Name: Lemon Velvet Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 43 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup unsalted butter, (room temperature); 1 large whole egg, (room temperature); 3 large egg whites, (room temperature); 1 cup buttermilk, (room temperature); 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest; ¼ cup fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon lemon extract, (optional for stronger lemon flavor); 16 ounces cream cheese, (room temperature); 1 cup unsalted butter, (room temperature); 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest, (plus additional for optional garnish); 7 ½ to 8 cups powdered sugar, (sifted (start with 7 ½ cups, adding the additional ½ cup if needed for desired consistency)); ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Every family has one person who loves lemon more than anyone else. Maybe it is your mom, your mother-in-law, or you. That person has eaten a lifetime of lemon cakes and remembers the good ones.

This lemon velvet cake, a soft, moist layer cake with lemon cream cheese frosting, is the one I bake when I want to make that list of good ones.

A close-up of a spatula lifting a slice of Lemon Velvet Cake, showcasing its two tender layers with creamy white frosting and bright lemon zest, set against a tiled background.

The recipe makes two 9-inch layers and cuts into 10 to 12 slices. If you want cupcakes instead, use my lemon cupcakes recipe.

Ingredient Notes

Assorted baking ingredients on a counter, including flour, sugar, buttermilk, butter, eggs, lemons, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar—perfect for creating Lemon Velvet Cake—set against a clean white tiled background. — Everything you need for lemon velvet cake, including fresh lemons, buttermilk, and cream cheese.

Full recipe, including the complete ingredients list, is in the recipe card below.

You Don’t Need Lemon Extract

The fresh zest and juice carry the lemon flavor in both the cake and the frosting. I tested my recipe with and without lemon extract. My verdict was that the flavor of this lemon velvet cake was perfect without it.

If you like a stronger lemon flavor, add the half teaspoon of lemon extract. If you don’t have extract on hand, this is one lemon cake that will not fall flat without it.

Room Temperature Ingredients

Take the butter, eggs, and buttermilk out of the fridge before you start:

This cake mixes the butter into the flour first, and soft butter is, naturally, what makes the cake soft.
If the eggs or buttermilk go in cold, they turn the butter into hard bits that never mix in. The bits sink while the cake bakes, and you get a wet, heavy layer across the bottom. It has ruined whole cakes, including a wedding cake.

How To Know When It’s Done

The cake is done when a toothpick poked into the center comes out with a few dry crumbs. If it comes out with wet batter, give it two more minutes and check again.

In recipe testing, the center was still wet at 23 minutes and needed the full 25. Start checking at 23, but plan on the full time. Take the cake out as soon as it’s ready. Overbaking is what dries out a cake this soft.

A frosted Lemon Velvet Cake with swirls of icing on top sits on a white cake stand. A large slice is missing. Lemon slices and whole lemons are nearby on a wooden table.

Don’t Miss This Step

Chill the frosting before you frost the cake: When the frosting comes off the mixer, put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes while the layers finish cooling.

My independent recipe tester, Angela, found out why chilling the frosting matters. She skipped the step and the frosting ran off the first layer, squeezed out under the second, and slid down the sides.

A Lemon Velvet Cake on a white stand is being frosted with a spatula. The cake has two layers with frosting in the middle and on top. The scene is set on a white surface with a white tiled background.

From her notes: “I fought with it for a while but realized the more I messed with it the softer the frosting was getting, so I put the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes. After that, the frosting was solid enough to finish frosting the cake as well as adding dollops on top.” Starting cold skips all of that.

A round, frosted Lemon Velvet Cake with swirls of icing on top sits on a white cake stand. Fresh lemons and plates are nearby on a wooden table.

Key Steps When It Comes To The Frosting

Keep the frosting between the layers at the amount on the recipe card. A thick middle layer is what lets the top cake slide sideways.

If cream cheese frosting is usually too sweet for you, know that the sugar here is doing a job. It keeps the frosting stiff enough to hold dollops and clean edges. Leave out the last half cup if you want, but do not cut more than that or the frosting will not stay on the sides of the cake.

If you would rather skip cream cheese frosting entirely, my lemon buttercream works on this cake.

Let The Cake Warm Up Before You Serve It

A cold slice tastes drier than it really is, because the butter in the cake and the frosting firms up in the refrigerator. Give it 20 minutes on the counter before serving and the soft crumb comes back.

A slice of Lemon Velvet Cake with white frosting and yellow zest is being lifted from a whole cake, which is garnished with piped frosting and lemon zest, on a wooden table.

Make this for the lemon person in your family and watch their face on the first bite. If it goes over well, my lemon sour cream cake is the next one to make.

This recipe was originally published in November 2023. It was updated in July 2026 with new photos and changes to the recipe to give it the signature smooth lemon flavor our readers were looking for.

Lemon Velvet Cake

5 from 5 votes

Lemon velvet cake is a delectable dessert featuring a soft texture and a vibrant lemony flavor, providing a delightful citrus-infused treat that's perfect for lemon lovers.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 23

Total Time 43

Servings

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Ingredients

Cake

2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract, optional for stronger lemon flavor

Frosting

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest, plus additional for optional garnish
7 ½ to 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted (start with 7 ½ cups, adding the additional ½ cup if needed for desired consistency)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick baker’s spray and line with parchment rounds. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the softened butter and beat on low speed with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the whole egg, egg whites, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract if using.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix on medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes or until the batter is well mixed. The batter may not get completely smooth. A few small lumps of butter are fine and the cake will still bake up moist and tender.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes or just until the centers spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the cake.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Be sure to remove the parchment from the bottom of the cakes.

Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium-high speed, cream together the softened cream cheese and butter for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed to ensure even mixing.
Add the lemon zest and mix just until fully incorporated.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 7½ cups powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Stop and scrape the bowl and paddle as needed.
Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix the frosting until light and fluffy. If needed, add the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar for a spreadable frosting consistency.
Place one of the cooled cake layers onto a serving plate. Spread about 1½ cups of frosting evenly over the cake. Top with the second cake layer, frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. If the frosting is too soft and slides down the sides, put the cake in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes to firm up the frosting. Then finish frosting the cake.
Garnish the top of the cake with dollops around the edge and sprinkle fresh lemon zest in the middle, if desired before slicing and serving. You can refrigerate the frosted cake for 15-20 minutes to firm up the frosting slightly for cleaner slices.

Notes

Room temperature butter should be soft enough to leave a thumb print in the butter but not push all the way through. This will help to ensure the proper texture of both the cake batter and frosting.
Using full-fat block-style cream cheese will yield the best results for the frosting.
Cake pan strips (also known as baking strips) can be used to help ensure your cake layers bake up evenly with no dome in the center. Be sure to follow the recommended directions on the package. If not using them, you can use a long serrated knife to carefully level the top of the cakes before layering and frosting.