I remember growing up, my dad loved lemon-flavored things. There was an ice cream shop in our town called High’s Ice Cream. I don’t think the chain exists anymore but I remember it vividly; it’s so sad it’s not around anymore. My dad would always get their lemon ice cream. Even though I never ordered it, I always remember him letting me have some of his. It was sweet, citrusy and a little tart. It was pretty much perfect. Anyway, I seem to love lemony things and I wonder if it’s because my dad had such a love for it. Regardless of where my love for lemon came from, I’m sure of one thing: this lemon sheet cake is perfect whether you love lemon or not.
My lack of baking isn’t because I don’t like baked goods (lord knows that’s not true) – it’s mostly because baking scares me sometimes. If you add too much of one ingredient you could mess the entire thing up. Oh the drama of it all.
Even though I have a little fear of baking, I came across this lemon sheet cake recipe on Instagram from fellow blogger, Butter Be Ready (you can follow her on Instagram here). Sometimes I see a photo of a dish and it stops me in my tracks. There are some instances where I know exactly in that moment that I want to make whatever it is I’m currently salivating over.
I had that feeling with this cake. Seriously, go to Butter Be Ready’s Instagram and see the photo of the cake. It looks heavenly. I put all of my baking fears aside, almost immediately, then went out and purchased lemons and whatever other ingredients I didn’t already have. Oh yeah – I was ready to bake.
The best lemon sheet cake ever
I’m often very skeptical when I see recipes that have been dubbed “best ever” but trust me when I say, this really is the best ever. It’s flavorful and you don’t need to be a professional baker to replicate it (um, hello…I did it in a breeze). One of my measuring factors for whether my baked goods are delicious or not is John. John doesn’t have the biggest sweet tooth though he’ll have a dessert once in a while. However, with this lemon sheet cake, he was all about it. I’ve never seen him enjoy a cake like this one. He’s even asked me to make it again!
Can you believe that?!
Let’s pause for a moment. Usually when I make a dessert John eats it, maybe he’ll have seconds but that’s it. I usually send the leftovers to his co-workers. Not this time. He didn’t want to share and I can’t blame him. This cake is that good.
The icing. Oh, the icing. The lemon flavor isn’t too overpowering it’s just right and I can’t wait to make this again. Honestly, I wanted to eat the icing straight out of the bowl and forget icing the actual cake. I’m already planning to make this icing again for another dessert. Maybe cookies?
I didn’t change a thing with the recipe. I did however, add some candied lemon peels on top. Candied lemon peels are very easy to make yourself. Other garnish options: mint, thinly sliced lemons, candied ginger or even edible flowers. The sky is the limit when it comes to garnishes.
Go get the recipe over on Butter Be Ready and tell me when you make it!
