorate a layer cake when the layers have flat tops. It has no effect on the taste of the cake.
The cake layers can be made ahead of time and frozen if desired. Let the baked cake layers cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer for up to a month.
To thaw, place the wrapped cake layers on the counter at room temperature and let thaw completely, then remove the wrapping. Once defrosted, add the frosting.
This cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can last up to 5 days.
Most cakes are best served close to room temperature, especially when made with butter like this one. If the cake is cold, set it out to come closer to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
You can also pop a slice in the microwave to warm up a bit, but be careful as the cream cheese buttercream can melt quickly.
This cake is very delicate. It may work as a stacked (tiered) cake, but you will need to make sure that it is properly supported with cake boards and dowels.
I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Fill 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with cupcake liners and fill with batter about ⅔ of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes.
I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Add to a very well greased and floured pan and bake at 325 degrees F and start checking at about 40 minutes, but will probably take longer to finish baking.
I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Add to sprayed or greased and floured 13×9 inch baking diesh and bake at 325 degrees F and start checking at about 40 minutes.
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Video:
Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.
Recipe:
Lemon Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (about 1 ⅓ sticks of butter)
- 1 ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1-2 drops concentrated yellow gel food coloring
- 3 large eggs, near room temperature
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly; spooned into the measuring cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the lemon cream cheese frosting:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- pinch of salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (if needed to reach desired consistency)
- 1-2 drops concentrated yellow gel food coloring
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Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease and flour two 8" round (2-inch deep) cake pans very well.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the oil, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon extract and 1-2 drops concentrated gel yellow food coloring and whisk well. Set aside.
- In another medium-sized bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk well. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar, then mix on medium-high to high for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed only for about 20 seconds after each egg is added.
- Alternately add in the dry and liquid ingredients being careful only to mix until just combined after each addition.
- (Start with ⅓ of the dry mixture, mix only on medium and just until combined. Add ½ the liquid mixture, mix until just combined, then another third of the dry mixture and mix only until combined. Add the last ½ of the liquid mixture, mix, then add the last third of the dry mixture and mix just until combined.)
- Be careful not to mix too long or at a higher speed. Only mix until everything is well incorporated. Mixing too long will make the cake come out dense, rubbery or it may fall. If the batter needs more yellow food coloring, add in a bit more, but try not to mix the batter too long after adding it.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes on the middle rack. A toothpick inserted into the center of each layer should come with either a few moist crumbs on it or clean. Note that the cake layers will bake up with flat tops.
- Remove the baked cake layers and let them cool on wire racks, still inside the pans for about 15 minutes, then remove the cake layers from the pans and let them cool completely on the racks before adding the frosting. Be careful removing the cake layers from the pans as these cake layers are very delicate and tender.
For the frosting:
- In a large bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and butter and mix with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add the lemon extract, lemon zest, salt and mix again.
- Add ½ the confectioner's sugar, mix well on medium-high speed, then add the second half and mix again on medium-high until smooth.
- Check the consistency. If it's too thick, add in a teaspoon of lemon juice, mix again and check the consistency.
- Add a drop or two of yellow gel food coloring if desired and mix again for a couple minutes until light and fluffy.
- See the notes section for best ways to store this, serve it and for more questions.
Notes
You can also pop a slice in the microwave to warm up a bit, but be careful as the cream cheese buttercream can melt quickly. For other questions: Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which should answer other questions you may have about ingredients, substitutions, other pan sizes etc. Nutritional values are an estimate. *This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
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Arlette
Hello dear Kara,
I hope you are feeling well and your eye is better. Thanks for this new recipe! I have a friend whose birthday is coming up and she loves orange. Do you think one could substitute orange zest, and emulsion instead of lemon and make it an orange velvet cake? God bless, Arlette
Kara
Hi Arlette! Thanks so much for asking about my eye. It’s doing much better. 🙂 You pose a good question here about making this into an orange cake. In theory, I think it could work, but I can’t say for sure. If you do end up trying it, let me know how it goes!
Shari Jean
Just made this cake today and omg it’s the best lemon cake I’ve made. I did add a full packet of lemon jello and half a squeeze of a lemon juice for more lemon flavor. But wow it was so moist and so good.
Kara
Oh yay!!! So glad you liked it!
Janet Garfield
OMG! This lemon cake is to die for! I’m no baker, but this cake turned out SO moist and flavorful I can’t stop eating it. I frosted mine with 1/2 of your Lemon Buttercream recipe and substituted the lemon juice with an Italian lemon liqueur and drizzled some of that on both layers of the cake. Just so you know, you are my Go-To-Girl for ALL of my cakes and frosting now. (Your chocolate cake and buttercream was a huge hit as well!)
Kara
Oh yay! So glad you liked it! I love the idea of adding the Italian lemon liqueur. Will definitely have to try that.
And I’m so excited to be the go-to for your cakes and frostings! That just made my day!