The best lemon cake recipe! This lemon sponge cake made with fresh lemon juice and zest is light, fluffy, soft, and moist. You will love this homemade lemon cake made from scratch and filled with cream cheese frosting.
Squeeze out the juice of the lemon and get the zest. Set aside. Prepare the cake pans by rubbing with butter then lining with parchment/baking paper. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven at a temperature of 150C (fan) or 170C (Conventional oven).
In a mixing bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer to mix till it turns pale (light in color) and is fluffy. This is called the creaming process.
Break the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter/sugar mix and beat with the mixer till it comes together.Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk till it's combined.
Add flour/baking powder mix to the batter and use a spatula to mix. When it's come together, use the mixer to mix till smooth (This takes about 30 seconds. Do not overmix).
Divide the cake batter equally into the two prepared cake pans. Put the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes or till a cake tester when inserted comes out clean.
Bring out the cakes and leave them in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a cake rack to cool.
When cakes are completely cooled, you can then fill and cover with frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
Add butter and cream cheese into a bowl and whisk for 1 minute. Add icing sugar and lemon extract and mix till fluffy. It’s then ready for use.
Notes
Some Tips (Read the main post for other important notes and tips)
Bring the ingredients to room temperature before using.
It's best to use a digital measuring scale for accurate measurements. I don't advise cup measurements unless for liquid ingredients.
If making this in a loaf tin to make lemon loaf cake, half the recipe and pour the batter into a loaf pan.
Don't rush the creaming process as this helps the cake to be soft and light.
Don't leave the batter to sit for too long before putting it in the oven.