Get your pucker ready for the most deliciously Luscious Lemon Layer Cake you’ve ever tasted! Moist layers of a tender crumb lemon cake topped with a fluffy lemon cream cheese frosting.
Earlier this week I mentioned that I was up to my eyeballs in cake baking last weekend. It began with a basketball themed cake for Paul’s son’s basketball team. Then I whipped up a batch of some Delicious Cookies and Cream Cupcakes. Finally this Luscious Lemon Layer Cake for my nephew’s birthday. It was a weekend full of celebrations.
My nephew was celebrating his Sweet 16 and requested a Lemon Layer Cake. I was a little surprised at the request because he’s normally a chocolate lover. In the past I’ve either made him my Chocolate Blackout Cake or Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake. Not this year though. He wanted lemon!
This is a kid that hates almost all fruits and vegetables. He’s into BMX and has a new broken bone or bruise every week. Do you understand my surprise at his request? The tough kid wanted a a tart, fruity, tender, Lemon Layer Cake.
I love lemon cake but to be honest I don’t think I’ve met a cake that I didn’t love. It was just a little surprising to find out that my nephew loves lemon too.
So I went to the market, bought my ingredients, rolled up my sleeves and baked him the most deliciously Luscious Lemon Layer Cake you ever tasted!
I wasn’t really sure how I was going to decorate his Lemon Cake to make it at all masculine. It’s a little difficult to “man up” a pale yellow cake. Since I couldn’t think of any manly decorations I decided that I would make it festive and fun instead. Nothing screams festive, birthday fun more to me than rainbow sprinkles. So that’s what I went with. Not just a few sprinkles of rainbow sprinkles though. I actually rolled the cake in the rainbow sprinkles to completely coat the sides of the cake.
When I showed him his cake I apologized for not making it more masculine. He replied,”Auntie! Rainbow sprinkles are my favorite!” I guess I learned two new things about my nephew on his sixteenth birthday. The one fruit he likes is lemon….well…as long as it’s in the form of a cake…and rainbow sprinkles!
Luscious Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the lemon cake
- 3 1/2 Cups Cake Flour
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Buttermilk
- 6 Large Egg whites
- 2 1/4 Cups Sugar
- Zest from one large lemon
- 1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted butter (12 Tablespoons) ,softened
- 1 teaspoon Lemon extract
For the lemon cream cheese frosting
- 2 ,8 ounce packages Cream Cheese ,softened
- 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (16 Tablespoons) ,softened
- 5 1/2 Cups Confectioner Sugar
- Juice from one lemon, about 2 Tablespoons
- Zest from one lemon
Instructions
For the lemon cake
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl sift together, cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine egg whites and buttermilk. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine sugar, zest, and butter and mix for about 3 minutes until smooth. Add lemon extract and beat for another minute.
- With the mixer on medium speed alternately add dry and wet ingredients in 3 batches. Scrape down the sides of mixer between each addition. Once all is added mix on medium speed for and additional minute.
- Pour batter evenly between your three prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven on the center rack for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove to cooling rack and cool completely. While cake is cooling make frosting.
For the lemon cream cheese frosting
- In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. About 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the confectioner sugar and mix to combine. Add lemon zest and juice and beat for about 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Remove cooled cakes from pans. Frost the top of your first cake and top with the next cake. Frost the top of the second cake and place third cake on top. Frost top and sides of all cakes. For the tutorial that I use for coating with sprinkles click here.
Notes
Nutrition
Bake this Luscious Lemon Layer Cake for the lemon lover in your life!
Here are some more of my favorite cakes and cupcakes. Just click on the picture for the recipe.
What a wonderful Lemon Cake. I can also picture it with sliced, curled lemons on top for decorations. My mouth is salivating just with the thought of this cake. would make a lovely Easter cake too, with your spun sugar recipe ( I found on your best carrot cake) on top as a nest?
Your cake is amazing!!!!! I love lemon cakes so for a looong time I tried different recipes but none of them really fulfilled my expectations, except for yours. The texture and flavor are great and it really looks like in your picture. Thank you! I am looking forward to try more of your recipes.
Thank you, Ana! I’m so glad you had such great success! I had that experience trying to find a vanilla cake that I liked so I know what mean. I have also made this Lemon Cake recipe as cupcakes for a wedding shower and everyone was crazy about them.
I made this before for a party and it was a hit! I want to make it again but as cupcakes- anything I need to keep in mind? What do you suggest for the baking time? Will the frosting pipe easily? And how far in advance can I make the cake and frosting?
Thanks!
Hi Jackie, So glad it was a hit! I love this cake and I make it quite often both in cake form and as cupcakes. You will probably get approximately 24 standard cupcakes. I bake them for about 18-20 minutes. You can make the cake… or cupcakes a day or two ahead. I try to make the frosting the same day but if you do make it ahead store it covered in the fridge and then take it out about an hour before you’re going to frost or pipe with it and give it a good stir to smooth it out. You should be able to pipe with this frosting recipe very well. Another great addition to this cake/cupcakes is lemon curd filling. I use this Lemon Curd recipe from my Lemon Macaron Cookies if you’d like to give it a try. https://www.familytabletreasures.com/2017/04/lemon-macarons-lemon-curd-filling/
Yum, this is so delicious! Would totally recommend!
Wow! This cake was simply delicious! It was light and fluffy, with a lemony cream cheese frosting. I made it for my daughter’s 10th birthday party and it was a huge hit! I didn’t have cake flour, so I cheated and used the cornstarch/ flour method. It still came out great! Thank you ☺️
Making this right now! Smells sooo good. How long will frosting hold up? Is a day early okay? Will it last for two or three days?