This simple lemon cake is a match made in heaven for all of the lemon lovers out there! Full of fresh lemon flavor, this is the perfect seasonal summer cake to make for a birthday or just because.

I made this cake recently for my mother-in-love’s 71st birthday and she loved it! Her favorite is lemon anything, and I think this definitely made all of her lemon birthday cake dreams come true. I garnished the cake with lavender growing in the garden and it added a beautiful touch of color!

The cakes alone have a lovely lemon flavor to them but the glaze is what really makes the lemon pop. You’ll notice that I use salted butter in the glaze and there are two reasons for this. The first is that the salt helps cut some of the sweetness from the sugar. So if you don’t plan to use salted butter in the glaze, add a pinch of salt to it. The second is that the salt helps bring out the brightness of the lemon flavor, our star of the show!

I personally think this cake has the perfect amount of lemon flavor to it, but if you’re looking for even more, don’t add more lemon juice. Adding more lemon juice with alter the recipe. Instead you can try adding more lemon zest. This will continue to build upon the lemon flavor.

If you’re looking for 9 1/2 inch round cake pans, these are the exact ones I used for this cake. They’re great for cake baking and also stainless steel. If you’re looking for thicker but smaller cake layers, try a 9 inch pan instead.

Emma

Simple Lemon Cake

This lemon cake is simple but full of fresh lemon flavor that all of the lemon fans adore! Truly the perfect seasonal summer cake.

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Servings: 16 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Simple Lemon Cake

2 cups cane sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp lemon zest
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Lemon Glaze

1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
the zest of one lemon
1 tsp salted butter, softened

Method

Simple Lemon Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until fluffy again.
Sift the flour and baking powder together into the creamed mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
Measure milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and pour into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Grease a 9 inch round baking pan with oil (coconut oil works great) and pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes (will depend on your oven, 35 minutes was perfect for me). Or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked, let the cakes rest in the pans for about 10 minutes. Once they have cooled a bit, remove them and place on a cooling rack. This helps ensure your bottom cake stays intact.

Lemon Glaze

In a kitchen aid or with a hand-held mixer, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Add in the softened butter and mix until smooth.

Cake Assembly

Once cakes have cooled, add your first layer to a cake tier and pour some of the lemon glaze over the top. Distribute to the edge of the cake with a spoon or whatever works best for you. Let the glaze harden a bit and then add your next cake layer. Repeat the glaze process.
When the glaze has had some time to settle and drip off the sides of the cake, clean the edge of the cake tier with a clean wet rag.
Use seasonal flowers outside to decorate for presentation 🙂

Notes

This recipe makes two cake layers. If you would like a four layer cake, like the one I have pictured, simply double this recipe and the lemon glaze.

If you’re looking for another seasonal cake recipe, check out this sourdough banana cake! It’s the perfect way to use up those ripe bananas and any sourdough discard.