One Layer Lemon Cake

one slice of lemon cake in a white fluted plate.

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon cake, one layer lemon cake, single layer lemon cake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Cooling time 2

Total Time 3 15

Servings Servings

Calories 369kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

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.

Video

Notes

To make it into a 2 or 3 layer cake? 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.

Nutrition