Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe – This simple southern lemon layer cake is soft and moist with a tangy buttermilk frosting. It’s a tender, sweet cake that is sure to become a family favorite!

A slice of lemon buttermilk cake on a blue plate, with the rest of the cake on a stand in the background.
Sommer headshot.

Sommer’s Recipe Notes

When I first moved to the South, I didn’t realize there was a difference between a Southern cake… And all other cakes. In fact, I might go as far as to say I never truly had a mind-blowing cake until I moved to North Carolina.

For those of you living anywhere else in the country (or the world), a Southern cake has nothing to do with the style or flavor of the cake. Instead, it has everything to do with the overall texture, moistness, and sweetness.

Why We Love This Buttermilk Cake Recipe

I have eaten more than my fair share of cakes in my lifetime, and this Lemon Buttermilk Cake checks off all the boxes, plus some!

  • It is super soft and light with a fine, delicate crumb. It’s the kind you have to be careful about flipping out of the pan so that it doesn’t fall apart.
  • It is very moist and tender due to the addition of buttermilk. There is nothing “bready” about a southern cake. If you press down on a piece with your fingers, you can almost squeeze out the butter or oil. Plus, the moisture in the frosting prevents the cake layers from drying out.
  • It is, in fact, sugary-sweet. Although I tend to like desserts to be not too sweet, I make an exception when it comes to cake. The best cakes I’ve ever eaten have been powerfully sweet. However, the lemon flavor balances the sweetness, so it doesn’t come off as being too overpowering.

Speaking of the lemon flavor, it is derived from three places… Lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Therefore, it offers both a bright, fresh lemon flavor and a deeper underlying lemon essence. 

Lemon Cake on a cake stand with a slice taken out of the cake.

Ingredients You Need

For the Lemon Buttermilk Cake Batter-

  • Cake flour – or 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour + ¼ cup cornstarch
  • Baking powder – for the softest and fluffiest cake
  • Baking soda
  • Salt – brings out the flavor of the cake
  • Sugar
  • Unsalted butter – softened to room temperature
  • Eggs – room temperature
  • Vegetable oil
  • Lemon zest and juice – use fresh zest and juice
  • Vanilla extract – use high-quality real vanilla extract
  • Lemon extract
  • Food coloring – optional, but brings out the natural yellow color of the lemon
  • Buttermilk – or 1 cup buttermilk = 1 tablespoon of vinegar and enough milk added to equal 1 cup

For the Buttermilk Frosting –

  • Butter
  • Buttermilk
  • Lemon juice
  • Powdered sugar
Lemon Cake batter in a cake pan.
Baked lemon cake in a cake pan.

How to Make Lemon Cake with Buttermilk

Find the full Buttermilk Cake recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, baking tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form below.

Pro Frosting Tips: If you tend to get crumbs in the frosting when you try to frost a cake, you can:

  • Spread a thin “crumb coat” layer of frosting over the cake to catch and seal in the crumbs. Then spread on the final “pretty” layer of frosting on top.
  • Or you can wrap the cakes in separate pieces of plastic and freeze them. Then, a few hours later, you can unwrap, level, and frost the cake with added stability. Be sure to do this at least 6 hours before serving, so the cake layers have time to thaw.
Lemon Buttermilk Cake on a cake stand.
Lemon Buttermilk Cake on a cake stand with a slice taken out of the cake.

Baking Tips and Tricks

  1. Prep your pans. Ensure that you grease your pans and add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom of each one. This will guarantee the cakes come out in one piece.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar long enough. This is a step rookie bakers often skip. When you beat softened butter and sugar together at high speed, it fluffs the butter for a light, airy cake texture and breaks down the sugar crystals. To do this properly, it typically takes 3-5 minutes. If you skip this step, your cake will be dense instead of pillowy.
  3. Measure properly. Think of cooking as an art and baking as a science. If you are heavy-handed with your measuring or don’t add enough of an ingredient, the chemical reaction in your oven will be different than mine. Be exact. And don’t forget to sift, or at least stir, your flour before measuring.
  4. Scrape the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixing bowl between steps so all the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
  5. Don’t overbeat the batter. It’s easy to turn on the mixer and then go about doing other things, forgetting about the batter. However, cake batter can be overmixed! This leads to a tough texture or even a cake that sinks in the middle. Mix the batter until smooth. Once all the ingredients are incorporated… TURN THE MIXER OFF.
  6. Don’t disturb the baking cake. Leave it alone, guys! Don’t open the oven door fifteen times while it’s baking. I would even suggest you walk lightly through your kitchen while the cake is baking. It needs consistent heat and no movement to rise properly. Opening the oven door and banging around the kitchen can cause your cake to collapse in the center before it’s fully baked. If you can be patient, you will be thrilled with the results.
  7. Cool completely. Don’t rush the cake frosting. Ensure your Lemon Buttermilk Cake has ample time to cool. Even a little warmth will make the frosting slump down the sides as you try to smooth it.

