Lemon Cake From Scratch

This. Cake! Ohmigoodness, this is a cake recipe I've been needing. First off, I wanted a recipe that actually used lemons, not lemon cake mix. I followed the directions mostly except I used cake flour, didn't have a full cup of butter, I used a bit less and I used the zest and juice of one large lemon. I did 12 cupcakes and one 8" square pan for roughly 33 mins, they turned out flawless. They are dense yet light all at the same time. This could be enjoyed without an icing or frosting, but I made a whipped vanilla pudding with lemon topping and ate with fresh blueberries. Would make for an amazing trifle with any sort of berry. Secondly, this is a great base cake, in the fact I think you could keep out anything lemonly and use vanilla or almond extract to make a different flavored cake...which I will try sometime in the near future! Thank you for posting this recipe! I use to frequent a now closed cupcake shop that had cupcakes at this denseness and moisture, and I've been trying to recreate them ever since.

I was very pleased with this cake initially. It rose nicely and released from the pan easily. It baked to a beautiful golden color and when cut, revealed a moist and tender crumb. On the basis of these characteristics I was prepared to write a 5-star review - until I tasted it. I have just one criticism, but in my view it's a biggie. The cake just isn't sweet enough. A powdered sugar glaze helped, but it didn't make up for the insufficient amount of sugar, which affected not only the sweetness factor of course, but the flavor factor as well. The cake could use at least another 1/2 cup of sugar, and even another full cup wouldn't be too much.

Very nice gentle lemon cake that I made into mini cup cakes for Easter treats, topped with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting from this site. The recipe needs to include that you should cream the sugar into the butter in the first step, prior to adding the eggs, and don't be concerned that the batter is pretty thick, I put it into a small plastic zip lock bag, cut off the corner, and piped it into the mini cup cake paper cups.

This cake is wonderful! I COMPLETELY DISAGREE with the reviewer who said it needed more sugar. It's perfect as is. I cooked it in a Bundt pan finished with a zesty lemon glaze while it was still warm! I put it in the middle of the table after a family dinner, it was GONE in less than 15 mins. Keeper!

Delicious! I like a strong lemon flavor and added 1extra tblsp of lemon juice, 1 extra teaspoon of zest and 1/4 cup extra sugar. Cake was Devine! Paired it with lemon buttercream frosting on this site. Stacked some lemon slices on top and got amazing comments from family!

Yes, I love this recipe. Very light and wonderfully lemony. I did say to cream the butter and sugar together, but when I submitted it for Kitchen Approval, they must have changed it...

This is a very nice recipe. Mine was a gluten free version, cup-for-cup. I left out the salt and baking soda and for me, it turned out very nice. It has a wonderfully fresh sweet lemon flavour that tastes like your eating lemonade. I used a creamy lemon frosting from this website but chose to wait for it to cool completely to frost so it wouldn't melt. Thank you Bakers Dozen for this keeper recipe.

Didn't want to mess with 3 egg yolks and the leftover whites, so I just used a total of 3 eggs and added more lemon juice. I doubled the lemon zest and juice and it was super lemon-y, just how we like it. The consistency of the crumb is tender but not soggy. So, so good. I needed some baking therapy and this was just what the doctor ordered.

I love lemon. I had a lemon in my fridge, and I really wanted lemon ... something. I love mini-muffins/cupcakes. I hate box recipes. THIS was what I needed! I made it as above - only I used my mini-muffin pan. I came out with about 4 dozen mini-cupcakes with a cook time of about 20 minutes. Made up some lemon buttercream frosting and I'm in heaven!

I made this for my son's birthday as he had requested a lemon cake and this was delicious! I wanted a lemon cake that would not be real dense and this was perfect.. light and fluffy and moist. I also made lemon cream cheese frosting from this site and it was really good combination.

