This lemon sheet cake is a fluffy cake filled with fresh lemon flavor. If you are looking for a fresh and moist cake for spring or summer, then this cake is SO good. On top is a blueberry cream cheese frosting loaded with fresh blueberries and lemon slices.
How To Make Lemon Batter
This cake batter is very easy to make, but does require fresh lemons. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not lemon concentrate. This will give you a much brighter and zestier flavor.
- Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients- In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a sifter to make sure no flour lumps remain. This will also lead to a softer cake.
- Step 2: Zest lemons- You need 3 lemons to zest and then juice 2 of them. If you want to use lemons to decorate the top, then buy 4 total lemons. Set these aside.
- Step 4: Beat butter- Use a stand or hand mixer to beat the butter, oil, and sugar on high. It should be incredibly light in color, almost white.
- Step 4: Add the rest of the wet ingredients- Add lemon juice, zest, and sour cream. The sour cream fat content will break down the gluten strands and result in more moist crumb. Then, add the eggs.
- Step 5: Add dry ingredients and buttermilk- Alternate the 2 until the last thing you add in is the dry ingredients.
How To Prevent Cake From Sticking
First, use a silver 9X13 inch pan. Don't use a glass or dark colored pan. They won't bake the same or will over bake the edges. Next, spray the pan with a baking non-stick spray (the one with flour in it). Line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan with parchment paper. Spray again to make sure that cake comes right out!
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes. This will allow the cake to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Next, flip the cake onto a cooling rack. It should come right out!
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
This blueberry frosting is incredible. It has the tang from the cream cheese plus the strong blueberry flavor.
First, puree an entire container of blueberries into a blender. Then, use the mesh sifter to separate the chunks from the juice. It will equal ¼ cup.
Next, you need room temperature cream cheese and slightly cold butter. Leave the butter on the counter for 30 minutes. This will make it cold to the touch but you can leave a slight finger indent in it. Slightly cold butter helps to create a firmer frosting.
This recipe needs 5 cups of powdered sugar because we need it to not be soup! Since there is cream cheese and blueberry puree, it needs a lot of powdered sugar. To prevent a gritty frosting, sift the powdered sugar.
After you make the frosting, if you want a more purple frosting like mine, add 1 drop of purple food coloring. I wanted this frosting to POP.
Let your frosting firm slightly in the fridge for 15 minutes before using. I used about ¾ of the frosting.
Decorating The Cake
What makes the cake so fun is all the fresh fruit that goes on top. It can take a fine cake to a WOW cake.
You can top the cake with lemon slices and fresh blueberries. Or you can top with just blueberries. Either way, it makes it fun.
How To Store The Cake
You can store the lemon sheet cake cut into slices, or stored whole. Store the cake in an air tight container in the fridge. It will last up to 7 days in the fridge.
You can also store the cake on a cutting board and wrap it in aluminum foil. This method is great if you are going to serve it at a party soon. Only keep the cake on the cutting board for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Can This Cake Be Layered
Yes it can be made into an 8 inch 3 layer cake. Bake for 18-24 minutes. For the frosting, if you want to fill the cover the cake, then double the frosting. If you want extra decorations, triple the frosting.
Cupcakes
This recipe will make 24 cupcakes. If you want to decorate them all, then double the frosting. If you want 12 cupcakes, then the frosting can stay the same.
Can This Cake Be Frozen
Yes! This lemon sheet cake can be frozen. Cut the cake into slices, then wrap each slice in cling wrap. Then, store in an air tight container and freeze it for up to 30 days.
You can also make the cake itself ahead of time. Wrap the cooled cake in cling wrap tightly and store up to 2 weeks.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me a review below if you made this cake. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Sheet Cake with Blueberry Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Sheet Cake
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup Oil canola or vegetable
- 1 ½ cup White granulated sugar
- 3 Lemons zested
- ¼ cup Lemon juice (2 lemons) freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup Sour cream room temperature
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
- 3 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Buttermilk room temperature
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 4 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 5 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Blueberry puree Puree a 6oz container of blueberries.
