Lemonade Cake (4 Ingredients)

This Lemonade Cake is a super-simple dessert recipe made with just 4 ingredients, no eggs, no dairy, and a soft and fluffy crumb.

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I love simple cakes, like my Condensed Milk Cake or Chocolate Yogurt Cake but I wanted to try making one with a can of lemonade I had on hand. The result is excellent, so you should try too!

While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Lemonade Cake

This Lemonade Cake is a super-simple dessert recipe made with just 4 ingredients, no eggs, no dairy, and a soft and fluffy crumb.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

cool down: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 slices (6-inch cake)

Calories: 297.2 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 ¾ cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ ⅔ cup Sugar - (note 2)
• ▢ 1 cup Lemonade - (note 3)
• ▢ ½ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 4)

Optional

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 6-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Oil the side and bottom nicely to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the self-rising flour, sugar, and salt if used.
• Pour the fresh lemonade, oil, and lemon extract if used. Use a rubber spatula to stir and form a smooth cake batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes on the center rack of the oven at 350 °F (180 °C), foiling the top of the pan after 40 minutes to prevent the cake from darkening too fast.
• Bake until golden brown on top and a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes entirely clean.
• Let the cake cool down in the pan at room temperature for 10 minutes, then gently unmold on a cooling rack and cool for 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Note 1: You can swap for 1 + 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour in which you whisk 3 teaspoons of baking powder. I don’t recommend all-purpose gluten-free flour for this recipe, as it will make the cake gummy and dense. The recipe doesn’t work with almond flour or oat flour.

Note 2: Or any granulated sweetener you love like unrefined cane sugar or coconut sugar – the cake will be darker.

Note 3: I am using organic fresh lemonade, you can use any lemonade you like, or even try lemon-flavored kombucha if you like this flavor.

Note 4: Any low-flavor oils work like canola oil, or melted plant-based butter.

Note 5: This adds a lovely lemon flavor as lemonade only adds a tiny lemon taste. You can also swap for 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for a vanilla taste or 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.

Pan size options: You can also bake the cake in an 8-inch pan. The baking time decreases to 35-45 minutes.

Storage: Store the cake in an airtight cake box in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 297.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.9g | Sodium: 148.2mg | Potassium: 27.8mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 20.2g | Vitamin A: 0.5IU | Calcium: 4.5mg | Iron: 0.3mg | Magnesium: 6.8mg | Phosphorus: 26.5mg | Zinc: 0.2mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need 4 ingredients to make this simple recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Self-Rising Flour – This provides the cake’s structure and rise. All-purpose flour with baking powder also works.  
• Sugar – Sweetens the cake. Other granulated sweeteners, like cane or coconut sugar, are fine.
• Lemonade – Adds moisture and a subtle lemon flavor. Lemon-flavored kombucha also works.
• Light Olive Oil – Adds moisture and richness. Other neutral oils, like canola or melted plant-based butter, are fine too.

How to Make Lemonade Cake

This recipe is super easy to whip up. Here’s how in a few pictures.

Stir the dry ingredients and pour the lemonade on the top.

Stir until you form a just-combined cake dough.

Pour the batter into a 6-inch springform pan.

Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes on the center rack of the oven at 350 °F (180 °C).

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips for a perfect cake every single time.

• Quality Lemonade – Use good quality organic lemonade to add the best flavor to the cake.
• Boost Flavor – Add a teaspoon of lemon extract or vanilla extract to enhance the cake’s flavor.
• Sparkling Drink Variations – Swap lemonade for other sparkling drinks like lemon-flavored kombucha or sparkling water.
• Layer Cake Option – Use this cake as a layer cake for birthdays and use dairy-free frosting to assemble the layers.
• Thinner Cake – Make the cake thinner and bake in an 8-inch pan for a shorter baking time.
• Pan Preparation – Properly oil and line the cake pan to prevent sticking.
• Cooling Time – Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.
• Prevent Over-Browning – Foil the top of the cake after 40 minutes to prevent it from darkening too quickly.

More Easy Cake Recipes

Easy Chocolate Cake

Easy Coconut Cake

Condensed Milk Cake

Applesauce Cake