Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello and welcome! Every so often we do a sweet treat here on Djalali Cooks and today I wanted to share with you this Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. I think it’s a perfect Mother’s Day dessert. But you don’t have to get fancy with it! I recently purchased a couple 6-inch cake tins that I wanted to try out, so I though this would be the perfect time for it. This cake recipe makes enough batter for a 13×9-inch baking pan. You can make it sheet cake-style, cut the sheet cake in half to make a layer cake, or you can do what I did and make a small layer cake, and then make cupcakes with the remaining batter. Are you ready? Let’s do it!

Lemon Cake Batter

This all comes together in one bowl, it’s super easy. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. We have flour, olive oil, milk, baking powder, sea salt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest – all going in the batter. We have honey and lemon juice that we will brush on the cake when it comes out of the oven.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt and lemon zest. Use your hands to mix the sugar, salt and lemon zest. We want the zest to be well-incorporated, infusing the sugar with the oils from the zest.

To the zest, sugar and salt, add the olive oil and whisk to combine until you have a wet sand-like mixture. Then add the milk and whisk to incorporate.

Now add the vanilla and eggs. Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Then give it another 20 stirs or so, until you have a thick pancake batter-type mixture.

Spray your preferred baking pan with cooking spray. Since I am using 6-inch round cake pans, I opted to add a parchment round. If you’re going this route: spray the tin, then lay in the parchment then spray again. Pour the batter evenly into the baking pan(s). If you’re going all cupcakes, spray the cupcake tin.

This amount of batter yielded 2 6-inch rounds and 6 cupcakes. I baked the rounds first for 35 minutes, until a cake tester came out clean. The cupcakes baked for 22-25 minutes.

Lemon Honey Drizzle

While the cakes are baking, stir or whisk together the honey and lemon juice until the honey is well incorporated and dissolved in the lemon juice.

When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the wire rack, letting it sit upside down. Poke holes in the bottom with a wooden skewer and brush the honey lemon mixture over the bottoms of the cake. Do the same for the cupcakes. You want to do this while the cakes are still warm.

After brushing the honey lemon mixture on the bottoms of the cakes, let them cool upside down until they are completely cool, 1-3 hours. Once they are completely cool, you can move on to the frosting. Or you can do what I did; which was to wrap each cake and cupcake in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to frost the next day.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

If you opted to frost the next day, take the cakes out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter while you make the frosting.

The frosting is so wonderful – the tangy, sweet cream cheese is lightly flavored with lemon juice and zest. Be sure to let your butter and cream cheese get properly softened before starting. I let both sit out on the counter for about 2 hours before starting. Other than that, we have powdered sugar, fine sea salt, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, salt and the zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Then add the butter and beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Then, reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, one large spoonful at a time. Once all of the powdered sure is incorporated, switch to high speed and beat until fluffy. About 2 minutes.

If you are making a layer cake, we will slice the rounded tops off the cakes so we have a flat surface. Invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand so the flat, cut side is down.

Frost the Lemon Cake!

Now we have the flat bottom to frost, this will give us an even, steady surface for the second layer. Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting on the cake surface – use enough frosting to make a thick layer. Be sure to spread it evenly, to the edges. Now, pop it in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes to let the frosting stiffen up a bit.

Meanwhile, you can frost the tops of the cupcakes, if you like. Be sure not to use too much if you work ahead, so you will have enough for the cake. I used about one tablespoon per cupcake. Then we can go back and add more once the cake is finished.

After 30 minutes, pull the frosted bottom half of the cake out of the fridge and repeat cutting the domed top off the second cake.

Then take the cut cake and invert it (so the cut side is on the frosting) on top of the frosted bottom of the cake.

Now, use a silicone spatula to scoop and pour on about 1 cup, or so of frosting on the top the cake. Then use an offset spatula to smooth and spread the frosting out across the top. Let the excess drip down the sides and use that dripping momentum to spread the frosting down the sides to create a thin coat of frosting. Pop the cake back in the fridge for another half hour.

For the final frosting layer, I used all but about 1/2 cup on the cake. I used the remaining 1/2 cup to add a little bit more to the cupcakes. Use the same method as before: Scoop or pour the frosting on the top and smooth it out toward the sides, letting the overflow drip down. Use the offset spatula to spread and smooth the drips along the sides. Refrigerate the cake cake again for 30 minutes before serving.

