This ultra-moist Lemonade Layer Cake is soft, fluffy, and full of bright lemon flavor. Concentrated lemonade gives the cake a gentle tartness that balances beautifully with the sweet, creamy frosting.
If you love lemon desserts, this cake is a wonderful recipe to keep on hand. It is a cheerful choice for birthdays, holidays, showers, spring gatherings, summer parties, or any occasion that calls for a fresh and flavorful homemade layer cake.
Table of Contents
How to Make Lemonade Layer Cake
This lemonade cake recipe is made with cake flour for a soft crumb, cream cheese for richness, and thawed concentrated lemonade for a sweet-tart lemon flavor. The full recipe is included below, but these steps give you a quick overview of the process.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans. For easier release, line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper circles.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for about 30 seconds. Set this dry mixture aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vegetable oil, ½ cup of thawed concentrated lemonade, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, add the softened butter and softened cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well blended.
- Gradually add the sugar and continue mixing on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition just until the yellow of the yolk disappears. If you are using yellow coloring gel, you can add it during this step or later in the mixing process.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Use three additions of dry ingredients and two additions of wet ingredients. Increase the speed slightly only until the batter is combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let the cake layers cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before turning them out.
- This recipe makes approximately 8 cups of batter and can also be used for cupcakes.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
This lemonade layer cake is filled and frosted with a smooth Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. The frosting is rich, creamy, and tangy, with just enough lemon flavor to complement the cake without overpowering it.
The frosting is made with softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, a small amount of salt, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Yellow coloring gel is optional, but it can be used if you want a brighter lemon-colored finish.
This frosting recipe makes enough for filling, frosting, and decorating the three-layer cake. Because cream cheese frosting is softer than traditional buttercream, it is best to chill the cake briefly if the frosting becomes too warm while decorating.
Decorating the Cake
Once the lemonade cake layers have completely cooled, you can begin assembling the cake. Place the first cake layer on a cake pedestal or cake base. For an extra boost of lemonade flavor, lightly brush the top of the layer with a small amount of leftover concentrated lemonade. This step is optional, but it adds a bright, tangy note.
Spread a layer of lemon cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake layer.
Repeat the process with the second cake layer. After placing the third layer on top, lightly brush it with concentrated lemonade if desired, then frost the cake with a thin crumb coat. This first thin layer of frosting helps seal in crumbs and makes the final coat cleaner and smoother.
For best results, place the crumb-coated cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before adding the final layer of frosting. This optional chilling step helps firm up the layers and makes the cake easier to decorate.
You can decorate the cake in any style you like. A small offset spatula works well for adding soft texture to the frosting on the top and sides. A large 1M star tip can be used to pipe a simple border around the top edge.
Recipe FAQs
Can the cake layers be made in advance?
Yes. These cake layers can be baked ahead of time and frozen. After baking, allow the layers to cool until they are still slightly warm. Wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap, then in foil. For extra support, place each layer on a foil-wrapped cake board before freezing.
The wrapped layers can be frozen for up to three months. To thaw, remove the layers from the freezer and let them sit briefly before unwrapping. Continue thawing until they are ready to assemble.
Why use cake flour in this lemonade cake?
Cake flour has less protein than all purpose flour. This reduces gluten formation in the batter, which helps create a softer, more tender cake texture.
Should this cake be refrigerated?
Yes. Because this cake is filled and frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting, it should be refrigerated. Store it in an airtight container, under a cake dome, or in a sealed bakery box.
For the best flavor and texture, remove the cake from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving. This gives the cake and frosting time to warm slightly and soften.
How does cream cheese affect the texture of cakes?
Cream cheese adds richness and helps create a velvety soft texture. In this recipe, it gives the cake a moist, tender crumb while adding subtle depth to the flavor.
More Lemon Cakes
If you enjoy bright citrus desserts, there are many other lemon cakes and cupcakes worth trying. Lemon cake from scratch, lemon buttermilk cake, lemon velvet cake, lemon blueberry cake, and lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are all delicious options for lemon lovers.
-
Lemon Blueberry Cake from Scratch
-
Lemon Velvet Cake
-
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
-
Lemon Buttermilk Cake
We hope you enjoy this homemade lemonade layer cake. It is soft, sunny, and full of lemon flavor, making it a lovely dessert for celebrations, family gatherings, and weekend baking.
Lemonade Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (226g), one 8 oz package, full fat
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (168g)
- 2 cups sugar (400g)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour (342g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- ½ cup milk (175g)
- ½ cup concentrated lemonade, thawed Save the remaining concentrate for brushing the layers, if desired.
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (54g)
- Lemon zest from one lemon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract
- Yellow coloring gel (optional)
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (339g)
- 16 oz cream cheese two 8 oz packages, full fat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
- 7 cups powdered sugar (805g), adjust slightly if needed
- Yellow coloring gel optional, for tinting
Optional Glaze
- A small amount of lemonade concentrate for brushing each cake layer
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles if desired.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside.
-
In another bowl, combine the milk, vegetable oil, ½ cup thawed concentrated lemonade, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Set aside.
-
In the bowl of a mixer, add the softened butter and softened cream cheese. Mix on medium speed until smooth.
-
Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
-
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until the yellow of the yolk disappears. Add yellow coloring gel at this point if using.
-
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
-
Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans.
-
Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes before turning out.
-
This recipe makes approximately 8 cups of batter and can also be used for cupcakes.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
-
Mix the softened butter on low to medium speed until smooth.
-
Add the softened cream cheese and mix on low to medium speed until well combined.
-
Add the vanilla extract, lemon extract, and salt. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until blended. Add yellow coloring gel if desired.
-
Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth. If it is too thick, add a small amount of milk or lemonade concentrate.
-
Store the frosting in the refrigerator if making it in advance. Before using, allow it to sit at room temperature until softened, then remix if needed.
Assembly
-
Once the cake layers have cooled, place the first layer on a cake pedestal or cake base.
-
Lightly brush the top with concentrated lemonade if you want extra lemonade flavor.
-
Spread a layer of lemon cream cheese frosting over the cake. Add the second layer and repeat. Top with the third layer and brush lightly with lemonade concentrate if desired.
-
Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting to the top and sides. Chill or freeze briefly for 10-15 minutes, then apply the final coat of frosting.
-
Decorate as desired. If the cream cheese frosting becomes too soft, chill the cake for a few minutes to firm it up.
-
Refrigerate the finished cake. For best flavor and texture, remove it from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving.
Notes
Substitution for Cake Flour: To make a cake flour substitute with all purpose flour, measure 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk well to combine. For this recipe, measure 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons, and replace with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch.