Lemon Buttermilk Cake - Gonna Want Seconds (2024)

This lemon buttermilk cake is tender, velvety, very sweet, and has the perfect amount of tangy lemon flavor. It has a glaze then a unique lemony-sugar topping in lieu of frosting that it absolutely out of this world! It’s just one of those simple and delicious cake recipes that’s hard to beat.

If you love lemon as much as I do I hope you’ll try my classic lemon pound cake, lemon cream cheese pound cake, and my lemon zucchini bread next!

Let’s bake this cake!

What I Love About This Recipe

• Simple ingredients
• Polished presentation
• Tangy lemon flavor

How To Make Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a liquid measuring cup combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl add sugar and lemon zest. Using an electric mixer set on medium, beat until mixture is very fragrant 1-2 minutes. Transfer 1/4 cup of the sugar mixture to a small bowl and set it aside. Add butter to the remaining sugar mixture and beat until the mixture is fluffy about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until combined. Add the egg yolk and mix to combine. Set mixer to low speed and add flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk mixture. Mix until ingredients are just blended.

4. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in a pan set on a wire baking rack for 10 minutes.

5. Make the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, lemon juice, and buttermilk together until even and smooth. Spread glaze over warm cake then evenly sprinkle the reserved sugar lemon zest mixture over the top. Cool the cake completely before serving for at least 2 hours. Serve

***See the full instructions below.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake Ingredients + Notes

• Room Temp: For best results, have your buttermilk, butter, and eggs at room temperature. Room temp is different for everyone but in cooking it is quite often between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Zesting: Be sure to use a shallow hand when zesting your lemon. Try not to remove any of the bitter white pith attached to the lemon. Use a micro planer to zest the lemon.
• Cake Flour: You’ll want to use cake flour rather than all-purpose flour. Cake flour is delicate with a lower protein content which makes it bake up light and fluffy. The cake flour will create a velvety crumb in the cake.
• Why separate wet and dry:Blending wet and dry ingredients separately ensures an even mixture! You don’t want all your flavor in one corner of the cake, all your baking soda in a second, and all your salt in a third!
• Why cream the sugar and lemon zest: This unusual technique infuses the sugar with oil from the lemon peel and intensifies that lemony zing! Blend for two minutes for best results. The lemon sugar really makes this cake stand out!
• Don’t over-mix: Over-mixing this cake (or any cake) batter will result in a dense lifeless product instead of a light and fluffy delight.
• Why cool before serving: If you dig in too soon, the cake will adhere to the knife and your slices may come out a crumbly mess.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

This gorgeous refreshing cake is a cake that is best kept in the fridge. You’ll want to wrap it well to protect it from air and moisture as well as the other food item scents in the fridge. A spaghetti aftertaste kinda’ throws the whole thing off.

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? If you can keep it around this long, your tangy cake will last for up to a week in the fridge. That is, of course, provided that it’s covered well and properly stored.
• Can You Freeze This? Absolutely!! This scrumptious lemon cake freezes really well, and it may be the only way to save yourself some! Simply double-wrap it in foil or cling wrap before sliding it into a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and you’re ready to serve.
• Make-Ahead Tips: Making this decadent cake is all about combining the ingredients properly and drizzling the glaze over warm cake. This cake has to be made all at one time, but it takes less than an hour. If you’re prepping ahead, there’s nothing wrong with going the freezer route.
• Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

More Lovely Lemon Recipes

• Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Lemon Ricotta Cookies
• Lemon Bars
• Lemon Brownies
• Lemon Blueberry Bars
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Reader Interactions