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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.
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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.
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
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Easy Lemon Cake (All-In-One-Lemon-Sponge)
A delicious, moist all-in-one lemon sponge. Perfect for a teatime treat, cake sale or as a birthday or celebration cake.
4.54 from 71 votes
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Active Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
INGREDIENTS
Metric – US Cups/Ounces
- 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
If it’s your first time baking this cake then make sure you read all of the information in the main post as it includes lots of additional tips, as well as the answers to some common questions.
If you have any further questions then do let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to help.
If you would like to make this cake in a different size of round, square or rectangular tin, there is a calculator below the recipe where you can find the ingredients you need.
This cake is decorated with my lemon buttercream which can either be made with fresh lemon zest and juice, or lemon extract.
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NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.3g | Protein: 4.1g | Fat: 14.9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 262.8mg | Sugar: 19.2g
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.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Keyword: Birthday Cake, Celebration Cake
Author: Charlotte Oates
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 Layers
Cake 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 Layers
Cake 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 mygrams to cupscalculator 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
Reader Interactions
Comments
Sheila K says
Hello, could you please give us the icing recipe you used on this cake?
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
HI, I’ve noted this near the top of the post – 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.
Susie Mills says
I’m a reluctant baker and it’s years since I baked a cake but I chose this for my mother’s 89th birthday and it was delicious! Easy as you promised, I followed instructions to the letter – including 140C – both halves cooked perfectly in 30 mins.
I reduced the butter icing ingredients by 20% as I don’t like so much icing and it was fine. I also added more lemon juice rather than milk to get it to a good spreading consistency. All in all delicious and has inspired me to bake more! Thank you Charlotte.Reply
Nicki says
Wow! I was looking for a quick & simple recipe to make a large foolproof lemon sponge cake. I’ve lost my go to recipe & had sooo many disastrous attempts using other recipes. Cakes sinking, not being cooked through properly. This I followed to the letter (I did add an extra egg as the batter I felt was too thick & my eggs were quite small) I needed to make a double layer 33cm round cake & used your calculator for a single layer & made the batter twice. I cooked it at 140° fan for 45 minutes & it came out perfectly! I am so pleased! I haven’t tasted it yet but if it tastes as good as it smells then I know it’ll be perfect! Thank you so, so, much!Reply
Nicole says
What can I substitute for self raising flour? Is that the same as cake flour?
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
Cake flour is usually finer so I would use plain/all purpose flour with added baking powder. You can find out exactly how to do this here – How To Make Self-Raising Flour From Plain Flour
Mollie says
140C fan feels waaaay too low. This was nowhere near cooked after 35 minutes. Also the lemon flavour is really lacking in the cake itself.
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
140c fan is exactly the temperature that I have tested and cooked this cake at. It might be worth investing in an oven thermometer as oven thermostats are rarely accurate. There are also many other factors that can affect a cooking time such as the material and even colour of the baking tin used. Cooking times given are only ever going to be an estimate due to these variations, this is why I tell you how to check if the cake is cooked in the recipe. As for the lemon flavour, it sounds as though perhaps your lemons were on the small side, weren’t fully relieved of their zest or were not so fresh and juicy as they might be. Or of course a stronger lemon flavour may simply be your preference. You’ll see from the many comments on this recipe that like me, many other people find the amount of lemon in the recipe just perfect.
bluerocket says
could you tell me what made my cake deflate after coming out of oven & left on rack for 10 mins and the tops are slightly hard.Reply
Charlotte Oates says
My guess would be that it cooked at too high temperature. When this happens, the cake will puff up too quickly and the structure of the cake underneath doesn’t cook at the same rate as the very top. So when taken out, the cake will sink. The top being hard would further support that theory. Oven temperatures are rarely accurate and even when set to a certain temperature vary wildly. It is a good idea to invest in a small oven thermometer (they’re very inexpensive) or if you know that your oven has a tendency of running a little hot, just reduce the temperature a little each time you follow a recipe.
Emma says
Used this recipe and turned out lovely, are the sides the to cake suppose to harden as much as they do? I always find the lemon cakes I produce to have a dryer/crumbier texture than a chocolate or vanilla sponge if you could instruct me if I’m going wrong somewhere that would be great, and if so could I just use a simple syrup to moisten the cake?Reply
Charlotte Oates says
Did you use butter or margarine? I do sometimes find that sponges made with butter can be crispier around the edges. If this is what you used, you could try using a margarine instead and see if this makes a difference. If you want to add a syrup, you could use a simple syrup or the kind of syrup designed for lemon drizzle cakes which will provide more punch rather than just sweetness.