Made it 2x in four weeks. Amazing. Just used a little more zest in the batter, as I always do. Always use the buttermilk too. Lemon cream cheese frosting with no food coloring. Organic lemons :-)

I have made this cake twice now and it's still a work in progress- my second time I wanted a more bold lemon flavor so I doubled the zest and added a tsp of lemon extract. I also upped the sugar to 2 cups. The cake turned out really good but then I put a strong lemon glaze on it which completely obliterated all the subtle cake flavor (my bad). Next time I will try a mild vanilla frosting with a touch of lemon zest. This cake is definitely worthy of a "next time". It rises beautifully and has an almost pound cake like texture. I will use this as my go-to yellow cake recipe and just alter the flavorings for the occasion.

This is my go-to lemon cake recipe. It is light and moist and so, so good. I pair it with the Perfect Lemon Curd recipe (also on Allrecipes) between layers and spread thinly on sides or put a lot on top and let it drizzle down the side. For serious lemon lovers ?????????????? Now to find strawberry cake from scratch recipe (no Jello or cake mix)!

This cake is delicious. It is a very dense cake and not light and fluffy. If you are looking for a typically sweet American style cake, this is not it. It is more like an European cake with a hint of sweet, but not overly. It's very good. I iced the cake w/ a lemon cream cheese frosting and strawberries which made for a great pairing. This is one that I will make again.

This such a scrumptious cake. I reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup to accommodate my sugar watching hubby. Put a lemon butter glaze on it when cooled. A family favorite!

Amazing! This was the first cake I've ever made, including boxed mixes and it was fantastic. It was easy enough for a novice, but even people who are well seasoned in making great desserts were raving about how good it was. I used a lemon cream cheese frosting recipe that I got from Allrecipes to top it off. I will be making this many more times.

I followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit. I am going to make whoopie pies. However you need to add the sugar to the butter(it doesn't show up on the recipe).

I made this for my younger brother's birthday. (I am the go-to baker in the family) It came out quite light and fluffy. I mixed up the ingredients, popped the cake in the oven, and it came out perfect!

I made this yesterday and was very pleased with the outcome. I made it just as submitted and it turned out perfectly. I loved the way it rose, the color and texture - just sweet enough, moist and flavorful! I frosted with a Cream Cheese-Coconut recipe from this site. Yum!!! Thank you BakersDozen for sharing! I will certainly make again!

I was looking for a good spring lemon cake recipe that was from scratch and did not use jello or cake mix. This one did not disappoint! It is light and fluffy while still being a solid cake. I will definitely be making it again (and maybe trying it with some fresh berries). The recipe was easy to follow and baked beautifully! Even my super picky six year old loved it! I made a lemon buttercream from another site as this cake is for someone else. It was wonderful plain, or even an easy glaze, or whip cream would be good.

Made in 9x13. Iced after cool. Loved it.

I agree with another 3-star reviewer. You can barely taste the lemon. It seemed like yellow cake to me. I guess I should have paid more attention to the description that read "light lemon flavor" But my 9 year old daughter enjoyed it.

We added 1/2t. lemon extract to give it a bit more lemon kick, and made them as cupcakes. Excellent cake recipe!!

Wow! I ( being the lemon girl I am,) loved this cake! If you add a little more sugar to it, and a little extra lemon zest you will be amazed, it even looks perfect coming out of the pan! I frosted this cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and filled it with delicious lemon curd, I think this was one of the best cakes I have ever made!!!!

I have made this cake several times and it's a family favorite. I do add extra lemon zest and extra fresh lemon juice to increase the lemon favor a bit though. I have tried several different icings/glazes and all have been good but our favorite is a lemon glaze. I make this cake for all family gatherings and there's never any left over. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

This cake is excellent. I've had nothing but positive remarks when I serve it. I used a lemon butter icing on it. The cake is very light and refreshing.

Came out great! I did make a lemon glaze and sprinkle it with poppy seeds. Will definitely make it again!

this was amazing just the right recipe I was looking for.

Great recipe! It worked perfectly for me. Thank you for sharing.

This cake turned out great!!

lemon flavor is very subtle, and cake is a lil dry.

This was “eh...” not bad, but definitely didn’t hit the spot for what my tastebuds were craving either.

Turned out perfect!

