7 Best Lemon & Citrus Cake Recipes

Lemon and citrus cakes bring instant freshness to the table. The balance of sweet and tangy flavors keeps these cakes light, moist, and memorable. This list pulls together the best lemon and citrus-forward cake recipes that home bakers actually love — each one clear, reliable, and packed with real citrus flavor.

Quick Summary

This list covers 7 of the best lemon and citrus cake recipes, including classic lemon, blueberry, raspberry, ricotta, velvet-style lemon, lemonade cake, and key lime cake. Each recipe includes full ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and citrus-focused baking tips. The content uses concise factual openings, semantically related keywords, and clean structure to support SEO, featured snippets, and AI-generated search summaries.

1. Classic Lemon Cake Recipe

Classic lemon cake delivers a soft crumb with bold citrus flavor using fresh lemon juice and zest.
This cake stays moist, lightly sweet, and perfectly balanced, making it a go-to lemon dessert for any occasion.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• ½ cup milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 8-inch pans.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add lemon juice and zest.
5. Alternate dry ingredients with milk until smooth.
6. Bake 30–35 minutes until set.

2. Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe

Lemon blueberry cake pairs bright citrus with juicy berries for a fresh, bakery-style flavor.
The blueberries add natural sweetness and moisture without overpowering the lemon.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup butter
• 1½ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1½ cups fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. Toss blueberries lightly in flour and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs.
3. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
4. Fold in dry ingredients and blueberries.
5. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes.

3. Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe

Lemon raspberry cake delivers a sweet-tart flavor with vibrant color and soft texture.
Raspberries bring brightness that pairs naturally with lemon.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup butter
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• Lemon zest and juice
• 1½ cups fresh raspberries

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar until pale.
2. Add eggs, lemon juice, and zest.
3. Fold in dry ingredients and raspberries gently.
4. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.

4. Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe

Lemon ricotta cake offers a lighter crumb with subtle creaminess and citrus aroma.
Ricotta keeps the cake tender without feeling heavy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• Lemon zest
• ¼ cup lemon juice

Instructions

1. Mix ricotta, sugar, and eggs until smooth.
2. Add lemon zest and juice.
3. Fold in dry ingredients gently.
4. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes.

5. Lemon Velvet Cake Recipe

Lemon velvet cake focuses on smooth texture with mellow citrus flavor.
The crumb feels soft, plush, and bakery-style.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup butter
• 1½ cups sugar
• 4 egg whites
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup milk

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar until light.
2. Add egg whites gradually.
3. Mix in lemon juice.
4. Fold in dry ingredients and milk.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.

6. Lemonade Cake Recipe

Lemonade cake delivers a sweet, tangy flavor inspired by classic summer lemonade.
It tastes light, cheerful, and refreshing.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 box lemon pudding mix
• ¾ cup oil
• 1½ cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup lemonade

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour into greased pan.
3. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes.

7. Key Lime Cake With Citrus Flavor Recipe

Key lime cake brings bold citrus flavor with creamy tang and tropical notes.
It’s vibrant, moist, and full of personality.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup butter
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup key lime juice
• Zest of 2 limes

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and lime juice.
3. Fold in dry ingredients and zest.
4. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.