- 1 teaspoon Heavy cream
- Blueberries and lemon slices for decoration
- Purple food coloring 1 drop optional
Instructions
Lemon Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9X13 inch pan with a non-stick baking spray. Line the bottom and 2 sides of the pan with parchment paper. Spray again
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Zest the lemons in one bowl. Squeeze the lemons for lemon juice in another bowl.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat on high for 3 minutes. It should be very fluffy and light. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice, and sour cream. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl.
- Add in eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
- Add in ⅓ of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Add in another ⅓ of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl and mix for another 10 seconds.
- Pour the cake batter into the pan. Bake for 40-48 minutes. Cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Set the butter on the counter for 30 minutes. It should be slightly cold to the touch. While the butter is on the counter, sift the powdered sugar. Use a blender to puree the blueberries. Then, strain through a mesh strainer until only the juice remains. It will equal to ¼ cup.
- Using a mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese on medium for 1 minute. Then, add in the butter and beat for 3 minutes. Halfway through beating, scrape the bowl. The butter should be smooth and fluffy with no butter chunks.
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar slowly. Once all combined, scrape the bowl and mix for 10 seconds.
- Add in salt, vanilla, blueberry puree, and heavy cream. Mix on low until it starts to combine, then beat on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Place the frosting in the fridge for 15 minutes. Then, take a wooden spoon and beat the frosting by hand until all air bubbles are smooth.
- Frost the cake. Use the back of a spoon the get the textured look. Top the cake with fresh blueberries and lemon slices.
Tereza says
I made this for a NYE party and we loved it. I think the lemons I'd used were bigger than the recipe calls for (comparing the weight in grams and written instructions), but thanks to this, it was extra lemony. I cut the sheet cake in half, spread a homemade jam in between the two halves and even created a little bit of rum-citron sirup on top and let me tell you - it was super delicious. This recipe is a great and simple base with a refreshing taste.
Sarah says
Delicious! I made this for some house guests and they loved it. The texture was light and fluffy and the frosting was great too. I used a smaller square tin so I had to bake the cake for longer, and I used less frosting but luckily these were easy adjustments to make. Definitely recommend this recipe to others.
Linda says
This lemon cake turned out so soft and fluffy!
Allison says
The cake was so soft and moist with each bite!
Shazeen says
Hi Stephanie! I can’t wait to try this!
If I were to do this in a Bundt man instead of a sheet pan (don’t have one tall enough), how would I adjust the cook time?
Thanks so much!
Shazeen
Stephanie Rutherford says
I would bake for 45-50 minutes!
Kelly Spalding says
Well that’s icing work on a three layer version of this cake?
Stephanie Rutherford says
Hello!
I just updated this recipe for a better lemon cake. If you want to do frosting in the middle and cover, double the frosting. If you want to do extra decorations then triple the recipe.
Lily says
Love this recipe! Can you make this into a layered cake? If so, are there any adjustments to the recipe?
Stephanie Rutherford says
yes you can! I recommend using all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. It will be more stable. I recommend 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour. I haven't personally made this cake into a layer cake, but i bet it will be so good!
[email protected] says
Wow! Mouthwatering dish. Thanks for sharing this lovely dish.
London Calling says
I have a deep and abiding love for anything lemon flavored, and I just adored this cake! I am usually a little hesitant when it comes to cream cheese frosting, I tend to find it too heavy in both flavor and consistency, but I really love how this came out--the blueberry cream cheese frosting was so light and fluffy, I could eat several pieces in a row! So dangerous! I'm usually a little hit and miss when it comes to blueberry pastries, some I really love and some I'd rather pass on, but the flavors on this were so well matched without being too overwhelming or attempting to overpower each other, I just loved how they balanced out.
Theresa Illyria says
I enjoyed the strong lemony flavor, the cake and the icing were sweet and the blueberries and lemon zest on top really added a nice tartness to balance out the creaminess of the icing and the sweetness of the cake.