Simple & Easy Lemon Cake

This Simple & Easy Lemon Cake recipe is delicious, tangy, and so easy to make from scratch. Every bite of this lemon cake is bursting with fresh lemon flavor and the easy lemon glaze on top will have you hooked after just one bite. 

Try more of my Lemon Desserts that are quick & delicious: Lemon Brownies, Lemon Ice Cream, Snowball Lemon Cookies, and Lemon Sheet Cake.

Substitutions

Frosting: You can use lemon buttercream frosting, lemon cream cheese frosting, or just the whipped cream frosting. I think all of those, including the classic lemon glaze, would go perfectly with this simple lemon cake.

Variations

• Lemon-Blueberry Cake: Fold 1 cup of fresh blueberries into the batter before baking.
• Gluten-Free Option: Substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix.
• Bundt Cake Style: Double the recipe and bake in a bundt pan for 45–50 minutes.
• Lemon Cupcakes: Just change the round baking pan into cupcake tins or any oven-safe cupcake molds.
• If you add lemon curd to the cake batter, it will make the cake extra moist and add more lemon flavor. You could also swirl the curd into the batter before baking for a marbled effect or use it as a filling between cake layers for a tangy surprise.

Storage

• At Room Temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerate: For longer storage, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Freeze: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.

Top Tips

• If you love lemons double the lemon zest in the recipe- it takes this lemon round cake recipe to another level of zestiness.
• It is important to sift the powdered sugar to make the best consistency for the glaze- I forgot to sift the powdered sugar so the glaze was lumpy, but to cover it up I added more powdered sugar on top.
• If you did not sift your powdered sugar and have already poured the lemon juice on it, just go ahead and mix it well. After mixing it, strain the mixture to get rid of the powdered sugar lumps.
• Use fresh lemons and fresh lemon zest for the best results.

Ingredients

Gather the ingredients - organic cane sugar, unsalted butter, large eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sifted powdered sugar.

Instructions

Before starting to mix the ingredient, line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the cake, in a large mixing bowl, add the softened unsalted butter and organic sugar. Using a stand mixer, combine it until light and fluffy:

Next, add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. It is best to add the eggs one at a time:

Adding the eggs one at a time will ensure that they are all well-blended and your cake batter will come out smooth, just like so:

Add the vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and fresh lemon zest to the mixture. Mix well and set the bowl aside:

In another medium-sized bowl, add the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder (others would add a bit of salt here too). Whisk until well-combined:

Add the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients mixture:

Mix until well-combined, then add the sour cream:

Pour the flour mixture into cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes:

After checking if the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and allow the cake to cool in a wire rack for about 15 minutes before pouring the lemon glaze on top:

While waiting for the cake to cool, go ahead and make the glaze. I promise it is so easy to whip up!

Basically, it is just mixing sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice:

Mix it slowly and blend well until smooth and runny:

Now, you are ready to pour the glaze on your cake! I warn you Simply Bakers, this step is so satisfying to do that you just want to pour some more glaze 🙂

You can garnish it with lemon slices for a fun look. Here is an up-close shot of a very delicious but so simple to make Lemon Cake!

You can make this cake from scratch and with just a bit of creativeness in the presentation, this will surely be a crowd-pleaser and a conversation-starter!

FAQ

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Simple & Easy Lemon Cake

This Simple & Easy Lemon Cake is a perfect treat for anyone who loves a mix of sweet and sour flavors. It’s soft, fluffy, and topped with a tasty lemon glaze, making it a dessert you’ll want to make again and again.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Cool Time15 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: cake, Desserts

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 8 - 10 servings

Calories: 334kcal

Author: Lainey

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

Cake:

• ▢ ¾ cup organic cane sugar granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
• ▢ ⅓ cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda

For the Lemon Glaze:

• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

• Line an 8 or 9-inch pan with parchment paper, then preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the cake, in a large bowl, add the softened unsalted butter and organic sugar. Mix it until light and fluffy.
• Next, add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. It is advised to add the eggs one at a time to ensure that they are all well-blended.
• Add in the vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and fresh lemon zest to the mixture. Mix well and set the bowl aside.
• In another medium-sized bowl, add the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk until well-combined.
• Add the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients mixture. Mix until well-combined, then add the sour cream.
• Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. You can check your cake if it is done by sticking in a toothpick or a cake tester (if you have them). Once it comes out dry, your cake is ready.
•  Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes.

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Serving: 1sliceCalories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 76mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 504IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

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Did you make this recipe?Share it on instagram or tag @simplybakings or #simplybakings!

Hi, Simply Bakers! Happy New Year and I'm back and excited to share with you a delicious and simple moist lemon cake recipe you will love! This took me a total time of 55 minutes. My hubby enjoyed the cake so much- he ate ¼ of the lemon cake as soon as he came home from work and we both finished the cake in 2 days.

The lemons I used for this recipe are Meyer Lemons from my parents' garden.  It's rare that I purchase lemons from the store because, growing up, if I wanted lemons, I would pick them from the garden. Now that I've moved away from my parents, I usually stock up and freeze them since I can't get them fresh anymore.

However, for this recipe, I made sure I used fresh lemons.  Also, did you know that Meyer Lemons are not actually true lemons?  They are a hybrid of lemons and mandarins, which I didn't know! They are also highly nutritious, offering fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, and a substantial amount of vitamin C.

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