Name: Lemon Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Brand: iscreamforbuttercream.com
SKU: iscreamforbuttercream-com-2
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Lemon Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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×The best lemon velvet cake that’s a perfect balance of tangy lemon flavor and a velvety, moist texture topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.This cake will definitely leave you craving more. It’s moist and soft and the cream cheese buttercream is rich with a creamy texture that perfectly complements the bright lemon flavors.Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!Jump to:You’ve heard of red velvet cake, well this is the lemon version of that beloved cake. It’s a tangy, zesty twist on the classic red velvet cake.If you are a lover of lemon desserts, this lemon velvet cake is the perfect addition to your recipe collection. It is easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing. You can serve it as a birthday cake, a dessert for a family dinner, at a potluck, get-together, wedding or anytime you crave lemon cake.This is a scratch lemon cake, but it’s actually easier to make than you might think.Now let’s talk a little about some of the ingredients in this lemon cake and frosting. (The printable list of all ingredients are in the recipe card below.)Butter: Using real butter just makes cakes taste amazing. Not only does it add moisture to the cake, but it adds so much buttery flavor.Buttermilk: Velvet cakes traditionally include buttermilk and this cake doesn’t break from that tradition.Buttermilk helps give the cake a soft and velvety texture. Don’t worry though, the cake does NOT taste like buttermilk. You don’t even know it’s in it.All-purpose flour: We’re using just plain ‘un-fancy’ flour for this cake, so it’s hopefully something you already have handy.Lemon zest: This will add a lot of lemon flavor. Just make sure when you zest the lemons that you only get the yellow part and not the white part zested.Lemon extract: This is an important part of this cake as it adds so much lemon flavor. Without it, the cake just won’t have as much lemon flavor.Cream cheese: This is used to make the lemon cream cheese buttercream and I think the tanginess of the cream cheese frosting goes perfectly with the zest of the lemon cake.(Make sure to check out the FAQ section below in this post for ingredient and substitution questions.)Let’s talk about how to make this lemon cake with lemon cream cheese frosting. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)The first step is to make the cake. To start, make sure to preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. That’s very important.Next, grease and flour two 8″ round cake pans. You’ll want to make sure they’re greased very well as this cake is delicate and will stick otherwise.In one bowl, add the oil, vanilla, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon extract and 1-2 drops of concentrated gel yellow food coloring then mix that well and set aside.In another bowl, add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix that well and set aside.Next, take a larger mixing bowl and add the butter and sugar. Mix that with an electric mixer on medium-high to high for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.Now add the eggs one at a time and mix for about 20 seconds after each egg is added.Next, alternately add in the dry and liquid ingredients starting and ending with the dry ingredients.Be super careful only to mix until just combined after each addition. Mixing too long or at too high a speed will ruin the texture of a scratch cake.Now, pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes on the middle rack.Note that the cake layers will bake up with flat tops and that’s completely fine.Let the cake layers cool on wire racks, still inside the pans, for only about 15 minutes or so.After about 15 minutes, remove the cake layers from the pans and let them cool completely on the racks before adding the frosting.While the cake layers are cooling, make the frosting.Take a large bowl and add the room temperature cream cheese and the butter and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.Add the lemon extract, lemon zest, salt and mix again.Add the confectioner’s sugar a bit at a time, mixing after each addition.Add a drop or two of yellow gel food coloring if desired and mix again for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.Add the frosting to the cooled cake layers and enjoy.(Remember that the instructions will also be in the recipe card below.)Can I use margarine instead of butter? Butter is best for this cake. It gives the best flavor and texture. You are welcome to experiment using margarine instead of butter, but I cannot guarantee the same results. Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted? Unsalted is always best because you can estimate the proper amount of salt that will be added plus salted has a different water content than unsalted. However, if you’re unable to get unsalted butter, you can use salted in the cake and the buttercream, but omit the additional salt that each recipe calls for. Can I substitute the buttermilk? It’s really best if you can use real buttermilk as it makes for a softer texture and really helps give the cake flavor. It will give you that classic velvet cake texture.If you can’t get it, you can substitute with this sour milk recipe:For every cup of buttermilk called for, fill a measuring cup with 1 cup of regular milk, take out 1 tablespoon and replace it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and stir well. Let sit for five minutes, then it’s ready to use.This will not work exactly the same as buttermilk but can work in a pinch. Do I have to add the lemon zest? Yes as the lemon zest will give the cake it’s lemon flavor. Do I have to use the lemon extract? If you don’t use it, the cake may not have enough lemon flavor. Can I use lemon juice instead of lemon extract? Lemon juice will not give enough flavor if used