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.
FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS
Subscribe to the Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen mailing list to get your FREE printable grams to cups and cups to grams conversion charts for twelve popular baking ingredients
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
Sharon says
Will this recipe work for a cake roll? Do you need to adapt the recipe?
Charlotte Oates says
It’s not something I’ve tried. However, the ingredients and method used for a cake roll differ quite significantly from a sponge (they’re usually fatless), so I wouldn’t think it would adapt well.
deirdre says
I loved your cake Charlotte,in fact my daughters name is charlotte.
Jessica says
Hi I’m making this cake tomorrow, would adding lemon juice affect the recipe in any way and would it be more zesty by adding both lemon zest and juice. If so how much lemon juice would you recommend using?
Charlotte Oates says
To get any flavour benefit from adding lemon juice you’d need to add a significant amount which would change the texture of the cake. If you want to make the cake even more lemony then I’d suggest adding even more zest, or adding a little lemon extract.
Christine Wright says
Hi, I’m going to make this as a birthday cake, how long will it keep fresh, I would like to make it a few days in advance
Thank you
Chris
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be fine for about a week as long as it’s stored in an airtight container.
Shaz says
Thank you, Charlotte; the best sponge cake I’ve ever made…but I forgot the milk! Should I add it next time, will it be better, or just remake as is?
Charlotte Oates says
The small amount of milk added to the cake mixture helps to soften the mixture ever so slightly, helping the cake to rise and have a fluffy texture. It’s not essential and if I make a dairy-free version of this cake I leave it out. If you love the cake without it then there’s no need to add it next time.
Karen says
Can you use this recipe for muffins? I have made the cake twice and it is amazing. Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
You can.
I have two versions of this recipe as cupcakes on here. One for lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream (and an option lemon curd centre) and another for lemon drizzle cupcakes.
Lesley Stevens says
I made this cake for the first time tonight . Befor I got it out of the oven it had sunk in the middle. In all my cake making years this has never happened before. What have I done wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear the cake didn’t turn out as expected.
Did you split the mixture between sandwich tins or bake in one deep tin? I always recommend baking this recipe in sandwich tins as I find that gives better results.
Alternatively, could you have added too much baking powder? The baking powder needs to be measured using measuring teaspoons (rather than regular ones which can be too big), and must be level. Adding too much baking powder can cause a cake to rise too much and then sink.
Helen Duncan says
The best lemon Victoria Sponge I have ever made (and I’ve made alot). It rose beautifully with no sagging. It really is moist and fluffy. I put buttercream and lemon curd inside mine leaving the top with a dusting of icing sugar. I will make another tomorrow for my Mother-in-Law’s birthday and i know it will be a huge hit with all the family! The tips included with the recipe are great to know and the conversions for larger tins extremely useful for bigger occasions.
Linda says
Hi, the setting for 140c converts to gas 1, surely this is too low, can you advise please, don’t want to make if it isn’t hot enough. Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Gas mark 1 is 135C, which is probably a bit too low. I’d go for 2 instead.
Eleanor says
Can lemon curd be added between the layers of the cake? If so, would you suggest adding the lemon curd before the buttercream, or putting it on top of the buttercream filling? Thank you 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
Yes it can. I’d suggest adding it over the top of the buttercream as the curd is softer than the buttercream, so it’ll squidge out if you try and spread the buttercream on top of it.
Carol Davies says
Would using lemon extract/oil in the cake work instead of the lemon zest?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. It will affect the flavour as I find extract has a more subtle, less zesty flavour that zest. However, it’ll still be delicious. I’d add about about 1.5 tsp.
Claire Handley says
Can I use this recipe for a drip cake?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes you can.
Linda says
I have made this as a sponge cake and also cupcakes. Too delicious for words!
Jon says
The baking temperature said 140C (284F) when using convection. I baked mine for 35min and it was still wet and jiggly. Is that really the correct baking temperature? Most other recipes bake sponge cakes at 350F.
Charlotte Oates says
140C is the temperature I always use. I find that using a slightly lower temperature gives a softer, fluffier sponge.
I’m surprised that you say most cake you bake are cooked at 350F, as most recipes I see are for 320F (160F) in a convection oven. It may be for your oven you need to increase the temperature to 320F.
Unfortunately all ovens bake slightly differently and so don’t always give the same results.
Evelyna says
WIll it be okay if i reduce the sugar amount to 200g?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, that’ll be fine.
I would recommend reducing the sugar too much as it impacts the texture of the cake, but a small reduction, as you’ve suggested, will be fine.
Lesley Stevens says
I only have mc Dougall’s supreme sponge flour. Can I use this and do I still add the same amount of baking powder. I can’t get any self raising flour at the moment.
This sponge flour is great for when cooking with my young grandchildren.
Charlotte Oates says
I’m not familiar with that particular flour, is it a plain flour or self-raising?
Nancy Tan says
I am a new baker and have never made a lemon sponge before. My family generally finds cake recipes too sweet and I would like to make one which is more tart and less sweet. Will the outcome (i.e. the texture, rise etc. ) of this cake be badly affected if I cut the sugar down by 50%?
Charlotte Oates says
Cutting the sugar in half will mean you get a flatter, less fluffy cake that it should be. Instead of cutting the sugar in the cake, I recommend using a different icing instead (one with much lower sugar). I find with my cakes its the icing thats brings most of the sweetness, so cutting that back may well help.
Joan says
Will this cake be ok to bake in one 10inch cake tin instead of 2 tins.?I was thinking of doing it for a 3 tier wedding cake.,can you give a few tips in stacking the tiers thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I always recommend using sandwich tins rather than baking in a deep tin as some people find issues with the middle taking too long to cook through leading to the cake sinking (I’ve never knows this happen with sandwich tins). However, others have used deep tins with no problems at all (I think it’s down to the tin/oven).
For stacking the cake, make sure young each layer on a thin board exactly the same size as the cake and use straws or dowels to support each layer. If you have a search on You Tube there are some excellent video tutorials on there.
Denise Holmes says
I made the coffee cake and it was very well received by my grandson. I now wish to make this lemon cake using plain flour which I have loads of and need to use up. Having searched the Internet for the amount of baking powder I need to add I am very confused. Different sites give different quantities and they vary by as much one teaspoon which is a lot. Therefore I would appreciate if you could advise me how much extra baking powder I need to add to the 225g of flour needed for this recipe .
Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I would use a total of 3 tsp of baking powder (so one extra).
Emma says
Baked with 5yr old for her daddy’s birthday-amazing cake