This simple lemon cake from scratch with cream cheese frosting is super easy and moist. Loaded with citrus zest, this is the best lemon cake recipe because it is so flavorful.
Moist and dense, this mouth-watering lemon cake is sweet and rich, but not overly sweet. It is a flawless balance of fruity-sour goodness with silky sweet delectable bites.
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It can be made with either fresh lemon juice or bottled juice and is very quick and easy to make.
It is rich in big lemon flavor but is not too sweet. The rich and smooth cream cheese frosting is optional but adds a sweet spread of creamy goodness.
Leave off the cream cheese frosting for an easy and delicious lemon snack cake. This is perfect (and not so messy) for lunch boxes, picnics, road trips and much more.
Ingredients
To make this simple lemon cake you will need:
- Salted Butter - ⅓ cup softened
- Sugar - ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- Eggs - 2 large
- Flour - 1 ¼ cup cake flour or all-purpose flour (cake flour will work the best and make a lighter and fluffier cake but all-purpose flour can also be used)
- Baking powder - 1 ¼ teaspoon
- Lemon zest - from one lemon
- Orange Zest - from one orange
- Milk - ½ cup
- Lemon juice - ⅓ cup (fresh will give you the best flavor but bottled lemon juice will also work)
For the cream cheese frosting you will need:
- Cream Cheese - 3 ounces, softened
- Vanilla - ½ teaspoon
- Milk - ½ teaspoon
- Powdered Sugar - 1 cup
Instructions
- To make this lemon cake just preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Lightly grease an 8 by 8 inch pan.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and beat until light and well-mixed.
- Without stirring, add flour, and sprinkle the baking powder over the top of the flour.
- Then grate the lemon and orange zest over the top of the flour.
- In a separate bowl mix together milk and lemon juice. The mixture will curdle a little but this is normal.
- Gradually pour the lemon juice and milk mixture in as you carefully mix the dry and wet ingredients.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
- To make the frosting (optional) combine the cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar.
- Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
- If the frosting is too thin add a little more powdered sugar, ½ a tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
- If it is too thick, add a little more milk, ¼ teaspoon at a time until it is as thick as you want.
- Spread the frosting over the cake.
How to zest a lemon, lime, or orange
Most of the flavor of citrus zest lies in the outside colored layer of the fruit. The inner white pith is bitter and does not have any of the delicious zest flavors. Try not to include the white pith in your zest.
Wash and dry your citrus fruit to remove any residue.
Using a hand grater with a small size grate, scrape the peel over the cutting edges of the greater only once. This is enough to grate the colored zest and avoid getting the white pith.
Then turn the fruit about a quarter of an inch and grate the area next to it. Continue this process until you have removed the zest from the entire lemon, lime, or orange.
For an especially thick-skinned fruit, you can pass the grater two or three times but avoid including the bitter white pith.
Optional garnishes or decorations
- Citrus peel, curls, or zest
- Lemon, limes, or oranges thinly sliced
- Sprigs of fresh mint
- Fresh or frozen berries
- Whipped cream
- White chocolate curls or chunks
- Edible flowers such as nasturtium, pansies, borage, violets, or lavender.
Substitutions
Substitute lime juice and zest for the lemon for a lovely lime cake.
You can easily substitute the milk for either water or orange juice in this recipe if you have a dairy allergy or restriction.
The eggs can be replaced by ½ a cup of apple sauce plus an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder if you have an allergy or simply don't eat eggs.
The frosting is optional. The cake is not overly sweet so the frosting adds a delicious sweet creamy flavor. However, this cake is delicious with or without the frosting.
Variations
Cupcakes are a great variation of this recipe. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups until ⅔ full. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For another option, cook this cake in a loaf, bundt pan, or 9-inch round cake pan. The cooking times will vary for different pan sizes though.
Look for lightly golden brown edges and make sure it is cooked completely by pricking the center of the cake with a toothpick.
If the toothpick comes out clean it is done. If there is cake stuck to the pick then cook a bit longer.
You can also double this recipe for a crowd. Double all the ingredients and cook it in an 11 by 17-inch pan. The cooking time will need to be increased.
Storage and Freezing
Cover with a lid, plastic wrap, or tin foil and store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Even though there is cream cheese in the frosting, there is enough sugar that it will not go bad in the short term.
Storing it at room temperature will help it remain moist longer.
It can also be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage cover well and place in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.
It can be frozen either with or without frosting.
What to Serve With
This is a great dessert to serve on Easter, Mother’s day brunch, a birthday, Christmas, or any other special holiday or occasion.