This was the first cake I have ever made, and it turned out amazing for my wife's B-day. Thank you for this amazing recipe, definitely going to put it in my repertoire.

This is so tasty! It is not overly sweet (which I appreciate), but light and lemony. Very easy to make. I topped them with real strawberry frosting (none of this canned nonsense), and they were heavenly! Just a note-they do dry out pretty quickly after baking. Definitely eat them the day you make them!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe

I added more lemon juice and zest. It turned out perfect!

I made a two layer cake with raspberry butter cream frosting. It looked and tasted great.

I used 3 eggs instead of eggs and egg yokes. I will use two 9" tins the next time too much batter for 8" tins. Also I used half butter and half butter flavoured shortening also be sure to line the bottom of your pans with parchment paper

This has such great texture! Light and fluffy and so filled with flavor! I use 1 1/2 Tbls of zest, 3 Tbls of lemon juice and 1 cup of greek yogurt (always on hand whereas I rarely have buttermilk). The added meon

This was so tasty. I added an extra tablespoon and a half of the lemon zest, and another tablespoon of the lemon juice, just to bump up the lemon flavor. It has since become a family favorite, especially paired with fresh raspberries!

A tasty cake. Very moist, but quite crumbly. Icing had to be piped on.

I rarely take the time to rate recipes. However, I felt it was necessary in this case. Sadly, this cake ended up being tasteless- not even a hint of lemon flavor. The only aspect of this particular recipe that's in it's favor, is that it had good texture. Find another recipe on this site and use that instead.

I made this delicious cake for my sister's birthday and added a white chocolate and raspberry buttercream frosting. After reading several reviews, I increased the lemon zest to 2 Tbs, added an additional Tbs of lemon juice and increased the sugar by another 1/3 cup. This cake was the PERFECT texture. I cut my 8in round layers in half to make a 4 layer cake. Honestly, there is so much batter that you should use 9in round pans. My family loved it and the lemon flavor was so fresh and zesty but definitely not overpowering. Best lemon cake recipe by far.

Wonderful! Made it just as written. Covered it with a lemon glaze.

This cake was amazing! I substituted the buttermilk for whole fat Greek yogurt. An absolute delight!

I love this recipe

I made this cake as a bunt and it turned out delicious!?? I have no notes for how to improve it. For who can improve perfection?!

this is a delicious cake, did add a little more lemon. I will make this cake again and again. Very moist.

Made exactly as written... Absolutely scrumptious. Does not need more sugar.

This cake is the best! I was looking for a cake recipe that used real lemons, not flavored from a box. This is it! I didn’t change a thing. It is perfect as is, especially with the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe on this website. Fantastic-o!

I made it exactly as written, and it was perfect! Everyone LOVED it. I will keep this saved and make again!

It was great, tastes delicious. I added pineapple and used condensed milk instead of butter milk.

It was a total disappointment. It turned out hard and dry like bread. I was so hurt. Maybe the name should change to "lemon bread" rather.

This cake seemed a little heavy. I prefer the lemon gold cake found on this website.

This was a moist cake with great lemon flavor. I had made half the recipe in a quarter sheet pan because I wanted to use the cake in an entrement. It worked beautifully.

Wonderful recipe,i added little vanilla flavor,doubled the amount of PB ,and added one more spoon of lemon juice..Thank you,Best Lemon cake ever

Great cake! I used cake flour. I think I'd actually use more lemon zest or add some to the glaze/frosting next time. For frosting, I blended strawberries and then added that puree to a block of cream cheese and powdered sugar. I made it more glaze-like than thick frosting. It was good. My daughter wanted lemon cake with strawberry frosting for her birthday and this one made her happy as well as received hearty compliments.

I love lemon desserts, this recipe hardly taste like a lemon cake. I felt it resembled a buttermilk biscuit instead...

Great cake! I made it into a 2 layer 9" cake, and it was perfect! (Mine took about 35 minutes to bake.) Frosted with a lemon buttercream, and decorated it for Easter! Very lemony, and festive! Thank you!

