Easy Lemon Cake – A delicious, moist all-in-one lemon sponge. Perfect for a teatime treat, cake sale or as a birthday or celebration cake.
PLUS – Make this cake in any size of round, square or rectangular tin with my handy ingredients calculator.
One question I get asked again and again is how to adapt my Vanilla Birthday Cake into a lemon sponge. It’s a question I’ve answered a lot in the comments, over email and on my social media, so I thought it was about time I shared the full recipe on here.
This lemon sponge cake is packed full of flavour from the fresh lemon zest and is delicious topped with lemon buttercream.
I have two different lemon buttercream recipes you can choose from – one made with fresh lemon zest and juice, and one made with lemon extract. The one pictured here is made with lemon extract (as it’s smoother for piping), but both work equally well with this cake.
Lemon Cake Q&A
With all my recipes I like to try and anticipate all of the questions you might have. If it’s your first time making this lemon cake, then make sure you have a good read through as there’s lots of extra tips here…
Can this cake be covered in fondant icing?
Yes.
This lemon cake recipe is adapted from the vanilla birthday cake recipe, so it’s perfect for coving with fondant to make a lemon birthday or celebration cake.
To calculate how much fondant you need, head on over to my fondant calculator.
Can this cake be used to make tiers?
Yes.
As with my vanilla cake, it works well for a two-tier cake (it’s quite soft so I wouldn’t recommend making a taller cake with it (although it could
If you are planning on using this cake to make tiers then make sure you add dowels or straws into the lower layers for added support.
Can this recipe be adapted to make lemon cupcakes?
Yes.
I actually already have this recipe as lemon cupcakes on here. There’s even the option to add a hidden lemon curd centre for an added burst of zestiness.
Can this cake be made in a different size?
Yes.
This cake recipe is very versatile and can be easily adapted to make other sizes and shapes of cake.
Take a look below the main recipe and you’ll find my handy calculator which tells you the ingredients you need to make other sizes of round, square or rectangular cake.
CAN THIS CAKE BE COOKED IN ONE DEEP TIN?
Theoretically yes, but I find I get the best results from using sandwich tins and this is what I would recommend. Cooking this cake in a single deeper tin often has great results, but some people find that it can occasionally lead to the cake not rising properly, or sinking after baking, which doesn’t happen when the mixture is split into sandwich tins.
If you would like to attempt baking the cake in a deep tin then the cooking time will need to increase to 45-50 minutes.
How do you decorate the cake as shown in the pictures?
To decorate the cake as shown in the pictures you’ll need a batch of my lemon buttercream and six half slices of lemon.
- Place the bottom layer of cake onto your serving dish.
- Add a quarter of your buttercream and spread it evenly with a palette knife or the back of a spoon.
- Add the top layer of sponge and again add a quarter of your buttercream and spread it evenly.
- To add the swirl effect – put your cake onto a cake turntable (this can be done without a turntable but it’s easier to achieve the effect with one). Place the tip of a small palette knife at the edge of the cake and dig in slightly. Slowly spin the turntable, moving the palette knife inwards as you do to create a swirl.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle (I use a JEM 1B) with the remaining buttercream. Pipe twelve swirls around the edge.
- To finish – place a half slice of lemon on every other swirl.
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes, this cake is suitable for freezing.
What is this cake free from/who is it suitable for?
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Lupin-Free
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you’re after some more cake inspiration then take a look at my Cake Index, which includes my classic chocolate, coffee and vanilla cake recipes as well as many more.
Chocolate Cake Coffee Cake
If you can’t resist anything lemon (just like me!) then take a look at all of my Lemon Recipes including cakes, biscuits and cheesecakes.
Easy Lemon Cake (All-In-One-Lemon-Sponge)
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder – you should use a measuring teaspoon and the baking powder should be level
- 4 medium eggs
- 225 g soft margarine or butter – if you are using butter, ensure it is soft and at room temperature
- 225 g caster sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tsp milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan.Line your baking tins (I use 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins) with baking parchment or reusable baking liners.
- Finely grate the zest of two lemons.
- Sift the self-raising flour (225g) and baking powder (2 tsp) into a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients (4 medium eggs, 225g soft margarine or butter, 225g caster sugar, grated lemon zest and 2 tsp milk) and beat (with an electric mixer on a slow speed or by hand) until combined. Make sure that there are no small lumps of butter/margarine in your mixture. If there are, beat for a little longer until the mixture is smooth.
- Split the mixture equally between the pre-prepared tins. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture evenly in the tins.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. To check if the cake is cooked insert a skewer into the centre and if it comes out clean the cake is ready.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the tins and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely – Make sure the cake has cooled completely before decorating.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
What are the ingredients for a different size of tin?
The main recipe is for a two-layer 20cm round cake (this serves 12 people). However, this recipe is easily adapted to use other sizes of round, square or rectangular tins.
To find the ingredients needed to make this cake in a different size, simply add the dimensions of your tin and the number of layers into the boxes below and hit “Calculate”.
I have also added buttercream ingredients to the calculator below to give an indication of the quantities needed. However, the exact quantities will depend on how you decide to decorate your cake. The quantities below are provided for simply filling and topping the cake with buttercream (evenly split between the layers and the top).
