This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This lemon sheet cake started as my lemon layer cake and got a practical makeover for real life. One pan, no layers, and more lemon flavor than you would expect from a homemade cake. I tested four versions to get the zest and juice amounts exactly right, and this is the one that made my family ask for seconds. If you love lemon, this cake is going to be your new go-to.
The 9×13 Cake Series: Real Cakes for Real Life
I asked my Instagram audience if they would rather bake a 9×13 inch cake or a layer cake and 70% said 9×13 without hesitation. That told me everything I needed to know. So I am taking my most loved layer cake recipes and rebuilding them for the real world, which means a single pan, no stacking, no leveling, and no stress. This lemon cake is the second one in the series, check out white sheet cake here.
I set out to take my lemon layer cake and make it work for real life. After testing four different versions I landed on a combination that gives you everything the layer cake has but with a fraction of the effort. The base is familiar but every ingredient decision was made specifically for a 9×13, so this is not just a layer cake poured into a bigger pan.
I also made some deliberate ingredient decisions that came straight from testing. I use both butter and oil because butter gives you flavor and oil gives you moisture that holds up for days. Buttermilk replaces regular milk because the tang plays beautifully with lemon and produces a more tender crumb. None of these choices were accidental.
The lemon cream cheese frosting is a standalone star on this site and it is the perfect finish for this cake. It is tangy, creamy, and just sweet enough to balance the brightness without covering it up. If you prefer a buttercream, the lemon buttercream from my lemon layer cake works beautifully here too.
Why This Lemon Sheet Cake Actually Tastes Like Lemon
The biggest thing I learned through testing is that most lemon cakes do not actually taste like lemon. They taste like vanilla cake with a hint of lemon somewhere in the background. That is not what we are doing here.
This recipe uses 4 tablespoons of lemon zest and a full third of a cup of fresh lemon juice, the most generous amount I tested across all four rounds. The zest carries the essential oils from the lemon skin and that is where the real lemon punch comes from. The juice brings brightness and a little acidity that makes the whole cake taste alive.
Fresh lemon only. Bottled lemon juice has a flat, almost metallic quality that comes through in baked goods. With this much lemon in the recipe, the quality of what you use really does matter. Grab 4 to 5 lemons along with this squeezer and you will have everything you need for both the cake and the frosting.
Key Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Fresh Lemon Zest: This is the most important ingredient in the whole recipe. The zest contains the essential oils from the lemon skin and that is where real lemon flavor lives. Do not swap it for anything else. Rub the zest into the sugar before mixing to release those oils and get maximum flavor into every bite.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Most lemon cake recipes use a tablespoon or two. We use a full third of a cup because that is what it actually takes to taste it after baking. Fresh only here, bottled will not give you the same result.
- Butter and Oil: This combination is intentional and it matters. Butter gives you that rich homemade flavor. Oil gives you moisture that sticks around even after the cake has been sitting for a day or two. Using both is what makes this cake so good on day one and day three.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes this cake more tender than regular milk and the slight tang it adds plays really well with lemon. If you do not have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of regular milk, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: The tangy cream cheese base is the perfect match for a lemon cake because it complements the flavor instead of competing with it. It is just sweet enough to balance the brightness of the cake without covering it up.
How to Make Lemon Sheet Cake
Follow these simple steps, or jump to the full recipe below:
Zest and juice your lemons before getting started. You’ll need 4 Tbsp of zest (about 4-5 lemons) and ⅓ cup of fresh lemon juice. Set both aside.
Prep oven and pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9×13 inch pan and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix zest and sugar: In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest and granulated sugar together with your hands for 60 seconds.
Begin mixing in wet ingredients: Add in the butter and oil and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Mix in remaining wet ingredients: Add the eggs, buttermilk and lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, do not panic.
Combine wet and dry ingredients: With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Transfer and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are just starting to pull away from the pan. Dark pans will bake faster than light pans.
Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan before frosting.
How to Know When Your Cake is Done
The toothpick test is your best friend here. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, you are done. If it comes out with wet batter, give it a few more minutes.
You can also watch the edges. When the cake is done the edges will just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. That is a reliable sign that the center has set.
One important note: dark pans conduct heat faster than light pans, so if you are baking in a dark 9×13 start checking at 25 minutes. A light colored pan will likely need the full 30 to 35 minutes.
How to Make the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Follow these easy steps, or jump to the full recipe below:
Beat cream cheese and butter: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, beat again.
Mix in powdered sugar: Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined.
Taste and adjust: Taste to determine if you want more powdered sugar, if so add an additional 1-2 cups of powdered sugar. Or taste to determine if you want to add more lemon juice, if so add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Spread: Spread the frosting over the fully cooled cake.
How to Store Lemon Sheet Cake
At room temperature: If you are serving the cake within a day, you can leave it covered at room temperature. The frosting holds up well for about 24 hours out of the fridge.
In the refrigerator: Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator if you are keeping it longer than a day. Cover the pan tightly and store for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
In the freezer: You can freeze this cake frosted or unfrosted. Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Lemon Sheet Cake FAQs
Yes, this is a great make ahead cake. You can bake the cake a day in advance, cover it tightly, and store it at room temperature. Make the frosting the day you plan to serve it and spread it right before serving, or frost it the night before and refrigerate.
I really recommend against it for this recipe. With this much lemon in the batter the quality of the juice matters and bottled lemon juice has a flat flavor that fresh juice does not. Fresh lemon juice is one of those things that is worth the extra few minutes.
Yes! Use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend, such as King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. I’ve also made this recipe with gluten free flour with awesome results.
Follow my DIY buttermilk recipe.
Absolutely. The lemon buttercream from my lemon layer cake is a great option if you prefer a buttercream base. A simple lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar) poured over the cake is also a great alternative. I also have a whole frosting category.
More Lemon Recipes:
Tap stars to rate!
Lemon Sheet Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 4 Tbsp lemon zest, about 4-5 lemons
- ⅓ cup (80g) fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¾ cups (346g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (227g) buttermilk, room temperature
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1-3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3-5 cups (339-567g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
Video
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Zest and juice your lemons before getting started. You’ll need 4 Tbsp of zest (about 4-5 lemons) and ⅓ cup of fresh lemon juice. Set both aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9×13 inch pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt
- In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest and granulated sugar together with your hands for 60 seconds.4 Tbsp lemon zest, 1¾ cups (346g) granulated sugar
- Add in the butter and oil and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (50g) vegetable oil
- Add the eggs, buttermilk and lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, do not panic.4 large eggs, 1 cup (227g) buttermilk, ⅓ cup (80g) fresh lemon juice
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are just starting to pull away from the pan. Dark pans will bake faster than light pans.
- Let the cake cool in the pan before frosting.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.8 oz (226g) cream cheese, ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- Add the lemon juice, beat again.1-3 Tbsp lemon juice
- Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar and the salt, mixing on low until combined.3-5 cups (339-567g) powdered sugar, ⅛ tsp salt
- Taste to determine if you want more powdered sugar, if so add an additional 1-2 cups of powdered sugar. Or taste to determine if you want to add more lemon juice, if so add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Spread the frosting over the fully cooled cake.
Wow! I made this for a family gathering and got RAVES! I’m making it for a 4th of July party for tomorrow. Thank you so much! (To the poster above–powdered sugar is icing sugar).
So glad you loved it!!
Delicious and easy!
Made this for a spaghetti dinner and it was a big hit!
Delicious! I did not change a thing with this recipe and it was yummy! Made it for a 4th of July celebration and received rave reviews. Thanks.
Best lemon cake ever!!
I made this cake this afternoon, and it is light and fluffy and just a delicious cake! Thank you for sharing the recipe.