Decorating the Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

You can decorate however you like. I opted for a few fresh pansies and some petals from a spent Cinco de Mayo rose from my garden. Fresh flowers are my favorite way to decorate a cake. Especially if, like me, you don’t have superior cake decorating skills!

I added a single rose petal to each cupcake.

And that’s it! A super moist, fresh-flavored Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. The bright lemon flavor gives this cake lift and it has such a lovely lightness to it. It’s a perfect spring and summer cake.

I hope you give this cake a try and if you’re more in the mood for something chocolatey, try White Cake with Malted Milk Chocolate Frosting. The malted milk chocolate tastes like an old fashion chocolate malt – so good! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

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Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Dessert – American

By Original Recipe by Mary-Frances Heck, via Food & Wine – Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 30 Minutes – Cooking Time: 30-35 Minutes (plus cooling time) – Total Time: 4 Hours, or Overnight

Moist, delicate, Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, perfect for Spring and Summer. Make it a layer cake, sheet cake or cupcakes.

Ingredients

• Lemon Cake
• 1 and 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Grated Lemon Zest
• 3/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 cup Whole Milk or Oat Milk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
• 3/4 tsp. Fine Sea Salt
• 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1.5 tsp. Baking Powder
• Cooking Spray
• 3 tbsp. Honey
• 3 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
• Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 8-oz. Package Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. Grated Lemon Zest
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
• Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• Edible Flowers for Decoration, if desired (try pansies, nasturtium, or roses)

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt and lemon zest. Use your hands to mix the sugar, salt and lemon zest until the sugar feels slightly wet with the oils from the zest.

3

To the zest, sugar and salt, add the olive oil and whisk to combine until you have a wet sand-like mixture. Then add the milk and whisk to incorporate.

4

Add the vanilla and eggs. Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.

5

Whisk in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Then give it another 20 stirs or so, until you have a thick pancake batter-type mixture.

6

Spray your preferred baking pan with cooking spray.

7

Pour the batter evenly into the baking pan(s). If you're going all cupcakes, spray the cupcake tin with cooking spray.

8

This amount of batter yielded 2 6-inch rounds and 6 cupcakes. Bake the rounds first for 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes.

9

While the cakes are baking, stir or whisk together the honey and lemon juice until the honey is well incorporated and dissolved in the lemon juice.

10

When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the wire rack, letting it sit upside down. Poke holes in the bottom with a wooden skewer and brush the honey lemon mixture over the bottoms of the cake. Do the same for the cupcakes. You want to do this while the cakes are still warm.

11

After brushing the honey lemon mixture on the bottoms of the cakes, let them cool upside down until they are completely cool, 1-3 hours. Once they are completely cool, you can move on to the frosting. Or you can do what I did; which was to wrap each cake and cupcake in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to frost the next day.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

12

If you opted to frost the next day, take the cakes out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter while you make the frosting.

13

Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, salt and the zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Then add the butter and beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Then, reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, one large spoonful at a time. Once all of the powdered sure is incorporated, switch to high speed and beat until fluffy. About 2 minutes.

Frosting the Cake

14

If you are making a layer cake, we will slice the domed tops off the cakes so you have a flat surface. Invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand so the flat, cut side is down.

15

Now you have the flat bottom to frost. Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting on the cake surface – use enough frosting to make a thick layer. Be sure to spread it evenly, to the edges. Now, pop it in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes to let the frosting stiffen up a bit.

16

After 30 minutes, pull the frosted bottom half of the cake out of the fridge and repeat cutting the domed top off the second cake.

17

Then take the cut cake and invert it (so the cut side is on the frosting) on top of the frosted bottom of the cake.

18

Now, use a silicone spatula to scoop and pour on about 1 cup, or so of frosting on the top the cake. Then use an offset spatula to smooth and spread the frosting out across the top. Let the excess drip down the sides and use that dripping momentum to spread the frosting down the sides to create a thin coat of frosting. Pop the cake back in the fridge for another half hour.

19

For the final frosting layer, use the same method as before: Scoop or pour the frosting on the the top and smooth it our toward the sides, letting the overflow drip down. Use the offset spatula to spread and smooth the drips along the sides. Refrigerate the frosted cake for 30 minutes before decorating and serving.

20

Decorate the cake and/or cupcakes as desired.

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