This one-layer lemon cake is a slice of sunshine—moist, fluffy, and packed with zesty lemon flavor! Made from scratch, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and tangy. Topped with a creamy lemon cream cheese frosting, each bite will have you coming back for more!
If you’re a lemon dessert lover like I am, try my lemon ricotta cookies or the lemon mug cake recipe next!
It’s time for another one-layer cake! I’m a big fan of single-layer cakes—like the eggless carrot cake or the almond flour chocolate cake, they’re so much less intimidating to decorate!
Moist, buttery, and tender, this one layer lemon cake recipe is like a burst of sunshine! Made from scratch with freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest, it’s packed with vibrant flavor and perfectly balances sweet and tart.
The cake is infused with a homemade lemon syrup, giving it an extra kick of lemon and ensuring every bite is irresistibly moist. A perfect cake for every occasion, from Easter, Mother's Day or anytime during spring!
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Ingredients you'll need
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and zest deliver a bright, vibrant flavor that packs a bold, zesty lemony punch.
- Leavening: This lemon cake uses both baking soda and baking powder for a guaranteed lift.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter in all my baking recipes to control the amount of salt added to the recipe. Make sure the butter is at room temperature so it’ll be easier to cream.
- Milk: You will need ½ cup of whole milk.
- Oil: Use a flavorless oil such as vegetable or canola oil. The oil adds moisture and tender texture to the lemon cake.
- Sugar: You will need white granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the lemon syrup and frosting.
- Eggs: As I mentioned in the strawberry yogurt cake recipe, keep the eggs out of the fridge for at least an hour before making the cake.
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Cake pan
For this one-layer lemon cake, you'll need an 8-inch round cake pan. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch springform pan, but note that the cake will be slightly shorter and will bake in about 35 minutes.
If you prefer, you can also use an 8x8 square baking pan and simply spread the frosting on top to serve directly from the pan, just like our pumpkin cream cheese cake.
Recipe tips
- For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Measure your flour properly! Fluff it with a spoon, spoon it into the cup, and level it off with a knife to avoid a dry, dense cake. Don’t scoop directly from the container!
- Make sure to use room temperature butter, cream cheese and eggs, so they mix evenly into the batter.
- When testing lemons, only use the yellow part—avoid the bitter white layer underneath.
Frequently asked questions
To store leftover lemon cake, wrap it tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
This single layer lemon cake freezes wonderfully! Just wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap or store individual slices in a freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months. To serve, simply let the cake come to room temperature.
To transform this into a two- or three-layer cake, double the cake batter recipe. For a two-layer cake, divide the batter between two 8-inch cake pans; for a three-layer cake, divide it between three 8-inch cake pans. Be sure to also double both the frosting and the lemon syrup.
More lemon desserts
One Layer Lemon Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- zest of one lemon
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon syrup
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.Proceed in the given order 👉
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and lemon zest in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Mix ½ cup milk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the 6 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons oil and 1 cup sugar into a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture is white and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 15 seconds after each addition.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Next, add the milk and lemon juice (it may look slightly curdled) and beat until smooth. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until the batter starts to come together. Remove the beater and gently fold in the remaining ingredients with a spatula.
- Transfer batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top looks golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, brush the lemon syrup evenly over the cake. Let it cool completely before frosting.To make lemon syrup, mix the 3 tablespoons lemon syrup and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Frosting
- Add the butter and cream cheese into a medium bowl and beat with an electric beater until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the 4 cups confectioners sugar and 11/2 tablespoons lemon juice and beat until thick and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Begin beating on low and then gradually increase to high.
- Spread the frosting on the sides and the top of the cake. Garnish with sliced fresh lemons to decorate.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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