Lemon Sour Cream Cake is a very easy cake recipe to make for dessert tonight!
This sweet and simple lemon cake recipe is made in a 9×13-inch pan. It’s the perfect dessert recipe to make if you’re looking for a sweet treat to share with your family. It’s a homemade cake (no box mix involved), but it’s not difficult to make and it does not call for any hard-to-find ingredients.
This recipe comes from my favorite cake baking book of all time: Piece of Cake by Camilla Saulsbury. I have made so many cakes from this cookbook, and I continue to reach for it again and again every time I want to try baking a new cake! I suggest you add the book to your cookbook collection. It’s a good one!
How to make Lemon Sour Cream Cake:
For the complete recipe, be sure to scroll to the end of this post and print out the recipe. All ingredients and full instructions will be on the printable recipe.
In a large bowl, you’ll combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda). Then you’ll use your electric mixer to mix in eggs, sour cream, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. That’s all you do to make the cake batter. The batter is spread into a 9×13-inch pan and baked for about 40 minutes.
Icing for Lemon Sour Cream Cake:
After letting your cake cool off, you’ll make the lemon icing. It’s a mix of powdered sugar, sour cream, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. And then it’s poured onto the cake and spread to cover the top.
How to find a good lemon:
The best way to find a good lemon is to pick it up and hold it in your hand. If the lemon has a little “give” to it when you squeeze it (and isn’t rock hard), it will be easier to peel (a thinner skin) and it will yield more juice.
Things to order from Amazon to help you make this cake:
- ZESTER: This is the one I have, and it’s perfect for zesting and for fine-grating Parmesan cheese, ginger, garlic, nutmeg and chocolate.
- hand JUICER: This is a super handy tool for juicing lemons by hand.
- 9×13-inch pan: I like this one because it has a lid, which makes it easy to store!
This Lemon Sour Cream Cake is a nice dessert to keep around for snacking, but it’s also a pretty dessert to serve for Easter or Mother’s Day or another special occasion day. Keep leftovers stored in the refrigerator, since there is sour cream in the icing. Enjoy!
Here are a few more lemon dessert recipes you might like to try:
- Lemon Brownies
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Best Lemon Bars
- Lemon Sour Cream Pie
- Oatmeal Lemon Cream Bars
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Italian Lemon Cookies
- Cream Cheese Lemon Bars
Lemon Sour Cream Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
LEMON SOUR CREAM ICING:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
MAKE THE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
- Use an electric mixer to mix in the eggs, sour cream, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. On low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
PREPARE THE ICING:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, sour cream, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice until blended and smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the cooled cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cake was good, maybe a little dry. The frosting was way too runny, had to add another 3 cups of powdered sugar to make it usable. I wish I would have just used the old stand-by cutter cream frosting with lemon zest.
The Best Lemon Cake ever!
Loved this lemon cake !
I made for a church event. Cake was dry and it probably was way to long and didn’t bake it as long as it said. Frosting was so runny I added probably another cup, tablespoon at a time and was still nothing like pictured. I was afraid to add more powdered sugar caus it wouldn’t taste like nothing but did add extra zest. It was still not spreading consistency. I had frosting everywhere. Threw out the recipe
Oh no! I’m sorry it did not work out for you. The recipe came from a cake cookbook. Works for me (no altitude).