Lemon Curd Cake
A moist lemon sponge cake filled with tangy lemon curd and frosted with a fresh lemon buttercream.
Prep Time45 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Chill Time20 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Fusion
Diet: Low Salt, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 667kcal
Lemon cake
- 270 g unsalted butter
- 285 g white sugar caster
- 2 lemons’ zest
- 5 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoon milk
- 3 ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
- 285 g all-purpose flour ** plain flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
Lemon buttercream
- 175 g unsalted butter softened
- 425 g icing sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice fresh, roughly 1 lemon’s juice
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream optional
- Pinch of salt optional
Lemon cake
Preheat oven: 180°C / 160°C (fan) / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F
For the sponges, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest, either using a spatula, electric hand mixer or stand mixer, until light and pale.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the milk, oil and vanilla extract until fully combined.
Sieve in the flour and baking powder, folding gently together until only just combined.
Divide the batter evenly between two greased and lined 8-inch cake tins and bake in the oven for 25-30mins until risen and skewer comes out clean from the middle of the cakes.
Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 20mins then remove from the tins and transfer to a wire rack while you make the buttercream.
Lemon buttercream
Beat the butter (either by hand, using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until pale, light and fluffy. This could take several minutes.
Sieve half of the icing sugar into the butter and beat until combined, then repeat this with the remaining half of icing sugar.
Add in the lemon juice and salt (if using), mixing until only just smooth.
If needed, stir in milk or cream 1 teaspoon at a time until you get a thick but spreadable consistency.
Assembly
Once the cake sponges have cooled, place one onto a flat plate or cake board and pipe a circle of your buttercream around the edge in a ring to make a wall.
Spread roughly ½ jar of lemon curd inside the frosting ring, then place the second sponge on top.
Cover the cake (top and sides) in the rest of the frosting, smoothing lightly with a spatula.
Decorate your cake with buttercream swirls, slices of lemon and/or edible flowers, and enjoy!
* I like to use a piping bag to pipe a ring of frosting to hold the lemon cake filling inside. You can instead use a plastic freezer bag with the corner cut off.
** You can swap the plain flour for self-raising flour of the same quantity and reduce the baking powder in the recipe down to 1 tsp.
*** You can use a premade store-bought lemon curd (usually need ½ a standard jar) or make your own from scratch using this lemon curd recipe.
Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 69g | Vitamin A: 1036IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg