Iced Lemon Birthday Snack Cake

When you’re in the mood for a cake but don’t want to spend the entire day baking in the kitchen, this cake is for you. It’s my iced lemon snack cake, all done in an 8×8 inch square pan. Only 9 small pieces of cake with this one, making it an easy recipe for a small birthday or holiday dessert. Let’s make it!

Ingredients Needed (Iced Lemon Snack Cake)

• Cake flour
• Baking powder 
• Salt
• Lemon zest
• Butter, unsalted
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Almond extract 
• Sour cream
• Lemon juice
• Colorful sprinkles
• Powdered sugar
• Lemon juice
• Heavy whipping cream

Step-by-Step Instructions

• To make the iced lemon cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick baking spray.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract, sour cream, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
• Carefully, add the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Pour batter into the prepared 8×8 pan.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the lemon cake from the oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack.

Make the icing:

• Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy whipping cream to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until smooth. If you would like a thicker icing keep adding more powdered sugar. If the icing is too thick, add more lemon juice or heavy whipping cream to thin it out.

Spread the icing on top of the lemon cake and sprinkle with your favorite colorful sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Got a sweet tooth? Try these recipe favorites:

1. Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
2. Chocolate Avocado Banana Bread
3. Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you make this iced lemon snack cake or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Iced Lemon Birthday Snack Cake

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• Author: Samantha Shue
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 9 cake pieces 1x

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Description

The perfect size cake for any celebration! Iced lemon birthday snack cake is made in an 8x8in square pan, all done in 30 minutes.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Lemon Snack Cake

• 2 ½ cups cake flour (scoop and level method)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract 
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Colorful sprinkles 

For the Lemon Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
3. In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the almond extract, sour cream, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
5. Carefully, add the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
6. Pour batter into the prepared 8×8 pan.
7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack.
8. Make the icing: Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy whipping cream to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until smooth. If you would like a thicker icing keep adding more powdered sugar. If the icing is too thick, add more lemon juice or heavy whipping cream to thin it out.
9. Spread the icing on top of the lemon cake and sprinkle with your favorite colorful sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. You can use vanilla extract instead of almond.
2. 1 tablespoon of lemon zest is about 1 lemon.
3. 2 tablespoons of lemon juice is half of a large-sized lemon.
4. What is the difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour? I prefer to use cake flour in this recipe for a fluffier texture. All-purpose flour has a higher protein count, which will result in a dense cake. Cake flour has a low protein count and will give the cake a fluffy and tender texture.
5. You can use all-purpose flour in this recipe instead of cake flour. You will use 2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour instead of 2 ½ cups as the recipe states above.
6. The scoop and level method is the process you will use to accurately measure your cake flour. All you need to do is take a spoon and scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup, and then using the back of a knife scrape the top to level it.

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: dessert
• Cuisine: dessert

Keywords: birthday cake, iced lemon, snack cake, lemon snack cake