This ultra-moist, simple Lemon Sheet Cake is a lemon lover’s dream. It bursts with fresh, bright lemon flavor, has a tender buttery crumb, and is finished with a smooth lemon cream cheese frosting. It’s an award-winning crowd-pleaser that reliably disappears fast.
If you enjoy sheet cakes, try the red velvet sheet cake or the Texas chocolate sheet cake with buttermilk for other easy crowd-friendly desserts.
After my lemon layer cake gained popularity, I wanted a simpler version with the same bright flavor but less fuss. This 9×13 lemon sheet cake delivers the same fresh lemon notes without the need to stack or decorate layers. I tested it repeatedly until I found a straightforward method that yields consistently excellent results.
I even entered this recipe in a county baking competition — it won first place. That’s all the proof you need: this lemon sheet cake is the real deal.
Table of contents
- Recipe Highlights
- Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- How To Make Lemon Sheet Cake From Scratch
- Pro Baking Tips
- More Homemade Lemon Cake Recipes
This recipe is designed to be reliable and approachable. It’s simple enough for a weekday bake yet attractive enough for birthdays, cookouts, and potlucks. The result is a moist, tender cake with vivid lemon flavor and a creamy frosting that complements it perfectly.
Recipe Highlights
- Bakery-quality at home: Using cake flour and a simple resting technique produces a soft, delicate crumb that feels like a bakery cake.
- Easy and straightforward: The batter mixes in one bowl and bakes in a single 9×13-inch pan—no layer assembly or complicated decorating.
- Great for feeding a crowd: Easy to slice, transport, and serve, this cake is ideal for gatherings and celebrations.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
(See the recipe card below for exact measurements.)
- Cake flour: This is the best choice for a light, plush texture thanks to its lower protein content. All-purpose flour will work as a substitute with slight differences in texture.
- Lemon zest: Rubbing zest into the sugar releases essential oils and spreads bright citrus flavor evenly through the batter.
- Lemon emulsion or extract: Emulsion delivers a true lemon flavor I prefer, but lemon extract works fine as a substitute.
- Whole milk: Adds moisture while keeping the crumb light. Using room-temperature milk helps achieve an even batter.
- Fresh lemon juice: Fresh juice provides the brightest flavor and a touch of acidity that helps tenderize the crumb.
- Butter + vegetable oil: Combining salted butter and oil balances flavor and keeps the cake moist for longer than butter alone.
- Cream cheese for frosting: This recipe uses just 4 ounces of cream cheese in the frosting to keep it tangy but still fluffy and stable.
How To Make Lemon Sheet Cake From Scratch
Prep: Line the pan and mix dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch pan and line it with parchment. In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
Make the lemon sugar. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar for a few minutes until fragrant and slightly pale yellow.
Prepare the batter. Combine the butter and vegetable oil with the lemon sugar and beat until light. Add eggs one at a time, then the lemon juice and extracts. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk until just combined for a tender crumb.
Bake the cake. Spread batter evenly and bake 42–48 minutes, or until a toothpick returns a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a parchment-lined rack and cover while it cools completely to retain moisture.
Make the frosting. Beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth, then add lemon juice and emulsion. Gently add cream cheese in small pieces so the frosting remains light and silky. Spread over the completely cooled cake.
Pro Baking Tips
- Zest before juicing: Work carefully to avoid the bitter white pith beneath the rind.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: This ensures even blending and a smooth, uniform batter.
- Don’t overmix: Once the flour is added, mix only until combined to avoid developing excess gluten.
- Cover the cake while it cools: Tent or loosely wrap the warm cake to trap some steam and keep it moist.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Bake a day ahead and keep the unfrosted cake tightly covered. For best texture, frost just before serving.
Because the frosting contains cream cheese, store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator. Let slices come to room temperature briefly before serving for best flavor.
Fresh lemon juice is recommended for the brightest taste and to use the zest from the same fruit. Bottled juice can work in a pinch but will not be as vibrant.
More Homemade Lemon Cake Recipes
Desserts
Moist Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd
Desserts
Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Desserts
Lemon Blackberry Cake
Desserts
Lemon Meringue Cake
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If you try this cake, please leave a rating and comment on the recipe card. Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on social media or use #britneybreaksbread so your creation can be celebrated.
Lemon Sheet Cake
Equipment
-
Stand mixer (or electric hand mixer)
-
Microplane or zester
-
Mixing bowls
-
9×13 baking pan (metal or ceramic)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon zest
- 3/4 cup (168 g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, room temperature
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon emulsion (or lemon extract)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup (60 g) lemon juice
- 3 3/4 cups (450 g) cake flour (see notes for all-purpose substitution)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup (360 g) whole milk, room temperature
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon emulsion
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan or line it with parchment and set aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together: cake flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and lemon zest in the mixer bowl and rub together until the sugar is fragrant and slightly pale.
- Add butter and oil to the lemon sugar and beat until light and creamy, about 4–5 minutes.
- Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon emulsion, vanilla, and almond extracts.
- Alternate adding half the dry ingredients and then the milk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 42–48 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a parchment-lined rack. Cover while it cools completely to trap moisture.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter until fluffy, then add powdered sugar in two additions, mixing until smooth. Add lemon juice and emulsion. With the mixer running, add cream cheese in small pieces until fully incorporated and creamy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Garnish with extra lemon zest or thin lemon slices if desired. Slice and serve.
Notes
Flour substitution: If using all-purpose flour, weigh 467 g instead of 450 g to get a similar texture.
Tips:
- Cover the cake while it cools: A loose wrap traps steam and helps retain moisture.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: This helps the batter come together smoothly.
- Measure flour by weight: For consistent results, use a scale—too much flour makes the cake dry.
- Avoid over-mixing: Mix only until ingredients are combined after adding flour.
Nutrition
, Carbohydrates: 82 g
, Protein: 6 g
, Fat: 32 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @BritneyBreaksBread or tag #BritneyBreaksBread to share your creation.