I can’t resist a cake that looks this sunny and slices into the softest lemon-kissed crumb. With cream cheese richness and bright citrus sparkle, this Lemon Velvet Cake is the kind of dessert that disappears fast.
I’m obsessed with this Lemon Velvet Cake because it hits that sweet-tart spot without acting shy about it. The crumb is soft, the frosting is lush, and the lemon flavor actually shows up.
I love how finely grated lemon zest cuts through the richness, while cream cheese brings that tangy, silky finish I can’t stop stealing from the edge of the slice. And yes, I’m absolutely the person who goes back for a second sliver and calls it “just a taste.” But this cake deserves that kind of attention.
Bright, plush, bold. The kind of dessert I think about later.
Ingredients
- Cake flour keeps the crumb soft, plush, and totally velvet-like.
- Baking powder and baking soda give it lift without making it dry.
- Fine salt keeps all that sweetness from tasting flat.
- Soft butter brings rich flavor and that classic homemade cake feel.
- Granulated sugar adds sweetness, but also helps the cake stay tender.
- Eggs hold everything together and give the cake a little structure.
- Vanilla rounds out the lemon so it doesn’t taste sharp.
- Sour cream makes it moist, tangy, and honestly kind of irresistible.
- Whole milk loosens the batter and keeps the texture smooth.
- Lemon zest brings the bright, sunny flavor you’ll actually notice.
- Fresh lemon juice adds real tang, not that fake lemon candy vibe.
- Cream cheese makes the frosting creamy, thick, and slightly tangy.
- Confectioners sugar sweetens the frosting and keeps it fluffy.
- Plus, lemon in the frosting makes every bite feel fresh.
- Basically, a pinch of salt makes the frosting taste less sugary.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 lemons)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (for frosting)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
- Pinch of fine salt
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease and line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment; lightly flour the pans and tap out excess.
2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add 4 large room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
5. In a measuring cup combine 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined after each addition.
7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean; cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
8. For the frosting, beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter until smooth, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of fine salt.
9. Gradually add 3 to 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar to the cream cheese mixture, beating to a creamy, spreadable consistency and adjusting sugar amount for desired sweetness and thickness.
10. Level cake layers if needed, spread a layer of frosting between layers, frost the top and sides, chill briefly to set, then serve at room temperature.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (preheated to 350 F)
2. Two 9 inch round cake pans (plus parchment paper to line them)
3. Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
4. Electric mixer (handheld or stand)
5. Measuring cups and spoons (dry and liquid)
6. Whisk and rubber spatula
7. Citrus zester or fine grater and small measuring cup for juice
8. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for confectioners sugar
9. Wire cooling rack
10. Serrated knife or cake leveler and an offset spatula for frosting
FAQ
Lemon Velvet Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cake flour: Substitute 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour minus 5 tablespoons, then add 5 tablespoons cornstarch and sift well to mimic cake flour texture.
- Sour cream: Use 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt thinned with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or use 1 cup buttermilk, noting batter will be slightly looser with buttermilk.
- Whole milk: Use 1/2 cup half and half or 1 cup unsweetened soy or oat milk; if using a thinner non dairy milk, reduce added liquid elsewhere by 1 to 2 tablespoons if batter seems thin.
- Cream cheese (for frosting): Substitute an equal weight 8 ounces mascarpone or 8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, both yield a slightly milder, less tangy frosting.
Pro Tips
1. Make sure your eggs, sour cream, butter, and cream cheese are genuinely at room temperature before you start. Cold ingredients fight each other and can lead to a dense crumb or a lumpy frosting. If you are short on time, set eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and microwave softened dairy in very short bursts, stirring between bursts.
2. When you fold the wet and dry components together, stop mixing as soon as the streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing develops gluten even in cake flour and will rob the cake of tenderness. Use a rubber spatula for the final additions and scrape the bowl bottom and sides gently.
3. Zest the lemons before juicing them and measure the zest packed lightly. Fresh zest gives a lively citrus aroma that bottled extracts cannot match. If you want a brighter lemon profile, add an extra teaspoon of zest to the frosting rather than more juice so the texture stays stable.
4. For even layers and a flat top, rotate the pans halfway through baking and check doneness with a toothpick inserted near the center. If the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling so they do not steam and become soggy.
5. Chill the filled and frosted cake briefly before final smoothing. A 20 to 30 minute chill firms the frosting and makes it much easier to get clean edges and a smooth finish. Bring the cake back to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the frosting is creamy and the flavors sing.
Lemon Velvet Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
I can’t resist a cake that looks this sunny and slices into the softest lemon-kissed crumb. With cream cheese richness and bright citrus sparkle, this Lemon Velvet Cake is the kind of dessert that disappears fast.
12
servings
670
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (preheated to 350 F)
2. Two 9 inch round cake pans (plus parchment paper to line them)
3. Mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
4. Electric mixer (handheld or stand)
5. Measuring cups and spoons (dry and liquid)
6. Whisk and rubber spatula
7. Citrus zester or fine grater and small measuring cup for juice
8. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for confectioners sugar
9. Wire cooling rack
10. Serrated knife or cake leveler and an offset spatula for frosting
Ingredients
-
2 1/2 cups cake flour
-
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-
1 teaspoon baking soda
-
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
-
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
-
2 cups granulated sugar
-
4 large eggs, room temperature
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1 cup sour cream
-
1/2 cup whole milk
-
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 lemons)
-
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
-
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
-
3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
-
1 tablespoon lemon zest (for frosting)
-
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
-
Pinch of fine salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease and line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment; lightly flour the pans and tap out excess.
- Whisk together 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 2 cups granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add 4 large room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- In a measuring cup combine 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean; cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter until smooth, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of fine salt.
- Gradually add 3 to 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar to the cream cheese mixture, beating to a creamy, spreadable consistency and adjusting sugar amount for desired sweetness and thickness.
- Level cake layers if needed, spread a layer of frosting between layers, frost the top and sides, chill briefly to set, then serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 120g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 670kcal
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.3g
- Monounsaturated: 10.4g
- Cholesterol: 123mg
- Sodium: 344mg
- Potassium: 87mg
- Carbohydrates: 97g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Sugar: 72g
- Protein: 6.8g
- Vitamin A: 800IU
- Vitamin C: 5mg
- Calcium: 41mg
- Iron: 0.6mg