Josephine says
How long will the cake keep for and how to store it, thank you!Reply
Charlotte Oates says
Sponge cakes are generally at their best the same day or day after being baked but it will be fine to eat for around 5 days.
Vicky says
Could you freeze this once it has the butter cream icing on it?
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
Yes you can freeze the cake complete with buttercream. Make sure to wrap it well with cling film to prevent freezer burn and store in a sealed container to prevent it being damaged.
Elizabeth Adco*ck says
Do you have any suggestions for how to alter the recipe to make it more suitable for 4 layers?
I love your recipes by the way, and always get lots of compliments on them!Reply
Charlotte Oates says
I’m pleased you enjoy my recipes, thank you for letting me know. To make 4 layers, simply double the recipe. I would recommend baking in 4 tins and not trying to double up as this will affect the bake time and texture.
Remi says
Good morning Charlotte, will try this today for our church harvest for Sunday, Can l use coconut pecan frosting to sandwich the layers?
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
Absolutely, sounds delicious!
Anna Kay says
This recipe is evidently foolproof, as it turned out absolutely perfect for me, a non baker with a terribly uneven electric oven. I made it first for my Mum’s 70th and she loved it, then I made another, and it turned out just as well. Moist, light but with substance, and beautiful flavour (I used butter in the cake and unsalted butter in the buttercream). I went the easy way with the buttercream, using only extract. Mine seemed to want more than 1.5tsp of that, so I kept adding according to taste. But this worked out so well it will be my go to lemon sponge…and I might try a cream cheese frosting another time. I made the Easy Coffee Cake yesterday off the back of these successes, and that is a triumph too!Reply
Ambreen says
Hi,
Can you add Blueberries to the recipe? if so, would i need to alter the amount of any of the ingredients?Thank you in advance 🙂
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tested adding fresh fruit to this recipe so I wouldn’t like to say. As there will be extra moisture in the blueberries, I would suspect that the cake batter could become too wet. It may be worth experimenting but I can’t unfortunately guarantee the result.
Addy says
Middle sunk to the bottom of the pan. I followed all the instructions so i don’t know what went wrongReply
Charlotte Oates says
Often when this happens, too much baking powder has been used or the oven is running too hot. The cake batter rises too fast but because the sponge underneath hasn’t cooked yet, it eventually collapses in on itself. It is a good idea to use a oven thermometer to check the temperature of the oven as the in built thermostats are often a little inaccurate. If the cake sunk after taking it out the oven, this would suggest that it wasn’t yet cooked and ready to come out.
Michael says
Can I replace lemon with chocolate
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
I would suggest trying my Easy Chocolate Cake instead!
Yasmin says
Hi will this recipe work with a Bundt cake pan or mini bundlette pans? If so, how should time be adjusted. Thanks
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
I wouldn’t recommend using this recipe in a bundt pan as recipes can quite often need a lot of tweaking to make sure that they fill the pattern of a bundt pan and bake in such a way that they come out with the pattern clear. I would recommend using my Vanilla Bundt Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache recipe as a base and then adding lemon flavour and decorating with lemon buttercream (or icing of choice). This will also give you the correct cooking times.
LjS says
How do I calculate ingredient amounts for numerical cake tins, eg a 7 and 0?
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
You would need to work out the volume of the number tin and then compare that the the volume of a regular tin and adjust accordingly. You can calculate the volume by filling the tin with water and either measuring the quantity as you pour it in or tip it out.
EstC says
How deep will this cake be? I’m using two 20cm x 8 cm round cake tins and will be covering in buttercream and fondant icing. I hope to put decorations around the side and need approx height of total cake. Thank you.
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
The cake once filled should be around 3inches/8cm high.
Nkiru says
Can I use homemade soya milk?
Reply
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tested with soya milk but I cannot imagine that it wouldn’t work.
Tina Milton says
Most fabulous lemon cake, so please with it & everyone loved it. So make for every birthday. I need to make smaller this time but calculated will not work this time?Reply
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