Lemon Bar Cake
If you’re a lemon lover, this lemon bar cake is your dream mash-up. It’s part lemon bar, part lemon cake, stacked into one dessert that manages to be gooey, buttery, tart, and fluffy all at once.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 40 grams (1/3 cup) powdered sugar
- 170 grams (1 ¼ cups + 1 tablespoon) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 23 grams (3 tablespoons) all purpose flour
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 120 grams (½ cup) fresh lemon juice, about 3-4 lemons
- zest of 1 large lemon
Cake
- 130 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- zest of 3 large lemons
- 113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 60 grams (¼ cup) sour cream, room temperature
- 60 grams (¼ cup) buttermilk, room temperature
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom & sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Wrap outside in foil just in case of leaks. See recipe notes for the bake times of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Mix melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour until crumbly. Press evenly into pan and slightly up the sides to create a shallow barrier. Prick with a fork so the air as a place to escape. Bake for 20-23 minutes until golden on the edges and matte on top.85 grams unsalted butter, 40 grams powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 170 grams all purpose flour
Filling
- In a bowl, whisk sugar and flour. Add eggs, lemon juice, and zest; whisk until smooth. Let the baked crust cool for 5 minutes at room temperature before adding filling - this helps secure the crust.200 grams granulated sugar, 23 grams all purpose flour, 3 eggs, 120 grams fresh lemon juice, zest of 1 large lemon
- Place the pan back in the oven, then carefully pour in the lemon filling. This reduces the risk of spillage and keeps the crust intact. If it looks like it will overflow or reach the very top edge of the crust, stop and don’t add the last bit - too much liquid can make the crust soggy.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350F, until it's set.
Cake
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.130 grams all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a separate bowl, rub lemon zest into sugar until fragrant and the natural oils have released. Beat in butter and oil until light and fluffy.150 grams granulated sugar, zest of 3 large lemons, 113 grams unsalted butter, 30 grams vegetable oil
- Mix in eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract.2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract, ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- Add dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with sour cream and buttermilk. Mix until just smooth. Layer gently over lemon filling.60 grams sour cream, 60 grams buttermilk
- Bake for 30–33 minutes at 350F, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 35-40 minutes at room temperature.
- Top with powdered sugar or whipped cream & enjoy!
Notes
Pan Size Note
- This recipe is written for an 8-inch springform pan (8–10 servings).
- For a 9-inch springform pan, in testing, bake times were:
- Crust: 20-22 minutes
- Lemon filling: ~20 minutes
- Cake: 30-33 minutes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!