Lemon Velvet Cake That Slices Like a Dream
Tender buttermilk layers, real lemon in the crumb, and a tangy cream cheese frosting that holds a clean slice. About 30 minutes of hands-on work, and it looks like you fussed all day.
Equipment
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Fine-Mesh Sieve
- Microplane
- Serrated Knife
- Parchment Paper
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (300 g)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g)
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed (120 ml)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240 ml)
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g)
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (226 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (240 g)
- 1 pinch fine salt
- lemon zest and lemon juice from the 2 lemons, for the frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and dust lightly with flour.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking soda, and fine salt together in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium-high for 3 full minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the bowl. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with flour, mixing on low until just combined. Finish by hand with a spatula.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the top springs back and a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Beat until light and holds its shape.
- Level the cake layers with a serrated knife. Stack with a thick layer of frosting between, do a thin crumb coat over the whole cake, chill for 20 to 30 minutes, then finish with the remaining frosting.
- Grate fresh lemon zest over the top in one deliberate pass before slicing.
Notes
Make ahead: bake the layers the night before, wrap tightly in plastic, and frost the next day. Frosted cake keeps 3 to 4 days in an airtight carrier in the fridge; freeze unfrosted layers up to 3 months. For dairy-free, use plant-based cream cheese and butter and a quick buttermilk substitute of 1 cup plant milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice. For gluten-free, use a cup-for-cup blend with xanthan gum. For clean slices, run a knife under hot water, dry it, and wipe between cuts.