Lemon Sheet Cake
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This easy lemon sheet cake is bursting with bright, citrusy flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest in both the fluffy cake and zippy buttercream frosting. This one-layer version of my lemon cake is moist, flavorful, and perfect for feeding a crowd– no layering or fancy tools required.
THE PERFECT SHEET CAKE FOR THE LEMON LOVERS
If you’ve tried my lemon curd cake, a stacked lemon cake with fresh lemon curd between the layers, then you already know this sheet cake is going to rock your lemon-loving socks. This carefully tested recipe produces a cake that is soft, fluffy, and full of fresh lemon flavor in every bite. This cake is made with fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest in the cake as well as the frosting, and we lean into my best tip for infusing citrus into baked goods to really draw out the maximum flavor possible (we’ll get there).
While I paired this lemon cake with a simple lemon buttercream, you can choose any frosting that feels just right (we’ll get to that one, too). What you can be sure of, though, is that the simplicity of a 9″ x 13″ pan turns everything folks love about my lemon layer cake into a fuss-free dessert that’s perfect for parties or entertaining without all the fuss or sacrifice of flavor. Easy, crowd-friendly, and still some wiggle room for creativity? Sign me up for a bite every time!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
You only need 10 ingredients, and you’ll share a lot of them between the cake and the frosting.
For the cake: you’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, lemons, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk.
For the frosting: you’ll need more unsalted butter, more lemons, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract and salt again.
KEY INGREDIENT NOTES
FRESH LEMON JUICE & ZEST: do not be tempted to use jarred lemon juice for this cake, as lemon is the star of the show and we can’t risk it not tasting like actual, fresh lemons. You’ll need approximately 3 lemons for ½ cup of lemon juice, and you’ll need a couple additional Tablespoons for the frosting, so I suggest 4 lemons. You’ll use the zest of 3 of the lemons between the cake and the frosting, and you can garnish the cake with the 4th lemon, if you prefer.
MILK: while buttermilk is often used in cakes where we want to retain moisture, the addition of the lemon juice mimics the same characteristics, so it’s almost as if we really are using buttermilk for this cake. Buttermilk is often low in fat, but I recommend whole cow milk for this cake, which brings maximum creaminess to the crumb.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON SHEET CAKE
This cake is really simple to make, but I have some key steps you’ll want to pay close attention to in order to get the best results out of your methods.
Combine the dry ingredients: start by tossing together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set this mixture aside.
Cream the butter/sugar/zest + make the wet ingredient base: next beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add each egg, one at a time, beating on medium-high speed until fully incorporated. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides as necessary. Lastly, add the vanilla extract and beat again until it is combined.
Creaming the zest into the butter and sugar infuses the lemon flavor into the cake more effectively than just adding it to the wet ingredients.
Sour the milk: stir the lemon juice into the milk, then scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl and turn the mixer speed to low.
Alternate dry ingredients with the soured milk/buttermilk: this is another crucial step. You’ll split your dry ingredients into roughly 3 parts (just eyeball this, it doesn’t have to be perfect) and your buttermilk/vinegar + milk in half (again, eyeball), then, starting with the dry ingredients, alternate adding each to the batter and letting it slowly incorporate.
Why are we alternating wet and dry ingredients? Rather than adding everything all at once, we want to keep the integrity of the cake batter without overloading it with too many dry ingredients to find places for nor do we want to drown it in liquid. By adding some of the dry ingredients first, we give the liquid somewhere to go and absorb into, which keeps the batter nice and smooth and avoids flooding it or creating lumps.
This is a step I use in delicate cake batters that seems silly but really does yield flawless results. Again, don’t worry about splitting these into perfect proportions. Trust your eyeballs to guide you.
Bake the cake: this is a quick bake, but you’ll want to make sure the cake is completely cool before you add the frosting. I typically make my frosting while the cake bakes/cools, but you can do it whenever makes sense for you. You can also cover the cooled cake and frost it a day layer, which is what I typically do.
TOP WITH CREAMY LEMON BUTTERCREAM
While I love the simplicity of the lemon buttercream, I love leaning into the tanginess of cream cheese frosting with my lemon curd cake recipe (add some lemon zest to make lemon cream cheese frosting). You can use anything from vanilla buttercream to Swiss meringue buttercream. One I’ve never tried but feel like I should is strawberry buttercream. A strawberry lemonade type of situation, if you will… And invite me over for a taste, please?
Lemon Sheet Cake with Creamy Lemon Buttercream
Ingredients
LEMON CAKE
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 and ¾ cup (350g) granulated sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
- 4 large eggs room temperature1
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) fresh lemon juice2
- ¾ cup (180mL) milk room temperature1; any but whole cow preferred3
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons (30-45mL) fresh lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
LEMON CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and flour (or use homemade cake release) a 9" x 13" baking pan. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, 1 and ¾ cup (350g) granulated sugar, zest of 2 lemons
- Add each egg, one at a time, beating on medium-high speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until combined.4 large eggs, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir the lemon juice into the milk. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl and turn the mixer speed to low. Add the flour in 2 additions, alternating with the milk/lemon juice. Remove bowl from mixer and stir with a spatula until everything is completely combined.½ cup (120mL) fresh lemon juice2, ¾ cup (180mL) milk
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake 28-32 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and lemon zest on medium speed until smooth (about 3 minutes).½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, zest of 1 lemon
- Reduce the mixer to low, then slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until everything is combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly add the lemon juice, watching for and stopping at desired consistency. Add the salt, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth.⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 to 3 Tablespoons (30-45mL) fresh lemon juice
ASSEMBLE CAKE
- Spread the buttercream evenly over the top of the sheet cake (while it's still in the pan) with an offset spatula. Leftovers stay fresh, covered tightly, at room temperature up to 5 days and in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
- Make ahead: prepare cake and frosting up to 1 day in advance. Cover cake tightly and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container until ready to use. Unfrosted cake may be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. Frosted cake can be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients: these incorporate into batter much more easily than cold ingredients. Allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. You can place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
- Lemon juice: you will need approximately 3 lemons for ½ cup of lemon juice. You can zest all 3 lemons, as you’ll use the zest of 2 of them in the cake and 1 of them in the frosting.
- Milk: a higher fat milk brings the best texture to this cake.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Can’t wait to make this cake! Love anything lemon. Question for you—Is there a cake pan you would recommend? The one in the picture looks like it has sharp corners and a big rim that would be easy for my big hands to be able to grip. Just wondering as I am trying to up my baking game and your recipes are exceptional!
Hey, Mike– I really like this platform pan from Fat Daddio’s, and I usually line the underside of the platform with parchment to prevent leaking. But it makes for amazing removal from the baking pan itself. Enjoy!
Whoah! What kind of witchcraft is that pan?!?! Never seen anything like it but love what I am seeing. That would probably make my Italian Amaretto Brownies turn out MUCH easier! Thanks for sharing!
It’s AWESOME. I use platform pans for my cakes and cheesecakes now. They’re a total game changer.