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    Home » Cake » Simple Lemon Cake

    Simple Lemon Cake

    by Lainey · Posted: Jan 31, 2019 · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    This Simple 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. 

    Hi, Simply Bakers! Happy New Year and I’m back and excited to share with you a delicious and simple lemon cake recipe you will love! 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 actually a mix of lemon and mandarins- which I had no idea about!

    Tips and Tricks for Making This Simple Lemon Cake Recipe: 

    • If you love lemons double the lemon zest in the recipe- it takes the lemon cake to another level of zestiness.
    • It is important to sift the powdered sugar to make 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.

    How to Make this Simple Lemon Cake:

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

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

    Simple Lemon cake recipe ingredients

    To make the cake, in a large bowl, add the softened unsalted butter and organic sugar. Mix it until light and fluffy:

    organic granulated sugar and cubed softened butter in a glass bowl for simple lemon cake recipe

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

    adding eggs to the mixed butter and sugar mixture for simple lemon cake recipe

    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:

    mixed ingredients for simple lemon cake recipe

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

    mixing lemon zest and vanilla to simple lemon cake batter

    In another medium-sized bowl, add the dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk until well-combined:

    dry ingredients of simple lemon cake recipe

    Add the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients mixture:

    mixing dry ingredients and wet ingredients of the simple lemon cake recipe with a handheld mixer

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

    adding sour cream to the simple lemon cake batter

    Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes:

    simple lemon cake recipe batter on a baking pan leveled by a rubber spatula

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

    freshly baked simple lemon cake in a baking pan

    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:

    making lemon glaze by mixing lemon juice and sifted powdered sugar

    Mix it slowly and blend well until smooth and runny:

    smooth lemon glaze for simple lemon cake recipe

    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 🙂

    pouring lemon glaze on top of simple lemon cake

    Here is an up-close shot of a very delicious but so simple to make Lemon Cake!

    a slice of freshly baked simple lemon cake topped with glaze and a slice of lemon

    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!

    Frequently Asked Questions for Simple Lemon Cake Recipe:

    Q: Can I replace the lemon juice with ready-made lemon extract?

    A: Yes, you can replace it if you don’t have the fresh lemon juice and zest on hand. It just tastes way better if you use fresh ingredients.

    Q: I have made a lemon cake before and it had a bitter aftertaste. What could have I done wrong with the recipe?

    A: I think you have not missed an important part of the recipe. It’s just that when you were zesting the lemon rind, you included the white flesh, which makes the lemon peel or rind bitter. Just be gentle when zesting and make sure to get the “yellow” part.

    Q: What other frosting goes well with lemon cakes?

    A: 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.

    Q: Can I use this recipe for cupcakes?

    A: Yes, you can! Just change the round baking pan into cupcake tins or any oven-safe cupcake molds.


    Here are more Lemon Flavored Desserts that are quick & delicious:

    • Lemon Brownies
    • Lemon Ice Cream
    • Snowball Lemon Cookies
    • Lemon Sheet Cake
    Print Recipe Leave a Comment
    5 from 1 vote

    Simple Lemon Cake

    Author: Lainey

    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.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Share it on instagram or tag @simplybakings or #simplybakings!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eve says

      February 05, 2019 at 12:18 am

      My new favorite recipe! Thank you for sharing Lainey!

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        February 05, 2019 at 7:39 pm

        Hi Eve! Thanks so much! Don’t forget to tag me with your Lemon cake photos when you bake it! xx

        Reply
    2. Sharmila Narendran says

      July 31, 2019 at 5:13 am

      Love this recipe! I substituted natural greek yogurt for sour cream and it turned out delicious! The cake was so soft as well! Thank you for sharing this easy recipe! <3

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        September 16, 2019 at 9:37 am

        Thank you so much Sharmila! I am glad you did tweaks and I am glad it worked!

        Reply
    3. Mary Theresa says

      February 18, 2020 at 8:43 am

      I love lemon can,t wait to try

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        August 28, 2020 at 1:40 am

        Hi Mary! It’s good to know that you love lemons. This recipe is just perfect for you. I would love to see photos if you do make this recipe. Please find me on IG or FB and tag me. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kat says

      March 28, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      I jus popped mine in the oven after following your step by step instructions. I just now saw the video that showed you adding salt which was not in the directions. Is my cake gonna still be tasty?

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        October 02, 2020 at 12:59 am

        Oh, no! Thanks for catching that, Kat! Yes, it should be fine and I’m so sorry about that! Keep baking and enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Gladys says

      April 29, 2020 at 5:13 am

      This is Gladys from India

      I’ve tried this and it has come out simply superb

      I dint use the sour cream though

      It’s our family fav now thank you so much

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        August 28, 2020 at 1:46 am

        Hi Gladys! I’m glad this recipe becomes your family’s favorite. That’s just amazing! I have more recipes in this blog that your family may love too. Please let me know if you’ve tried making them. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Katherine says

      May 27, 2020 at 6:43 am

      Is the batter supposed to be very thick? It is not pourable.

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        October 02, 2020 at 12:53 am

        Hi Katherine! Yes, it’s supposed to be thick. Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you can try out this delicious recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lainey says

      February 26, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      Awwww thank you so much for your kind words, Notes at Dusk… I truly appreciate it. Thank you for visiting my blog.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Lemon Cake | Bake With Me – notes at dusk says:
      February 26, 2019 at 8:19 am

      […] used this fantastic recipe from Simply Baking which resulted in a delicious, moist and zingy lemon cake that I’m sure all my friends will […]

      Reply

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