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Buttermilk Citrus Cake

This triple-citrus-infused cake is soft and fluffy with a balance of tangy and sweet. Fresh citrus buttercream takes it to the next level!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 9
Author: Karie

Equipment

  • 8x8-inch cake pan

Ingredients

Buttermilk Citrus Cake

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • zest of 1 orange, 1 lemon, and 1 lime
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces (6 tbsp) unsalted butter soft
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh citrus juice

Citrus Buttercream Frosting

  • 3 ounces (6 tbsp) unsalted butter soft
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons citrus juice

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8 inch square cake pan.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend ¾ cup sugar and citrus zest until thoroughly blended, 1-2 minutes. Add remaining dry ingredients (1 ½ cups flour, ¾ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp salt); mix well.
  • Add 3 oz soft butter; mix until butter is broken down into fine crumbs. The mixture will look like soft sand.
  • Whisk together ¾ cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, and 2 tbsp citrus juice. With the mixer running on low, gradually add this mixture to the dry ingredients until blended.
  • Pour into prepared cake pan and bake until edges are golden and middle is baked through, about 35-40 minutes.
  • Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the citrus buttercream:

  • Cream together 3 oz butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and pinch of salt until well blended.
  • Add 2 tbsp citrus juice, a little at a time, until frosting is a nice spreadable consistency.
  • Frost cake as desired and decorate with thin slices of citrus.