Description
The best soft and fluffy lemon sheet cake topped with swirls of lemon buttercream frosting! Flavored with fresh lemon zest and super moist thanks to buttermilk and Greek yogurt, you’ll love this homemade lemon sheet cake.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (see note below)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9” baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Make cake: Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Combine buttermilk, Greek yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).
- Spoon batter into prepared baking pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake cake for 25 to 27 minutes, until the top and edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool cake completely in pan on a wire rack.
- Make lemon frosting: Beat butter, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Add lemon juice and milk and mix in on low speed until smooth. Increase speed to medium-high and beat frosting for 1 minute, until light and airy.
- Assemble cake: Dollop frosting over cooled cake and swirl with an offset spatula. Top with sprinkles, then chill cake for 20 minutes in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
Notes
To make your own cake flour: place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch.
Make ahead: The cake can be baked, cooled, and frosted one day in advance. Cover the frosted cake with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.