I forgot butter, but it still had a good texture. I also putt a lemon glaze on top. Delicious!

slightly less lemony than expected, but still delicious. had to cook in a 13 x 9 glass pan because that is what i had; took slightly longer to bake but cake was still moist! batter seemed a little thick to me but a) this was my first attempt at baking a cake from scratch and b) it still turned out fine. cake fell, but my baking powder may have been the culprit. :-/

I made this for my mom's birthday and they turned out so fluffy , soft with a subtle lime taste. She loved it! I made a few changes since I didn' t have some of the ingredients. Substituted lime for lemon and also milk + lime for buttermilk. Everything else was strictly followed. Made 12 big cupcakes and 48 mini cupcakes with this batter. This recipe is a keeper

Great taste

Amazing. The consistency was perfect - light and fluffy, bursting with flavor and SO filling! You can also substitute the lemon ingredients with orange or cara cara, except you'll have to put in about 3 x the amount of orange zest and juice than lemon - because, you know, it's less citric. Get ready to fry your taste buds

Made a nice moist cake, even for mini cupcakes that can typically be too dried out. Gave it 4/5 stars based on needing more sugar and lemon. I added somewhere between 1/4-1/2 cup more sugar. Also added 1tbsp more lemon juice and a generous packed tbsp zest. Got rave reviews on the finished mini cupcakes with raspberry filling and lemon cream cheese icing. Will definitely be making this again.

As a person with good health in mind I looked at this recipe and decided to make just half the recipe and it will have just the right amount of key ingredients and still be moist and delicious. It would go well with some whipped cream and fruit for an Afternoon Tea. I gave it 5 stars since it was very moist and not to dry.I made this cake for the All Star Cooks Spring Bling event # 3.

I made this cake for a baby shower and it was delicious! I used home made lemon curd for the filling, which gave it that extra lemony zing. Everyone raved about how yummy the cake was. This will now be my ‘go to’ lemon cake recipe. I made the recipe exactly as it appears and it turned out beautifully. No modifications needed.

After reading reviews I added a bit more sugar and lemon zest. It turned out perfect in every way.

This cake is in the oven as I write this. I didn't have lemon zest so I used a little extra lemon juice, and a tad bit more sugar. My kitchen smells heavenly. I can hardly wait for it to be done and cooled off so I can frost it and put candles on it. (My daughter's birthday cake.)

Me and my family didnt like as much. The lemon wasn't as strong as wanted and we could actually taste the flour in the cake. It was very fluffy and moist though, and that was the most enjoyable part of the cake. To be honest, I wouldn't want to make this again...

I made this in a bundt pan and added a lemon glaze to the cake

I changed this to a GF recipe and I made some substitutions and did something different for the icing. This recipe is solid!

Beautiful. My daughter loves it!

After reading the review I had high hopes for this cake. It cooked up beautifully but after tasting I was disappointed. It was very very dense and couldn't taste the lemon at all. I'm thinking it needs more lemon zest and juice. The lemon cream cheese frosting from this site saved the day adding the perfect lemon taste.

this is so easy to do and its not from a box i love this i hate baking from boxes

I love how simple this recipe is. Based on other reviews I tried to increase lemon flavor (more lemon juice, zest) but the cake still felt very light in lemon flavor. I made lemon icing from this website which really gives this cake its lemony zing. Substituted sour cream for buttermilk and baked in 9x12 pan. Turned out incredibly moist and yummy. Thank you for a great recipe!

Great recipe! It just needed a bit more lemon flavor. I added the zest and juice from 2 whole lemons instead of what was recommended. It was awesome and super moist.

I read some reviews and decided to add an extra Tbsp of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of sugar and it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever tried!

I like it. It's different. I added another 1/4th cup sugar b/c another review said it was not sweet enough. That's highly optional( I'm in the med field). With my baking background, I also added 1/4 cup sour cream as a safeguard that it would be too dense and fluffy. It came out MOIST, slightly dense, and fluffy. Great combo! Also, bake for 24-30 minutes. NOT a minute over 30, else cake will start to be too brown. I was able to get two 8 inch cakes and 8-10 cupcakes. I made a blueberry cream cheese frosting. I also did a blueberry puree/jam in between the two layers. With all of this, the cake is sweet, but not overly sweet. I will add this to my collection. Blueberries pair well with Lemon flavor. Hence, blueberry lemonade ;-)

This is a really moist and soft cake. I loved it and those I shared it with loved it too. I added four tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of two and cut the salt in half. I actually paired the cake with a strawberry cake and topped it with my lemon swiss meringue butter cream and topped the strawberry cake with strawberry swiss meringue butter cream. It was an eight layer creation of goodness. It made for an unforgettable cake eating experience. Certain I will make and remake this recipe many years to come. Thanks for sharing.

I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8-inch square pan. It was a very light lemon flavor. The next time I make this cake I am going to double the lemon zest and maybe add some lemon flavoring or put lemon juice in some whole milk to substitute for the butter milk.

This was tender moist with a fine crumb. Thanks. We put a simple lemon glaze on top.

Wasn't sweet enough but it was still good

Used buttermilk sub with vinegar and extra lemon juice. Came out delicious!!

Enjoyed it, made lemon icing to top it off., Tasty!

We loved this cake; a wonderful use for an abundance of Meyer lemons. No whole or buttermilk on hand, so I looked up substitutes; added 1 TBSP lemon juice to about a 3 to 1 combination of 2% milk and half & half and waited 5 minutes. We also love lemon-poppyseed and adding 3 or 4 TBSP of poppyseeds worked well. Baked in a well-buttered bundt pan and glazed it with a lemon/vanilla glaze when totally cooled. It was delicious - just sweet enough. Thanks!

I followed this to the letter just put it in a cake pan instead. I ran out of time and didn't get it glazed, but everyone loved it. My dad and I agreed though, not enough lemon. Next time I'll add more lemon juice to the batter and get the glaze on it. Good recipe though!

Delicious and light

Lovely cake, deliciously dense but moist, not nearly enough lemon for my taste though. I halved the recipe and put it in two 6in cake pans for 30 minutes. I made my own “buttermilk” with a half cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I ended up adding two additional tablespoons of lemon juice, plus a half teaspoon of lemon extract. I omitted the rind because I’m not a fan, and used cake flour. Ended up with the lemony-ness (is that a word? Haha) of store bought cake mix without all the questionable additives. Thank you for the recipe!

Love this recipe

Great flavor! Little more dense than I expected but a great lemon cake recipe!

delicious cake a bit dry

I cut this recipe down to about 1/4 the original (lots of wild guesses on proportions), filled 3 individual ramekins, and topped with some homemade lemon pudding. Baked at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, and BOY, were these good! Kind of a lemon lava cake, with light-as-air cake and creamy pudding centers. Don't know that it made tremendous difference, but I didn't mess with separating eggs and just added 2 whole eggs. If I can just remember how I made it, I'll be doing this one again.

Used kefir instead of buttermilk and Meyers lemons.

DELICIOUS!! Moist with a fantastic flavor. I think it's perfect just as written (the sweetness is just right.) I never have buttermilk so I substituted 1 cup of skim milk with 2 tbsp white vinegar and it turned out nicely. I will be making this regularly, it's fabulous!

I would make this again. Not nearly enough lemon flavor though. I doubled the zest and the lemon juice and it was still pretty faint. Topped with a lemon buttercream frosting also made with double zest, it's delicious.

Turned out really well! I made into cupcakes, added blueberries and topped with a lemon glaze and blueberry buttercream. A great basic recipe that I plan to use as my go-to yellow cake recipe (using vanilla in place of lemon).

I've searched for years for a lemon cake that is from scratch (not cake mix) and is not really heavy. This is it. My kids often request lemon cake for their birthday and this is now my go-to. Best paired with lemon frosting to emphasize the lemony-ness.

The cake was light in texture and punchy in flavor. I did up the lemon...grated two lemons and used three tablespoons of lemon juice. I will definitely make this again.