Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Lemon Sheet Cake
Buttermilk keeps this citrusy lemon sheet cake extra moist. Top with a light lemon glaze frosting for a refreshingly light dessert.
Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe
Spring is on its way…but even if snow was on the way, this lemon sheet cake would be just the dessert to cheer you up. Sheet cakes are not only easy to make, but they make a great picnic or party dessert because you can cut them into small pieces or larger pieces.
Buttermilk Sheet Cake
This cake gets amazing flavor not only from the freshly squeezed lemon juice, but also from the buttermilk. The buttermilk adds a tangy flavor but also helps to keep the cake extra moist. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding ½ teaspoon white vinegar to the measuring cup and then fill it the rest of the way with milk. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes and the milk will start to thicken and curdle. This will have a similar effect as store-bought buttermilk.
Fresh Lemon Cake
This cake calls for fresh lemons which will give the cake an amazing flavor. You can use concentrated lemon juice if you’d like, but I recommend buying 2 or 3 fresh lemons and taking the extra 3-5 minutes to squeeze out the fresh juice and zest the lemons. You won’t be sorry.
Lemon Glaze Frosting
You’ll love how easy this simple lemon frosting is. It’s really more of a glaze. No major mixing needed. The powdered sugar dissolves easily into the melted butter, milk and fresh lemon juice. It spreads easily on the cooled cake. Sprinkle the top with fresh lemon zest for a pretty look.
Other Lemon Cakes
Tools to Make Lemon Cake
- Cake Spatula: To get that frosting nice and smooth.
- Hand mixer: I don’t pull out my stand mixer for this recipe. A hand mixer works perfectly.
- 11×17” Cookie Sheet: Perfect for sheet cakes!
- Lemon Juicer: This is the tool I use to juice lemons.
- Lemon Zester: This one is nice and sharp!
Lemon Sheet Cake
Buttermilk keeps this citrusy lemon sheet cake extra moist. Top with a light lemon glaze frosting for a refreshingly light dessert.
Servings 15
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter (melted)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest of one lemon
Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grease 11x17 rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.
- Stir in melted butter and boiling water and lemon juice.
- Mix in vanilla, buttermilk, eggs and lemon zest. Stir until smooth.
- Pour batter into baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes. (Until toothpick inserted comes out clean.)
- Cool cake for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Stir until smooth.
- Spread frosting on cake.
- Top with extra lemon zest for garnish.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of frosted cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 49mg | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.9mg