in place of lemon extract. If you add a lot of lemon juice in the attempt to substitute the extract, you will be adding in too much liquid and that will throw off the ingredient ratios. The cake texture will not come out correctly.You can, however, leave the lemon extract out of the frosting if you don’t want to add more lemon flavor to that. Can I substitute the baking soda for baking powder or vice versa? No, you don’t want to do that. Those are different and cannot be substituted for each other. If you’d like more information on the difference, check out this blog post: Baking Powder vs Baking Soda Do I have to add the yellow gel food coloring? No, you can omit that, but the cake probably won’t have the lemon yellow color. Can I use liquid food coloring instead of gel food coloring? Yes, however, you’ll have to use quite a bit more to get the same amount of coloring. Tip for measuring flour: Make sure not to pack the flour down into the measuring cup when you’re measuring. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off, but don’t scoop the flour with the measuring cup as that can end up adding too much flour to the batter and will make the cake dry and/or dense. Can I substitute the baking soda for baking powder or vice versa? No, you don’t want to do that. Those are different and cannot be substituted for each other. If you’d like more information on the difference, check out this blog post: Baking Powder vs Baking Soda Can I use a different frosting than the lemon cream cheese frosting? Yes, you can use whatever frosting you prefer. Batter mixing tip: Be very careful not to mix the batter too long. Scratch cakes should not be mixed for minutes at a time, or they will become dense. Stop mixing once the ingredients are well incorporated. How can I tell when this cake is done baking? This cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs on it or clean, but no raw batter. My cake layers baked flat on the top, why? These cake layers will bake flatter on the top. That’s not a bad thing. There is alot of moisture in these cake layers. It’s also easier to decorate a layer cake when the layers have flat tops. It has no effect on the taste of the cake. Can this cake be frozen? The cake layers can be made ahead of time and frozen if desired. Let the baked cake layers cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer for up to a month.To thaw, place the wrapped cake layers on the counter at room temperature and let thaw completely, then remove the wrapping. Once defrosted, add the frosting. How do I store this cake and how long does it last? This cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can last up to 5 days. What’s the best way to serve/eat this cake? Most cakes are best served close to room temperature, especially when made with butter like this one. If the cake is cold, set it out to come closer to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.You can also pop a slice in the microwave to warm up a bit, but be careful as the cream cheese buttercream can melt quickly. Is this cake good for stacking (a tiered cake)? This cake is very delicate. It may work as a stacked (tiered) cake, but you will need to make sure that it is properly supported with cake boards and dowels. Can this cake be made into cupcakes? I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Fill 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with cupcake liners and fill with batter about ⅔ of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes. Can this cake be made into a bundt cake? I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Add to a very well greased and floured pan and bake at 325 degrees F and start checking at about 40 minutes, but will probably take longer to finish baking. Can this cake be made in a 13×9 inch pan? I have not tested this recipe out as cupcakes, but it should work just fine. Add to sprayed or greased and floured 13×9 inch baking diesh and bake at 325 degrees F and start checking at about 40 minutes.***I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are used to seeing and using. For weight in metric measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s a best guess. Please note that because I develop recipes using ‘cups’ I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results.The best lemon velvet cake that’s a perfect balance of tangy lemon flavor and a velvety, moist texture topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.from votesPrintPinRateUS Customary – MetricI’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!« White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake (a copycat recipe)Vanilla Wafer Cake »Hello dear Kara,I hope you are feeling well and your eye is better. Thanks for this new recipe! I have a friend whose birthday is coming up and she loves orange. Do you think one could substitute orange zest, and emulsion instead of lemon and make it an orange velvet cake? God bless, ArletteReplyHi, I'm so glad you're here! Cake shows up at our most important and happiest moments in life, like birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. It's also for those everyday moments...it makes them even better.Put simply, cake just makes us happy! I love trying out new cake flavor combinations and decorating ideas. Have a look around and I bet you can find a cake recipe or tutorial for any of life's big moments and those everyday moments too. Click here if you want to learn moreabout me!

×The best lemon velvet cake that’s a perfect balance of tangy lemon flavor and a velvety, moist texture topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.This cake will definitely leave you craving more. It’s moist and soft and the cream cheese buttercream is rich with a creamy texture that perfectly complements the bright lemon flavors.Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!Jump to:You’ve heard of red velvet cake, well this is the lemon version of that beloved cake. It’s a tangy, zesty...

Lemon Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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