• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Hutch Oven
  • My cookbooks
    • BOOK 2
    • BOOK 1
  • about me
    • Contact Me
    • Beauty From Ashes
      • This day never gets easier
    • Meet my Family
      • Photography
    • Life & Faith
      • You are enough
      • The BEST version of ourselves
      • Most important role
      • “Make me a Lion”
  • Tutorials
    • Flower Cookies
    • Cookie Tutorials
    • Holiday Cookies
  • Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Cakes
    • Frosting
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Crockpot Recipes
    • Soups
      • Zuppa Toscana Copy Cat Soup
Home » Recipes » Lemon Cake Recipe

Lemon Cake Recipe

July 18, 2018 by Emily Hutchinson

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

My Naked Lemon cakes have become a very desired recipe so I’m going to share this recipe that my family LOVES! It’s so easy that you are going to be shocked! In the ingredients for my lemon cake you will see that I’m using Betty Crockers boxed lemon cake mix which I doctor up. I also love to cover my Lemon cakes with buttercream frosting!

easy and moist lemon cake recipe

You may be thinking….”OH MY GOSH The Hutch Oven is using box cake mix?” but let me tell you, this lemon cake is so yummy, moist and fluffy that you must try it. I am not a snob to doctored box mixes. This is still homemade and you are putting as much into baking this cake as you would if you made one completely from scratch. Give yourself a break sometimes 😉

easy moist lemon cake recipe

I like to use Wilton bake even strips on my cake rounds for even baking and a flat tops. You may need to trim a little off to make your cake flat. You will want to thinly slice your lemons and use any kind of greenery. You may have the greenery you need right in your back yard 😉

You can use any buttercream recipe but here is a link to mine on my Hallmark Home and Family segment easy lemon cake recipe

I added a video at the bottom to show you how easy it was to assemble my lemon naked cake. You can fully frost your lemon cake like the first photo I used or keep it naked. Either way, it’s lemon so…

easy lemon cake recipe

Pin for later 😉
moist and fluffy easy lemon cake recipe

easy lemon cake recipe

Lemon Cake

Moist and fluffy Lemon Cake that is so easy you will want to make this all the time. You will see I used a doctored Betty Crocker box cake mix. Hands down one of the easiest and yummiest recipes I use.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 16

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box Betty Crocker lemon cake mix
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 4 egg whites

Instructions
 

  • Pour milk and vinegar together and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour two 8 inch cake rounds. I like to use Bake even strips on the outside of my pans, but you don’t have to use them.
  • In a mixer, mix egg whites, oil, sour cream, and lemon zest. Then add your milk vinegar (this acts sort-of like a buttermilk substitute).
  • After that’s mixed you want to mix your lemon cake in, BUT only mix tell incorporated. You can even do this by hand. Please don’t over whip.
  • Pour evenly into your two cake rounds and bake for 25- 30 minutes or until you gently press on the top of your cake and it springs back up. Or use the clean toothpick method.
  • Frost cake with buttercream frosting.
    easy and moist lemon cake recipe

Notes

Let milk and vinegar mix sit for up to 30 minutes. I only let mine sit for 20 minutes. The longer it sits the more it turns to act like a buttermilk substitute.
Keyword easy lemon cake, lemon cake, lemon cake recipe

I am such a huge fan of rhubarb. I do like strawberry rhubarb but in my opinion just straight rhubarb is better. I developed this roasted rhubarb crumble cookie recipe in hopes that you’d fall in love with rhubarb too, if you aren’t already a lover. Rhubarb has a distinct tart flavor that becomes delicious…

Read More

Previous Post: « Ali is getting married
Next Post: Zinnia Flower tutorial »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christin

    July 20, 2018 at 4:01 pm

    If you are doing the naked cake, does it take your full buttercream frosting recipe? I just don’t want a ton left over and wasted. Thanks!
    Signature Buttercream recipe
    Ingredients: ⠀
    – 1 1/4 cup butter
    – 1 1/4 cup shortening
    – 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    – 1 2lb bag of confectioners’ powdered sugar or about 7 1/2 cups
    – 4 to 5 tablespoons milk

    • Emily Hutchinson

      July 24, 2018 at 6:27 pm

      I like to use the full recipe so I have enough. I don’t think half the recipe could be enough.

  2. Heidi

    December 11, 2018 at 8:04 am

    Emily, when you are baking, for this or any cake/baked good, if the recipe says “milk”, does it matter what percent fat milk you use? Can skim or 2% still always produce the same result?

    • Emily Hutchinson

      December 11, 2018 at 4:41 pm

      I would suggest using whole or 2% milk. I should have been more specific. Thank you

  3. Lauren

    April 23, 2019 at 5:13 pm

    This sounds so yummy! Would adding poppyseeds affect the mixture, do you think?

