Lemon Cake for a Crowd

Lemon zest and lemon juice ensure this lemon cake recipe is bursting with lemon taste! The cake batter bakes up mild and fluffy. And when you slather the highest of the cake with cream cheese frosting and lemon curd, it’s able to serve. No fussing with a couple of cake layers!

I Love Lemon Cake (And You Will, Too)

Something you must find out about me? I’m a die-hard lemon lover who takes her lemon muffins very significantly! I really like lemon cake recipes particularly as a result of they’re mild, refreshing, and very best for nearly any instance. And any time of 12 months.

Sunday brunch… Mom’s Day… Easter… Christmas… or an off-the-cuff picnic within the park. Lemon cake suits the invoice! I exploit conventional lemons for this recipe, however for those who’re fortunate sufficient to have meyer lemons readily available, through all method, use them! They’ll paintings nice and can give this cake an additional candy and colourful lemon taste.

Why this Lemon Cake Recipe is a Winner

Gentle and fluffy cake texture
Sunshiny candy lemon taste due to lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice
Bakes in a 9×13-inch baking pan, making it very best for serving a crowd
The flat cake layer makes adorning a breeze!
Crowned with cream cheese frosting AND lemon curd, it’s scrumptious and lovely
One million instances higher than boxed lemon cake combine (ew)

Easy methods to Make Lemon Cake

Make the Lemon Cake Batter: Use an electrical mixer to make the cake batter. Ensure to not over combine the cake batter. Pour the batter into the ready baking pan and easy the highest.
Bake the Lemon Cake: Position the cake within the oven and bake till mild and fluffy. And a toothpick inserted in the midst of the cake layer comes out blank. Take care to not over bake this cake! Over baked muffins will probably be dry and dense.
Cool the Lemon Cake: Position the entire cake – pan and all – on a cord cooling rack. Cool at room temperature. As soon as cool, you’ll be able to embellish within the pan or take away the cake from the pan.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: About quarter-hour ahead of you propose on adorning your cake, make the frosting. You’ll want an electrical mixer for this step.
Beautify the Lemon Cake: As soon as the cake layer is totally cool, slather cream cheese frosting everywhere the tops of the cake. Then upload dollops of lemon curd and swirl. It’s essential to even upload some contemporary blueberries or raspberries, to actually make it additional.

Lemon Cake Batter

You’ll desire a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a big bowl and an electrical mixer for this recipe.
Sadly, you’ll be able to’t make this lemon cake batter with out an electrical mixer. You wish to have to overcome the granulated sugar and butter with this device till mild and fluffy.
Not like numerous lemon cake recipes, there’s no want to mix the sugar and lemon zest in combination ahead of use. Simply upload those elements one at a time, when the recipe requires them.
You’ll desire a 9×13 baking pan and parchment paper for this recipe. Not like numerous lemon sheet muffins, I don’t use a sheet pan as a result of this cake has such a lot batter.
I don’t advise the use of this recipe to make layer muffins or cupcakes.
I HIGHLY suggest the use of a kitchen scale to weigh your all-purpose flour. I examined this recipe 8 instances and it’s now not tremendous forgiving. An excessive amount of and your cake will probably be bone dry.
Be certain your flour, baking powder, and baking soda are all contemporary and now not expired.
Your rainy/cast elements are butter, eggs, lemon extract, vanilla extract, lemon juice, bitter cream, and buttermilk. I do know buttermilk is a ache, but it surely’s crucial.
You’ll be able to all the time make a home made buttermilk if want be. Merely mix one scant cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Put aside for roughly 5 mins. This may occasionally permit the mix to curdle.

Flour Communicate: Can I Use Cake Flour?

Sure, you’ll be able to use cake flour as a substitute of all goal flour if desired. This cake is mild and fluffy with out it. And because all-purpose flour is each less expensive and extra simply to be had, I selected to make use of it on this recipe.
But when you wish to have the softest cake imaginable, cake flour is a smart selection! You’ll be able to merely sub cake flour for the all-purpose flour. That transfer does now not require some other adjustments on this recipe.
I don’t counsel the use of some other number of flour, reminiscent of almond flour, coconut flour, or entire wheat flour.
A 1-for-1 Gluten loose flour may paintings pleased with this recipe. However I haven’t examined this, so it’s going to be an experiment.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting: Yum!

This lemon cream cheese frosting is to-die-for! Made with butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Plus, a ton of powdered sugar, which binds the whole lot in combination and wonder issues up!
I don’t counsel decreasing the quantity of confectioners’ sugar referred to as for. Decreasing the quantity will lead to a runny cream cheese frosting.
You’ll want a big bowl and an electrical hand-held mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for this recipe.
In case you don’t like cream cheese frosting, take a look at a white chocolate frosting as a substitute.

Beautify the Lemon Cake

You understand I really like making issues beautiful, so clearly I needed to doll this lemon cake up and make it a showstopper!
To do this I merely added some dollops of lemon curd and contemporary lemon slices on best! I used about 1/2 cup of lemon curd in overall. Use roughly as you spot are compatible!
I made the swirls the use of a protracted wood skewer, however a pointy skinny knife or toothpick would additionally paintings smartly.
Upload skinny lemon slices on best for much more pizzazz! Recent lemon slices paintings nice however so do candied orange slices.
After all, you’ll be able to additionally skip these kinds of steps and easily serve with the cream cheese frosting on best. This cake does now not require any garnish or adorning!

Easy methods to Retailer Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Uncut, this cake will stay at room temperature for three days. Duvet with a cake keeper or loosely duvet with plastic wrap.
Once you are taking a slice out of this cake, moisture starts to flee. That is what reasons cake to get dry and rancid.
Offer protection to the sliced edges through urgent a work of plastic wrap immediately onto the sliced house of the cake. Be certain it clings firmly to the lower house.

This submit might include associate hyperlinks!

Extra Lemon Muffins:

Ashley Manila

My lemon cake for a crowd is wet, fluffy, and loaded with contemporary lemon taste! Crowned with silky easy lemon cream cheese frosting, dollops of lemon curd, and contemporary lemon slices, that is considered one of my most well liked lemon muffins. Bonus: this lemon sheet cake is very easy and feeds a crowd!