Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

a piece of lemon cake on a plate with a fork

Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

🍋 Enjoy a moist, tangy, 4 layer homemade lemon cake with cream cheese frosting! Follow our easy recipe for a crowd-pleasing dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword 4 layer cake, lemon cake recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 626kcal

Author Julie Clark

Ingredients

Lemon cake

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter softened
3 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup 2% milk

Lemon cream cheese frosting

12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Instructions

For the lemon cake

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare 4, 8-inch round cake pans with a bakers spray such as Baker's Joy or rub with cake release. Or grease the pans with shortening and dust with flour. You also line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper if you'd like.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Add the dry mixture and the milk alternately until completely combined.
Divide the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack while making the frosting.

For the lemon cream cheese frosting

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until completely combined. Add the powdered sugar a little but at a time until fully incorporated.

To assemble

Level the cakes and stack them with a layer of frosting in between each layer. Frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
Top with lemon slices and edible flowers if desired. Slice and enjoy!
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Notes

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition