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 buttercream 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 lemon buttercream in the morning and serve the whole thing up at room temperature, no need to store this lemon buttercream cake in the fridge.
And that my friends, is how you do lemon cake!
Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
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
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and creamy.
- Add the butter, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and canola oil.
- Blend together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Gradually and carefully start to add the dry ingredients on low speed making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl at times.
- 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.
- Using a fork or sharp knife randomly poke holes in the cake.
- 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.
- 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.
- Spread the buttercream evenly over the surface of the cake and decorate with edible flowers (optional)
Nutrition
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
I’m making lemon cake this week, too (for a friend’s birthday celebration). It’s such a perfect Spring celebratory cake to have! I’m going to use your trick of making a syrup to brush on top of the cake. Extra lemony flavor!
Lexi says
The most gorgeous cake ever! I LIVE for lemon cake!
Maria says
This cake is so gorgeous!
Mary R. says
This looks so yummy, Gerri!
Gaby Dalkin says
It’s almost too pretty to eat!
Erin says
This cake sounds perfect!
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
Bring on the lemon cake! She’s such a beauty!
Amy says
This is the best lemon cake. I’ve made it twice already.
Amy says
Grrr. 5 stars, not 4. Really 6! Sorry about that.
shell shockers says
wow, the cake looks delicious and very attractive, thank you for sharing
Thomas McCoy says
Made this cake and found the texture to be considerably moist. Seems it should have been a tad drier. Biggest concern as the frosting. I typically process my own sugar into powdered sugar with no problem but this frosting was very gritty as if it was regular sugar.
Tess says
I just made this amazing lemon cake for the first time yesterday. It is fabulous!! Sooo delicious!
(The ONLY thing I would change is cutting the buttercream frosting recipe by half.)
The cake is so good, and the lemon syrup makes it heavenly. The buttercream frosting is almost unnecessary. I will be making this cake over and over.
foodnessgracious says
Hi Tess, I’m so glad you liked the cake, it’s my favorite Easter treat!
April says
Are the nutrition facts per one serving or for the entire cake? If for a serving, how many servings per cake is it based upon?
foodnessgracious says
Hi April, the nutrition should be for one serving/slice and the cake will feed 8 with pretty big slices. Hope that helps!
Jenneo says
How long does this last? I made the cake on Friday evening and want to serve Easter morning (Sunday). Does it need to be refrigerated after 24 hours?
foodnessgracious says
Just saw this Jenneo- I hope it worked out for you!
Patricia Ann Holden says
Could I double this recipe for a two layer cake or for a 9/13 pan? Or could I make this recipe and bake in two 8″ pans. I really need a bigger cake.
foodnessgracious says
Hi Patricia, you could double the recipe and use two pans, i think that would be easiest
boxnovel says
A healthy, easy but simple dish to make. I will learn to make this dish.
Nancy says
I just made this cake and am looking forward to trying it later today with my family. I haven’t used up all of the syrup. It seems like a lot. Has everyone used it all up? Not too soggy?
foodnessgracious says
Hi Nancy, you don’t need to use all of the syrup but I really like my cakes moist so you could try half and see what you think
Cristina says
I used this recipe to make two 2-tier 4 inch cakes, it was a great hit, everyone loved them so much I’ll have to bake some more right away.
Thank you for sharing! =D
foodnessgracious says
Awesome Cristina! Thanks for the feedback :)