Lemon Cake
This lemon cake is intensely moist and perfectly zingy with lemon flavor, and the frosting is absolutely divine.
This cake is phenomenal. I’ve had it bookmarked from my friend Kristin’s blog, You Got Served, for months now and I finally got around to making it for my birthday earlier this year.
It did not disappoint.
The cake was intensely moist and perfectly zingy with lemon flavor and the frosting is absolutely divine. In fact, I’m convinced the secret weapon of this cake is the frosting.
I’m definitely glad to add this to my tried-and-true cake arsenal! (Sorry for the lack of pictures once the cake was cut into – my only defense was it was my birthday and I was more interested in satisfying my birthday cake craving than in taking pictures!)
Perfect Lemon Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 package lemon cake mix
- 1 cup (227 g) sour cream
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 small package lemon instant pudding
Frosting:
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, very soft
- 6-8 cups (684 to 912 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
- For the cake, mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Pour into a greased 9×11 pan or two round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don’t overbake or the cake will be too dry!
- You can also make cupcakes and bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. The cupcakes will fall after they come out of the oven, but this is normal. Just fill up the indentation with more frosting.
- For the frosting, place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (I added about 6 cups total). Use and store at room temperature. (Don’t refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about three days.)
- Garnish with berries, if desired.
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Recipe Source: adapted from You Got Served
76 Comments on “Lemon Cake”
I’m looking for a 9×13 cake that I can make ahead and put in the freezer for a trip to the lake. I think it would be wonderful to have a lemon cake there. Have you tried freezing cakes? Do you think this one would work?
I haven’t tried freezing this cake, but I have tried freezing other cakes and I think this one should freeze just fine.
Hi Mel, do you think the icing from this cake would work well with your lemon blueberry cake? I have some people that don’t like cream cheese 🙁 Thanks!
I am very very disappointed in this recipe as a cupcake. There is a huge sinking hole in the center. I would have to use so much frosting to fill it in!! Some of them are even misshapen as I overfilled it a tiny bit. It tastes ok but to me is a little eggy tasting. I am usually very happy with your recipes and you are my “go to” food blog.
Mel
I’ve been following your blog for I think at least 8 years. You never fail me. I love your recipes and you! I tried this cake tonight. I’m not the best baker especially with cakes. This made me look like a rockstar! It was so Delicious. My husband said this was my best cake to date.
Ooh! You were right! This doesn’t dissapoint. I added a layer of lemon curd! DIVINE! Seriously divine!
Hi Kim – I don’t have a homemade lemon cake mix recipe, unfortunately. It’s been years, I have to admit, since I’ve even made this one since I’m like you and don’t do the cake mix think anymore. Good luck on your search! I have a lemon cupcake recipe I’m trying out next week that I hope blows this lemon cake out of the water. We’ll see!
I would love to try this cake out for my “surprise” Easter dessert as both my husband and my mother LOVE lemony cakey things. I am stubborn about not buying cake mix though (by the way, LOVE your from scratch home-made cake mix!). Do you have a home made lemon cake mix recipe or can you recommend a substitute? If not, no worries, I’ll prowl through some of your other yummy desserts. Thank you for your never-ending inspiratuion. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from your site!
I make all of my cakes similar to this now. I do 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup water though, same eggs, same sour cream, and throw in a small box of pudding that matches the flavor of the cake mix. The cakes and cupcakes always turn out so moist! I just follow the baking instructions on the box. For chocolate cake, I throw in chocolate chips too! Love the idea of the lemon frosting!! Thanks!! Love your blog!
Hey Mel! These cupcakes rock. I already bought the ingredients to make them again. I put them on my blog: http://thefoodcharlatan.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/lemon-cupcakes/
Oh my, I’ve just invented the best lemon frosting 🙂 Just do the ‘magic’ frosting as usual, but sub out about 1/4 or more water for lemon juice, cook like normal, when cooled add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest(more or less depending on your taste). Then I took took out 4T butter and put cream cheese in place. I’m sure it would be good with just butter though. Holy cow!! Udderly delicious (pun intended 😉
Jnl2211 – to be honest, I haven’t made this cake in a long time. I remember loving the frosting but based on your description, I think you’d be much happier going the magical frosting route with the lemon zest.
I reall want to make this cake, but I’m so scared to try the frosting. I’m not one for sugary, gritty frosting and it sounds like a lot of powdered sugar. I was thinking about doing the “magical” frosting and adding zest and lemon extract, what do you think?
Yummy! I made this into cupcakes and filled them with a lemon mousse and did a whipped cream cheese frosting! So delicious!
Wonderful recipe! Very moist. I prefer this cake bundt style with a glaze made of powdered sugar, 1 or 1.5 c., and lemon juice to the desired consistentcy. I loved this when we made it as the recipe states but got even more rave reviews when we did it with the glaze. Thanks for another winner!
I’m about to make this for a co-worker’s birthday so I looked up the problem about curdling frosting (for the person who had that problem before). Not sure if overly warm butter is the problem, but this link discusses the problem of curdling cream cheeses and butter in frosting.
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/03/cream-cheese-frosting-101/
Thanks for the recipes!
this looks like the perfect springy easter lemon counterpart to the classic “better than…chocolate cake” I found my Easter dessert! Thank you! I might try orange zest, fresh OJ and powdered sugar glaze to top though, just b/c I don’t have any lemons, and I’m not a butter frosting fan. Getting excited…
I made this on Friday for a co-worker’s birthday and it was awesome! Everyone loved it! I’m thinking about making it again for Mother’s Day. Thanks for another great recipe:)
Mel – So I made this for the inlaws on Thanksgiving because they are lemon crazy people, I’ve never really liked lemon flavored stuff. They loved it, I mean fought over it, they loved it so much. I’ve been told that is what I’m making this weekend for our early Christmas with them LOL. Thanks!!!! But really, me, who doesnt really like Lemon, loves this cake.
Jill – you are a nice daughter-in-law! I’m glad that the cake was such a hit…especially for a non-lemon-lover like you!
Hey Melissa – glad this cake worked out a second time for you. Thanks for letting me know. And happy birthday to your little girl!
I made this cake for the second time yesterday for my daughters 1st birthday and it was a hit!! Everybody loved it! Thanks for all the great recipes!!
Jan – thanks for checking in to let me know that you liked this! I loved the “lemony perfection” comment – that about sums it up. Good luck finishing off the rest of the frosting. 🙂
I never make box mixes, but I might have to cheat a little and make this one, the cake looks AMAZING!!!
I was excited to make this cake as I had some fresh lemons from a local grove, but as I am not a baker and have no idea what I am doing, I had some questions. I made the cake and it looked kind of weird after I took it out of the oven. I baked it in a 9×13 for 30 minutes and when it cooled it separated from the sides and sunk in the middle. Did it not bake long enough? Then the frosting got all grainy. It still tasted good but didn’t look right. My sister who went to culinary school mentioned that the fresh lemon juice curdled the butter and that is why it went grainy. She always uses lemon extract to combat that problem. Did others have this happen or just me? Thanks again for your generosity in sharing recipes!
I can’t wait to try this one out Mel! I just may make it tonight!!! Yummy!