My grandmother used to make this cake every Easter, and the entire house would smell like sunshine and butter for hours. I still remember watching it rise impossibly high in the oven, convinced it was magic.
This Mile High Lemon Sour Cream & Buttermilk Cake is everything a lemon cake should be—towering, tender, tangy, and so buttery it practically melts on your tongue. The sour cream and buttermilk make the crumb unbelievably soft, and that golden crust? Absolutely perfect.
I made this last weekend and my husband ate three slices before dinner. No shame. Just pure lemon bliss.
**INGREDIENTS:**
**For the Cake:**
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup sour cream
• Zest of 2 large lemons
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
**For the Lemon Glaze (optional but highly recommended):**
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
**INSTRUCTIONS:**
1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy—about 4 minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the batter looks silky.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined—don’t overmix.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top gently.
8. Bake for 70–80 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10. If using the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and melted butter until smooth. Drizzle generously over the cooled cake.
The cake stays moist for days (if it lasts that long). Slice it thick, serve it with coffee, and watch it disappear.
Would you add extra lemon zest or keep it classic?