Lemon Cake Recipe

By BakingTwins
Updated on July 15, 2025

What is lemon cake?

Lemon cake is a dense, flavorful and very popular cake. Lemon is used to provide its unique flavor to a variety of cakes, including bundt, angel food or white cakes. However, lemon cake commonly refers to loaf cake with a tighter grain and more elastic crumb, much like a pound cake.

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

½ cup butter

2 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder

¾ cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Step 1: Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Step 1

Step 2: Beat sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
Step 2

Step 3: Sift flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl; add to creamed mixture until incorporated.
Step 3

Step 4: Pour in milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice; mix until smooth.
Step 4

Step 5: Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
Step 5

Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Step 6

Step 7: Let cake cool before cutting into squares. Enjoy!
Step 7