Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Simple lemon cake with a tart lemon buttercream on top. This is the cake you want to have with afternoon tea on Easter day!

What the heck! I can’t believe it’s almost Easter, do you have any plans? Hopefully, I’ll get to eat my favorite ham and creamy scalloped potatoes with some sort of lemon cake for dessert. Any kind will do me, just as long as it tastes like a lemon cake should, with tons of lemon flavor!

This lemon cake is more on the dense side than light and fluffy like your typical box cake mix. The secret to balancing out that heaviness is by poking lots of holes in the top of the cake and brushing a thick lemon simple syrup all over the surface. The syrup works its way through the cake keeping it nice and moist. And every special cake should have frosting (so say, my kids).

An easy lemon buttercream frosting is spread generously on top along with some edible flowers for decoration. There’s no need to make this into a two-layer cake with a full covering of buttercream, those kinda stress me out, to be honest. Keep things simple and enjoy Easter with family and friends instead of being stuck in the kitchen missing all of the fun.

So go ahead and cut yourself some slack, make your cake the night before and let that lemony syrup soak through the surface all night. Add the buttercream in the morning and serve the whole thing up at room temperature, no need to store this lemon cake in the fridge.

And that my friends, is how you do lemon cake!

Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 761 kcal

Author: foodnessgracious

A delicious lemon cake with a rich lemon buttercream

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lemon zested
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup canola oil

For the lemon syrup

• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the buttercream frosting

• 8 ounces butter softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside

2. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and creamy.

4. Add the butter, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and canola oil.

5. Blend together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

6. Gradually and carefully start to add the dry ingredients on low speed making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl at times.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

8. Using a fork or sharp knife randomly poke holes in the cake.

9. Combine the syrup ingredients in a small pan and bring to a simmer making sure the sugar has dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes and then generously brush the cake with the syrup.

10. Make the buttercream by beating the butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a mixer until light and fluffy. Start on low speed and then increase to high.

11. Spread the buttercream evenly over the surface of the cake and decorate with edible flowers (optional)

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Amount Per Serving

Calories 761 Calories from Fat 369

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 41g 63%

Saturated Fat 17g 85%

Cholesterol 129mg 43%

Sodium 478mg 20%

Potassium 115mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 95g 32%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 74g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 17.7%

Vitamin C 17.3%

Calcium 3.7%

Iron 8.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.