Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
I'm one of those people who can't get enough of anything and everything lemon flavored.
With the arrival of spring and the warmer weather lemon cake seems like a nice refreshing alternative to some of the “heavier” dessert we like in the winter. 😉
Recently I made this awesomely delicious lemon cake with cream cheese frosting! It's so easy to make and the lemon flavors are so refreshing.
Lemons in dessert always bring back memories of when I was a little girl and my grandmother would have freshly baked lemon cake (or what she would call lemon bread) on the table for when guests would stop by.
I remember my grandfather loved lemon bread just as much as I did, so sometimes there would be a bit of a silent competition to make sure I didn't gobble it all up before he was able to have some! lol
This cake is wonderfully soft and fluffy with just the perfect hint of lemon in the cake batter. The lemon cream cheese frosting for this recipe goes perfectly with the finished cake – it's not overly sweet but just right.
I used lemon zest in the frosting and the cake batter to give the dessert it's wonderful and fresh pop of flavor!
I hope you enjoy this cake recipe!
🤔 Looking for alternatives or substitutes to cream cheese?
👉 Explore this helpful guide on tasty substitutes!
Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup butter, unsalted and room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Frosting Ingredients
- 2 cups plain cream cheese
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted and room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar (aka confectioners sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease 2, 8″ round cake pans. Dust with flour so all surfaces have been lightly covered.
- Combine the dry cake batter ingredients in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine using the whisk attachment or by using a hand whisk.
- In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the vegetable oil, vanilla and milk.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer combine the ingredients from measuring cup with the dry ingredients. Start with the speed on low and then gradually increase the speed.
- To the mixture, add the pieces of butter and combine well using the mixer. You need to mix until there are no little chunks of butter. Everything should be smooth.
- Next, one at a time, add the eggs to the mixer while on Medium speed. Keep mixing until the eggs are well combined and the batter thickens. You may need to turn the speed up on the mixer after combining the eggs.
- Next gently mix in the lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Pour an equal amount of batter into each cake pan. Spread the batter so that it's evenly distributed in the pans.
- Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until baked through. Check the doneness of the cake by sticking a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean the cake is finished baking.
- Cool the cake layers while still in the pans on a cooling rack. After about 20 minutes of cooling in the pan you can remove the cakes from the pans and continue cooling on the rack.
- Once the cake has cooled frost the cake using the frosting recipe included.
- The cake tastes best if it's chilled for a couple hours before serving. 🙂
Frosting Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer (or use a stand mixer) cream together the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar.
- Add lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla to the mixing bowl and turn the mixer up to medium speed.
- Mix up the frosting until it's creamy and well combined.
I was never super into lemon cake and then, all of sudden, my 20s hit and I wanted more citrus in everything- including baking. Cream cheese frosting is awesome!
I love anything lemon flavored, especially cakes!! This one looks amazing and that cream cheese icing? I could just eat that by itself! LOL!
Okay. Thats it. Can you just come live with me and cook me yummy food? This looks amazing!
LOL – thanks so much! 🙂
Cream cheese is so delicious! Love using it as a filling!
This cake looks delicious I love lemon cake but never had it with cheese frosting. It must be so good
Mmmm, this is amazing. I love lemon cake, I’m bookmarking this to make it later.
Your cake looks absolutely delicious! I wish I could try some now! I would love to lick the frosting like I was 5!
I like lemon-ish dishes too and I think lemon + cream cheese will always make a great combination. It’s a combo that will definitely tickle your tastebud. Thanks for this recipe, will definitely do it soon.
Thank you so much for this great recipe. I love Cream Cheese and this sounds delicious! I’m going to have to make this asap. =)
I used to not be particularly fond of lemon cake, but I now like it since I’ve gotten older. This cake looks really good, too!
You had my tummy and heart at the mere mention of cream cheese frosting! I actually have not had lemon cake before so I am definitely down to try out something new for our next baking day.
This cake looks so delicious. My kids love everything lemon. I will have to try this recipe this weekend.
This looks so good! I love lemon..it’s so fresh and light!
Lemon cake is one of my favorite things in the entire world. You’ve inspired me to go visit my grandma and bake a lemon cake.
That looks really yummy! I haven’t tried baking a cake from scratch. I used to watch my mom baked cakes when I was little.
I love lemon everything! This would be heavenly for me! I will have to try this! I can’t get enough lemon everything!
I never have to be sold on anything lemon. I just love it. This looks and sounds great.
I love the idea of using cream cheese for frosting. I love cream cheese so this would be great, can I have a slice pleawe? Lol.
Why are you doing this to me, I can almost taste it, it looks so good. I’m going to have to try this recipe.
I have just started falling in love with lemon desserts!! This sounds amazing and looks like it would be delicious!
I love lemon pastries, and although I’ve made lemon bundt cake and lemon squares, I haven’t made a lemon cake with frosting before! Need to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Lemon cake is amazing! I love whenever I get to eat it (which is rare) so whenever I do it is such a treat!! Thanks for sharing this recipe with me!
That Lemon Cake looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe 😀
Now you are really tempting my taste buds. I so miss being able to eat baked products.
Oooooooooo this cake sounds absolutely amazing!!! Hubby’s birthday is next week… Maybe I should make this for him 😉
Everything about this is great! I love lemon cake, and you can’t beat cream cheese frosting. Thanks a lot. This will be made shortly! Yum!
I’m all about anything lemon. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Thanks!
I haven’t had lemon cake in years! I’m putting this on my to-do baking list. Cream cheese frosting is absolutely the best on any cake! Your cake looks delicious.
It’s lunchtime, I’m hungry and I would love to have a slice (or 2) of your lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. I love all things lemon and your cake looks incredibly delicious.
Oh goodness, that cake looks so tempting. I love lemon anything but I’ve never made a lemon cake from scratch before. I’ll have to try this and let the kids help me.
It looks so moist and delicious in the picture. What a perfect spring and summer dessert this is.