Learn How To Make Buttermilk Here.

If you are new to baking, check out our 100 Best Baking Tips Tutorial.

A slice of Lemon Buttermilk cake on a blue plate.

Recipe Variations

  • Raspberry swirl – For a burst of fruity flavor, fold in a cup of fresh or frozen raspberries into half of the batter. Layer the raspberry batter and plain batter in the prepared pans.
  • Lavender lemon: Add a touch of floral notes by incorporating a teaspoon of dried lavender into the cake batter.
  • Coconut flakes – For a tropical touch, fold in a cup of shredded coconut.
  • Lemon curd filling: Fill the layers of the cake with lemon curd for a burst of tartness.
A top down view of a slice of lemon buttermilk cake with a fork taking a bite of it.
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Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
rest time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
This simple southern lemon layer cake is soft and moist with a tangy buttermilk frosting. It's a tender, sweet cake that is sure to become a family favorite!
Servings: 20 slices

Video

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

For the Cake –

  • 2 ¾ cups cake flour, sifted (or 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour + ¼ cup cornstarch)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon (save juice for frosting)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 3-5 drops yellow food coloring *optional
  • 1 ¼ cup whole-fat buttermilk

For the Frosting –

  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 5-7 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Cut out 9-inch parchment paper circles, and press down in the bottom of each pan. (Trace the pan for perfect circles.)
  • For the Cake: In the bowl on an electric stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (Cream: Beat on high approximately 3-5 minutes to break down the sugar crystals.)
  • In a separate bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • Once the butter and sugar are well creamed. Scrape the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and beat in the eggs, oil, lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and yellow food coloring.
  • Scrape the bowl again. Turn the mixer back on low and alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk until both are well combined. Once the batter is smooth, turn the mixer off immediately.
  • Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack, undisturbed for 30 minutes.
  • If the center of the cakes are puffed up, check the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, take them out of the oven. If the toothpick has batter on it, bake another 5-10 minutes and recheck.
  • Allow the cakes to cool 10 minutes in the pans. Then carefully flip them out on a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely.
  • For the Frosting: Once the cakes are room temperature, place the butter in a clean stand mixer bowl. Beat until fluffy. Then scrape the bowl and turn on low. Mix in the buttermilk and lemon juice. Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating to incorporate.
  • After adding 5 cups of powdered sugar, turn the mixer up to beat out any clumps. Check the consistency of the frosting. If it is too loose, add another 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
  • To Assemble:
    Move one cake to a cake stand or platter. Scoop about 2 cups frosting onto the cake. Use a large flat spatula to spread the frosting out evenly.
  • Set the second cake on top of the frosting, being careful to center the cake. Gently press the cake a little to level the top. Then scoop all remaining frosting on top of the cake. Use the spatula to work the frosting over the top and down the sides.
  • Turn the cake stand to smooth out the sides with the flat edge of the spatula. Once you are satisfied with the sides, use the spatula to make swooping marks on the top of the cake. Use a wet paper towel to clean up the cake stand.
  • Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. When ready to serve, make sure the cake is at room temperature… All classic layer cakes taste best at room temperature!

Notes

Pro Frosting Tips: If you have a tendency to get crumbs in the frosting when you try to frost a cake, you can:
  • Spread a thin “crumb coat” layer of frosting over the cake to catch and seal in the crumbs. Then spread on the final “pretty” layer of frosting on top.
  • Or you can wrap the cakes in separate pieces of plastic and freeze them. Then a few hours later, you can unwrap, level, and frost the cake with a lot of added stability. Just be sure to do this at least 6 hours before serving so the cake layers have time to thaw.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 477kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 178mg, Potassium: 97mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 50g, Vitamin A: 675IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
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Frequently Asked Questions

How well does this cake keep?

You can let it sit out for 3 days at room temperature, or it will last 7-10 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to wrap it well.

Can I freeze this cake?

Wrap the cake well with a layer of plastic wrap, then cover it with foil. Freeze for up to 6 months. Then thaw at room temperature. 

To preserve the best possible appearance on the outside, you can “flash freeze” the cake, unwrapped, for about an hour so the frosting hardens. Then wrap well and freeze.

What if I want to make these into cupcakes?

For cupcakes, I would increase the heat to 375 (for a higher dome) and bake for about 15-18 minutes. This recipe yields approximately 18-24 cupcakes. 

Can I make this in a 9×13 pan?

Yes, you can! Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.

Can I add poppy seeds?

You sure can! Start by adding 1 tablespoon of poppyseed to the batter, and then add more as needed. 

My cake came out spongy and rubbery. Any idea what I may have done wrong?

It sounds like you might have overmixed the cake batter. It’s important to stop mixing the batter once the ingredients are fully combined.

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