This Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake is so amazing! It melts in your mouth and has the most delicious crunchy topping that keeps you coming back for more.
Let's talk about this cake. It has a burst of lemon flavor without being overpowering. The cake itself is fluffy and light, yet moist. It's glazed while it's still warm and gets sprinkled with lemon sugar. The glaze soaks into the cake a little, but hardens on the top. It's the best contrast of textures. When you take a bite it literally melts in your mouth. So good!
Personally, I'm a lemon girl all the way. Given the choice I will always pick lemon over chocolate every time. Crazy, I know! There's just something irresistible about the freshness of lemon. I can't get enough!
Two very important things that make this cake perfect are buttermilk and cake flour. I love buttermilk in breads and cakes because it adds moisture and tenderness. The cake flour, which is lower in protein and gluten than all purpose, makes the cake soft and light. Even though I had cake flour, I wanted to try using the alternative which is all-purpose combined with cornstarch. I know most people don't keep cake flour on hand. It worked beautifully.
It's baked at a lower temperature to keep it flat which is important for glazing. You don't want a domed cake that would make all that glaze to fall to the edges.
I highly recommend getting a microplane zester. I held off for years and I regret it. When I finally bought one I was amazed at how fast and easy I could zest lemons. No more grated knuckles on my cheese grater! Here's the one I use: lemon zester
This cake is totally worth the few dirty bowls it makes. Great for springtime and perfect for Easter.
Recipe from Cook's Country
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Lemon Sheet Cake with Crunchy Topping
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 ½ cups cake flour OR 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour and 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest of 3 lemons
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup buttermilk at room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 tablespoon 1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
- 3 eggs plug 1 egg yolk room temperature
GLAZE
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° and grease and flour a 13x9 pan. Or line the pan with parchment and grease.
- In a large bowl, combine cake flour (or all purpose and cornstarch), baking soda, making powder, and salt together. Mix and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix zest and sugar together until moist and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer ¼ cup of that mixture to a small bowl and set aside for later.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Add butter to remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and yolk, one at a time, until incorporated.
- Add flour mixture ⅓ at a time, alternating with buttermilk mixture until all is incorporated and smooth.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 min (mine took 39).
- Let cool for 10 minutes. I set a timer for this so I wouldn't forget.
- While cake is cooling mix glaze ingredients together.
- Gently spread over warm cake and sprinkle with reserved lemon sugar.
- Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Autumn E Schmaltz says
Awesome!! I doubled the recipe but eliminated 1/2 cup sugar and it was just right.
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks for trying it!
Heather says
My son has requested a lemon cake shaped like a Lego for his 8th birthday. But the cake has got to have a good, strong lemon flavor, or my lemon-loving kid will be sad. Does this recipe fit the bill if I don't add the crunchy sugar topping? He has requested a yellow lemon frosting, so the topping would just get lost. Also, I am purchasing a Lego mold. Do you think this batter will do alright in a relatively small, shaped mold? I assume, since it is a sheet cake, it will be a little more workable than a layer-cake recipe. Those never translate well to molded shapes for me. Too crumbly. Thanks for any advice.
Vivian says
What a wonderful cake. Just the perfect amount of lemon and we loved the glaze. Since this calls for buttermilk I'm assuming it needs to be refrigerated?
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Vivian. I left it at room temperature overnight, but anything longer than that I recommend refrigerating. Thanks for trying it- I'm so glad you like it!
Leslie Jarrett says
I'm indebted to you for featuring this recipe! It's now a favorite in our house. Love that topping - the crunchy sugar really gives it a little something extra.
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks Leslie! I'm so glad you tried it and like it! I agree- that crunchy topping is so good!!
Bevely Viscomi says
What a refreshing recipe to see at the beginning of Easter week! I think that I will give this a try for Easter weekend. I agree that the Zester you recommend is a good idea. I may need to make a purchase. Thank you Jay.
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks Beverly! Let me know if you try it. Yes, the zester makes such a difference. So much quicker and so much more zest. Possibly the best $10 I've ever spent.