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+ servings

Lemon Sheet Cake

Karissa Parrish
This lemon sheet cake is super soft, fluffy, and filled with fresh lemon flavor. It's also topped with a smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting and extra lemon zest.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Decorating Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 pieces

Equipment

  • 9x13-Inch Glass or Metal Baking Pan
  • Electric Stand Mixer
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Rubber Spatula

Ingredients:
 
 

Lemon Cake

  • 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup milk, room temperature

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray.

Lemon Cake

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on med-high speed until fully combined and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then mix in the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until combined (the mixture will look like it has separated and that's okay!).
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour (flour, milk, flour) and mixing just until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in any loose ingredients with a rubber spatula.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13-inch pan and smooth it out into an even layer using a rubber spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachent, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until light and creamy (1-2 minutes). Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined.
  • Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting until smooth and creamy (1-2 minutes).

Decorate

  • Once the cake has completely cooled spread on the cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula. Then sprinkle on some extra lemon zest (optional).
  • You can keep the cake in the pan or remove it before frosting. Slice into 18 pieces and serve.
  • Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes:

Baking Pan: This cake is baked in a 9x13 inch sheet pan. You can use either a glass or metal pan. Be sure to line your pan with parchment paper and nonstick spray.
Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step! It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 480IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cream cheese frosting, lemon cake, lemon cake recipe, lemon sheet cake
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