Round Cake
Cake Diameter (cm) Number of LayersCake Ingredients
- 0 g self-raising flour
- 0 tsp baking powder
- 0 egg(s)
- 0 g soft margarine or butter
- 0 g caster sugar
- Zest of 0 lemons
- 0 tsp milk
Buttercream Ingredients
- 0 g butter
- 0 g icing sugar
- Zest of 0 lemons and 0 tsp of lemon juice OR 0 tsp of lemon extract
Square or Rectangular Cake
Cake Size (cm) x Number of LayersCake Ingredients
- 0 g self-raising flour
- 0 tsp baking powder
- 0 egg(s)
- 0 g soft margarine or butter
- 0 g caster sugar
- Zest of 0 lemons
- 0 tsp milk
Buttercream Ingredients
- 0 g butter
- 0 g icing sugar
- Zest of 0 lemons and 0 tsp of lemon juice OR 0 tsp of lemon extract
To keep this calculator from becoming too complicated I've only included metric measurements. If you would like US cups measurements for a different size of tin then simply calculate the metric measurements here and then pop the results into my grams to cups calculator and it'll tell you what you need.
The US cups/ounces measurements for the original two-layer 20cm round cake recipe can be found by clicking the big green button just above the ingredients.
WHAT IS THE COOKING TIME FOR A DIFFERENT SIZE OF CAKE AND WHAT OVEN TEMPERATURE SHOULD I USE?
The ingredients are calculated so that the depth of each cake is the same as in the original recipe. This means that the cooking time and temperature don't need to
Heidi says
I found that my cake needed quite a bit longer than the suggested time.
I put lemon oil in the buttercream along with juice and zest just to make it a bit more lemony….turned out v nice
Maimuna says
hey , just wondering can i make two same size cakes and put them on top of each other and then add the icing around it. I’m making a cake for my sisters babyshower you see so i want it to be a tad taller
Charlotte Oates says
That’s absolutely fine.
Maggie says
Amazing cake – so easy and looked and tasted great
Belinda says
A really lovely moist soft cake. As the recipe does say, I wouldn’t recommend it for a bigger cake or a cake you were wanting to ice the outside of. But as a “cake” it’s wonderful.
Shelley Hadfield says
Delicious sponge. Thank you
Isobel Jackson says
I’m thinking of using this recipe but I’m not sure how deep the cake tins should be. I’m using 2 circular 20cm tins.
Charlotte Oates says
I use 3cm deep sandwich tins.
Kath Harvey says
Can I keep this recipe 3-4 days in airtight container
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, it should be absolutely fine.
Steph Gee says
Hi Charlotte
Firstly, thank you for sharing your wisdom.
I love your receipes, and already made several, and looking forward to working through the rest.
I am wondering, with your Easy Lemon Cake, I’ve made this a few times. I do, however, substitute a layer of lemon curd topped with vanilla buttercream as a filling and occasionally also frost the entire cake in buttercream for birthdays.
I know you mention that the cake can be frozen although this may be the case, if the cake is made as you intended with your or in buttercream. My question, therefore, can I still freeze with the addition of lemon curd filling? And if do, do I need to take any extra steps with how it’s wrapped or preparation?
Many thanks
Charlotte Oates says
As long as you use a lemon curd that’s freezable (my recipe is and I think most will be) then you should be absolutely fine to freeze it in the same way you would the curd-free cake.
Helen says
Absolutely delicious light sponges.
Sue says
Overflowed into the oven not a good cake mix just wondering if the 2tsps of baking powder is correct when using self raising flout?
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear that happened. What depth of tins did you use? Also, how did you measure your baking powder? Was it level using a measuring teaspoon? Even a small amount extra can cause the cake to over-rise. Finally, at what speed and for how long did you mix the cake mixture? I always keep mine on a low speed and stop as soon as the ingredients are combined to ensure I don’t add too much air.
Mary A Coleman says
I was wondering if you know how much fake sugar I would need to use to make this a sugar free cake?
Charlotte Oates says
I wouldn’t recommending using “fake” sugar as it completely changes the texture of the cake. You’re best looking for a recipe that’s designed to be made with it.
Swaz says
I’ve made this cake several times over the past few months and it’s been extremely successful and delicious with lots of compliments! I’ve never made an all in one sponge recipe before, but this way seems to make the cake much lighter and it rises better than the traditional way of making a Victoria sponge cake. I’ll be baking lots more!
Sarah says
Made this yesterday. Mine sunk a little in the middle? However it was delicious. My son gave it a 10/10 and he is my harshest critic!!
Mica says
Perfect
Emily Ham says
Hi
Can this cake be made gluten free by just using gluten free SR flour instead of normal?
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it, but it should be absolutely fine.
Karen says
I made this as a birthday cake for my son. It was delicious – wish I could post you a photo
All your recipes are just spot on!
Rosie says
I used the ingredients in this recipe but I didn’t follow the instructions and the cake came out amazing It Is now my favourite cake to make as well as my family and friends ✨⭐️
Maddy says
I followed the recipe step by step and it overflowed in my correctly sized cake pans and even after 50 minutes in the oven wasn’t cooked through at all… no idea what happened 🙁