    • Emily Hutchinson

      April 25, 2019 at 6:06 pm

      Hi Lauren, I’ve never tried that but it sounds delicious 🙂

  4. Rebecca

    May 10, 2019 at 4:45 pm

    This was SO good! I actually doubled the recipe and used to 10 inch pans. Turned out great and they came out pretty flat already so I didn’t have to trim much off before layering them. I used a lemon buttercream to frost. Thanks!!!

    • Emily Hutchinson

      May 11, 2019 at 2:46 am

      Oohhhh I’m so happy you loved it as much as we do. Thank you for your sweet comment Xoxoxoxox

  5. Amanda Wicke

    May 25, 2019 at 1:29 am

    Are you whipping the egg whites until peaked or just mixing everything together?

    • Emily Hutchinson

      May 26, 2019 at 12:13 pm

      Hi Amanda,
      I’m just mixing everything in 🙂 don’t over mix

  6. Laura

    June 11, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    Can I use 1 cup of buttermilk instead of the substitute? Thanks!

    • Emily Hutchinson

      June 11, 2019 at 4:42 pm

      Yes 🙂

  7. Erika Casarin

    July 25, 2019 at 2:33 am

    Hi Emily! Would you advise I cut the recipe in half if I’m using three 6″ pans? And when you’re adding the lemon cake mix it’s only the dry mix, correct?

    • Emily Hutchinson

      July 26, 2019 at 4:03 am

      Keep the recipe as is, just evenly distribute to the 3 6inch pans 🙂

  8. Anne

    September 20, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    Could I use this recipe to make cupcakes ?

    • Emily Hutchinson

      October 9, 2019 at 4:50 am

      You sure can, just reduce the cooking time 🙂

  9. Suzanne

    October 20, 2019 at 11:02 am

    What does ? BUT Only mix tell incorporated mean? Number 4 in instructions to make the cake.

    • Emily Hutchinson

      November 13, 2019 at 4:58 am

      It means to not over mix 🙂

  10. Thomas

    February 20, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Can’t wait to make it this weekend. Lemon is my favorite.
    Can I add more lemon juice? I like it tangy

  11. Ally

    May 8, 2020 at 11:14 pm

    Can I use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Thanks!

  12. Gina

    June 7, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    Can I use Bundt pan?

    • Emily Hutchinson

      July 15, 2020 at 4:27 am

      Hi Gina,
      Shoot, I haven’t made this recipe in a bundt pan.

  13. Kelly

    August 7, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    You should have said pour the milk & vinegar together and set aside for 20-30 mins! I missed that part 😬

    • Emily Hutchinson

      August 27, 2020 at 3:28 pm

      Yes I should have just put that in the notes. It should have done its job regardless 🥰🥰

Primary Sidebar

Meet Emily Hutchinson, creator of The Hutch Oven

Archives

roasted rhubarb crumble cookies

I am such a huge fan of rhubarb. I do like strawberry rhubarb but in my opinion just straight rhubarb is better. I developed this roasted rhubarb crumble cookie recipe in hopes that you’d fall in love with rhubarb too, if you aren’t already a lover. Rhubarb has a distinct tart flavor that becomes delicious…

Read More

strawberry cheesecake stuffed cookies

This decadent Strawberry cheesecake cookie is soft, buttery and stuffed with cheesecake. The strawberry cookie compliments the cheesecake stuffing to taste like you’re eating a slice of cheesecake with strawberries on top. The center of this strawberry cheesecake cookie is soft and it brings extra moisture to the whole cookie. The edges have a crisp…

Read More

carrot cake

I love carrot cake, I love the taste of the flavor packed cinnamon carrot cake paired with the cream cheese frosting. This cake has a buttermilk glaze that makes the carrot cake extra moist. If you’ve never had cake with buttermilk glaze, you’re in for a treat. Its thicker than a sugar syrup but not…

Read More

party animal blondie bars

Are you ready to try the best blondies EVER?? These Party Animal Blondie Bars are the ticket! It’s almost my birthday and I love blondies. I love blondies equal to brownies. Blondies bars are so delish! These Part Animal Blondie Bars are moist, buttery, loaded with iced animal cookies and golden Oreos. Just a few…

Read More

American crusting buttercream recipe

American crusting buttercream works beautifully to decorate on my sugar cookie recipes. I have been using this recipe for years, it was adapted from a crusting buttercream recipe of Wiltons. If you hate the idea of the vegetable shortening you can use all butter. I think it gives the buttercream extra smoothness when piping. We…

Read More

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer cookies

Christmas cookies aren’t complete with out Rudolph. They will make the perfect addition to your cookie plates for Santa, the neighbor, teachers or family and friends. I share all of my recipes in my two books, creative cookie decorating and creative cookie decorating for everyone, both available online anywhere books are sold. Grab my vanilla…

Read More

Copyright © 2022 The Hutch Oven on the Foodie Pro Theme