We all love lemon, and we all love cake. But so many lemon cakes are fancy, layered affairs. Not this one. It’s a simple treat that’s easy to make and easy to serve (straight from the pan). You’ll love that there’s plenty of lemon flavor without the need for extracts, gelatin, or anything like that. Just fresh zest and fresh juice.
It’s totally from scratch but still simple. This method uses hot milk and butter for an extra-moist cake with great texture. If you’ve never tried it before, you’ll love this technique.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Make sure you use fresh lemons for the best flavor. After all, they are the whole point of the cake. I used yellow food coloring, but it is optional. Without it, your cake will just look like a classic yellow cake. Still beautiful!
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This will make 16 pieces. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- saucepan
- 10×15 rimmed jelly-roll pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoon pieces
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
- ¾ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 drops lemon food coloring, optional
Lemon Buttercream
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (1.5 sticks)
- 3 ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
- pinch salt
- additional lemon for garnish
How to Make Lemon Sheet Cake
So if you’ve never made a cake with this method, it’s going to seem a little weird. The method seems strange, and it even looks weird pulling it out of the oven. But do not worry! The texture is tender and fluffy, and stays moist.
Step One: Make the Batter
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and prepare a jelly roll pan with baking spray. (I used an 10 x 15 pan)
We’re going to start by mixing the dry ingredients and setting them aside.
Then beat the eggs and sugar, yes, just the eggs and sugar, in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Turn it up to medium-high and beat until they are fluffy. Lift up the whisk and look for the batter to fall off in thick ribbons.
Next, add those dry ingredients.
And finally comes the weird part. We have to heat milk, just to a simmer. Then remove it from the heat and mix in the butter and vegetable oil, stirring until they are melted and combined.
Finally, add the lemon juice and zest, scraping down the bowl to make sure everything is totally incorporated.
Step Two: Bake and Frost
Pour all the batter into the prepared baking sheet, and bake! The cake will take anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes. It’s ready when a toothpick comes out clean.
Let it cool completely, right in the pan. To make the frosting, just dump everything in your mixer bowl and blend. Start slow so you don’t get covered in powdered sugar. Add a bit more sugar or cream until it’s the consistency you like. No need to over-complicate things.
Make sure the cake is cool, spread on the frosting, and you’re done!
Cut it up and serve. You could place slices on a serving tray, or be lazy like me and serve it right out of the pan. Isn’t that the point of a sheet cake anyway?
Storage Instructions
Store the cake in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge. For the best flavor and texture, eat the cake within a few days of baking. But it will still be delicious for up to a week.
You can freeze this recipe, and it will still be delicious! Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap before freezing.
What to Serve
Serve this with a summer lunch or dinner.
- This cucumber salad is a budget-friendly classic.
- Strawberry peach sangria is perfect for a girl’s party.
- Creamy spinach and chicken penne is a quick one-pot meal.
Questions and Troubleshooting
Yes, the full recipe will make 2 standard loaves 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5. You’ll need to bake for about 40 minutes and spray your loaf pans very well.
Yes, but the cake won’t be as moist and won’t keep as well.
Yes! Sweetened whipped cream is delicious on top.
More Fresh and Springy Desserts
- Lemon lovers will enjoy this Bundt cake with lemon and coconut.
- This strawberry Texas sheet cake looks and tastes incredible.
- And there’s nothing wrong with a cupcake filled with lemon curd!
Printable Recipe
Lemon Sheet Cake With Fresh Lemon Buttercream
Equipment
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- saucepan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter room temperature, cut into tablespoon pieces
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
- ¾ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 drops lemon food coloring optional
Lemon Buttercream
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (1.5 sticks)
- 3 ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
- pinch salt
- additional lemon for garnish
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 325℉ with a baking rack in the center. Prepare a rimmed jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine eggs and sugar with dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and sugar (yes, just the eggs and sugar!) on medium-high speed with the whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined, scraping down the sides if needed.
- Add milk, butter, and lemon. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until just beginning to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the vegetable oil and butter. Stir until the butter melts. Pour the warm milk mixture into the batter. Beat until combined. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest (and food coloring if using) and stir by hand with a spatula.
- Bake. Pour batter into a rimmed pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake will look a little weird and spongy. That's normal. Allow it to cool completely in the pan before frosting.
Make the Lemon Frosting
- Make the frosting. Beat the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream using an electric stand mixer. If needed, add the additional ½ tablespoon of cream (or more) until the frosting is the desired consistency.
- Assemble. Frost the cake and serve directly out of the pan. Top with thin lemon slices or lemon zest curls. Refrigerate any leftovers.
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Notes
Nutrition
Love,
I have tried several lemon cake recipes and none were even close to this one. This one will be a new go to recipe. I have already shared it with a friend.
I’m so happy you tried it Margaret! It’s never been one of my more popular recipes but I wish people would make it more. Thank you for letting me know! 🙂