Because it is so simple to make, this cake is a great finish to a weeknight meal. It would also be easy to dress up a little bit and enjoy it for a nice brunch.
Serve this simple lemon cake with cream cheese frosting with fresh fruit or berries. Also, try it with a dollop of homemade fresh whipped cream.
It also pairs well with Champaign, or sweet dessert wines such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or Chenin Blanc. It also goes well with simple decaf coffee.
Tips to bake a Moist Cake
- Use cake flour for a lighter and fluffier cake.
- Stir flour then measure into a dry measuring cup. Level the top by scraping the excess flour off with a flat-edged butter knife. Too much flour in a cake can also make it dry.
- Do not over-mix the batter. This will make your cake tough.
- Make sure that your oven is at the right temperature. Use an oven thermometer to double-check the temperature.
- Avoid overcooking. This is an easy way to dry out a cake.
- Store leftovers covered, at room temperature.
Recipe
Simple lemon cake from scratch with cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
For the lemon cake
- ⅓ cup Butter
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ¼ cups Flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Baking powder
- Zest of one lemon
- Zest of one orange
- ½ cup Milk
- ⅓ cup Lemon juice
For the frosting
- 3 oz Cream Cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Milk
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
To make the lemon cake
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Lightly grease an 8 by 8-inch pan.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and beat until light and well-mixed.
- Without stirring, add flour, and sprinkle baking powder over the top of the flour.
- Then grate the lemon and orange zest over the top of the flour.
- In a separate bowl mix together milk and lemon juice. The mixture will curdle a little but this is normal.
- Gradually pour the lemon juice and milk mixture in as you carefully mix the dry and wet ingredients.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
To make the frosting (optional)
- Combine the cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar.
- Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
- If the frosting is too thin add a little more powdered sugar, ½ a tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
- If it is too thick, add a little more milk, ¼ teaspoon at a time until it is as thick as you want.
- Spread the frosting over the cake.
Notes
- Use cake flour for a lighter and fluffier cake.
- Stir flour then measure into a dry measuring cup. Level the top by scraping the excess flour off with a flat-edged butter knife. Too much flour in a cake can also make it dry.
- Do not over-mix the batter. This will make your cake tough.
- Make sure that your oven is at the right temperature. Use an oven thermometer to double-check the temperature.
- Avoid overcooking. This is an easy way to dry out a cake.
- Store leftovers covered, at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cream cheese frosting is delicious on a lemon cake. Mix 3 oz softened cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon milk, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Whisk to remove the lumps then frost your cake.
You could also make a lemon glaze using just lemon juice and powdered sugar or use good old-fashioned butter cream frosting.
Using a hand grater with a small size grate, scrape the peel over the cutting edges of the greater only once. This is enough to grate the colored zest and avoid getting the white pith.
Then turn the fruit about a quarter of an inch and grate the area next to it. Continue this process until you have removed the zest from the entire lemon, lime, or orange.
To bake a moist cake measure your flour correctly. Stir flour then measure into a dry measuring cup. Level the top by scraping the excess flour off with a flat-edged butter knife. Too much flour in a cake can also make it dry.
Make sure that your oven is at the right temperature. Use an oven thermometer to double-check the temperature. Also, avoid overcooking the cake.
Even though there is cream cheese in the frosting, there is enough sugar that it will not go bad in the short term. Cover with a lid, plastic wrap, or tin foil and store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Storing it at room temperature will help it remain moist longer. It can also be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage cover well and place in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours. It can be frozen either with or without frosting.
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Please make sure to leave your questions, comments, and ratings below.
KiP Walker
Sam, this sounds luscious. And I deserve a treat!
Well....
Have been taken off of sugar and flour(wheat) for the time being,
Thinking of using the new GF flour I just bought and Monk Fruit.
Monk fruit is new to me and I can't find anything about using plain monk fruit, just the store bought mixtures. Just 1-to-1 in coffee etc.
Do you have any experience with it. The dept. manager where I bought it was just plain rude when I ask.
Need to get a lemon. Will let you now how it works.
Sam
Hi Kip,
Using the GF flour sounds like a great idea. I have never used monk fruit sweeteners before so I don't know how much to add. Are you using an actual fruit instead of a syrup or granulated sweetener? I just want to clarify. I will try doing a little more research as well. You will probably need 2 to 3 large lemons for this recipe, for the juice, depending on their size. If you are experimenting with the sweetener you can always halve this recipe, to try it out and get the proportions right.
Jody
This lemon cake is great. It is much more lemony than other cakes I have tried. And it is perfectly sweet, not overly sweet like some cakes are. Love this recipe.