Lemon Curd Cake
This Lemon Curd Cake has a lemon curd sponge with lemon buttercream and a drizzle of lemon curd.
Jump to Recipe
Lemon Recipes
I love a lemon recipe I have so many on my blog already from my Lemon and Blueberry Cake, Lemon Gin Drizzle Cake, and Lemon and Raspberry Cake. It is safe to say I am obsessed.
Despite, the large amount of lemon recipes I have I don’t have a recipe that is simply just lemon. I always pair it with something else like Raspberries or Blueberries. But not this cake, this cake is just to celebrate everything lemon.
Lemon
In this cake, I used a few different types of lemon. I used fresh lemon as well as lemon curd because I wanted this cake to be super lemony.
The lemon curd, I used in the cake batter and also to drizzle over the top of the lemon buttercream.
If you don’t have fresh lemons, they can be substituted for 1-2 tsp of lemon extract. I would recommend Foodie Flavours. Their flavours are incredible and you only need a tiny amount to get a lovely deep flavour.
Cake Tins
I baked these lemon curd cakes in 2 8″ cake tins. 8″ cake tins are widely available and are the ones that most supermarkets stock.
For me, the 8″ cake tin is the perfect size. These cakes serve around 12 people so they are perfect for sharing.
You can, of course, make these cakes in a larger or smaller tin. You may need to adjust the recipe and bake tin to suit your cake tin size however.
Two-Layered Cake
I made this into a two-layered cake. Most of the cake recipes on my blog have two layers. I just think it is the perfect size. Sometimes 3 or 4-layer cakes are just too big and I thought that would be the case for this cake.
Baking
I baked the cakes in two separate cake tins, rather than baking in one and splitting it once it had cooled.
There are a few different ways to tell if the cakes are baked. The first is to use a cake tester or a skewer to test the thickest part of the cake (normally the centre) if this skewer comes out clean then the cake is baked. If there is still cake batter on the skewer pop the cakes back into the oven for 3-4 minutes and repeat.
Another way to tell if the cakes are baked is to gently press down onto the cake. If the cake springs back to its original shape when you remove your finger then the cake is baked. If you end up with a finger-shaped dent (don’t worry we can cover it with buttercream) then the cake isn’t quite ready. Pop it back into the oven for 3-4 minutes and repeat.
Related Recipes
Once baked the cake needs to be cooled for 15-20 minutes in the tin before you move it to a wire cooling rack to cool fully.
If you move it from the cake tin straight away, when it is still really hot, it increases the risk of it breaking. Leaving it to cool slightly before moving reduces the risk of it breaking.
Buttercream
With this Lemon Curd Cake, there was only one flavour of buttercream I could use and this is…lemon!
I used fresh lemon juice in the buttercream along with unsalted butter and icing sugar.
American buttercream is an absolute classic and this one only requires three ingredients.
The one thing with American buttercream, however, is that you MUST use unsalted butter. If you use a margarine or baking spread you will just end up with a buttercream soup, it is too sweet and too soft. So when you come to pipe it onto your cakes it won’t hold its own shape.
I used fresh lemon juice in the buttercream, but you can also use a lemon extract in the buttercream.
If you want to you can add a teeny-tiny amount of yellow food colouring to give it a lovely yellow colour but this is completely optional.
I used sunflower food colouring by Colour Splash. You only need a tiny amount and you get such a vibrant colour. Some of my other favourite yellow food colourings are Rainbow Dust ProGel and Colour Mill.
Alternatives
If you don’t have fresh lemons, you can substitute these for lemon extract. Just use 1-2tsp depending on how lemony you want your cake.
Equipment
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy any of these products. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting A Spoonful of Vanilla.
Pin it For Later!
If you do have any questions about this Lemon Curd Cake or any other recipes on my blog you can contact me either by sending me a DM on social media or an email. You can find all my details on the left-hand side of this page.
Lemon Curd Cake
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd Cake
- 325 g Caster Sugar
- 325 g Unsalted Butter or Stork
- 325 g Self-Raising Flour
- 7 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Lemons (zest only)
- 125 g Lemon Curd
For the Buttercream
- 250 g Unsalted Butter
- 500 g Icing Sugar
- 2 Lemons (juice only)
- Leftover Lemon Curd
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Curd Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C Fan). Line two 8” cake tins with greaseproof paper and leave it to one side.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, eggs, baking powder lemon zest and lemon curd. Whisk until all the ingredients are combined.
- Split the mixture between your two cake tins.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. You will know they are ready when they are springy to touch.
- Leave them to cool in the cake tin for 15-20 minutes and then remove and put them on a wire rack to cool fully.
To Make the Lemon Buttercream
- Beat together the unsalted butter and icing sugar until it is thick and creamy.
- Add in the lemon juice and mix again until fully incorporated.
- If the buttercream is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk and mix again. Repeat until the buttercream is the desired consistency.
Putting it All Together
- Place your first cake onto your serving plate and spread over half of the buttercream.
- Heat the remaining lemon curd in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften and drizzle over the top of your buttercream.
- Place your second cake on top and spread the remaining buttercream over the cake. Drizzle over the lmeon curd and finish with some sprinkles.
Notes
- This Lemon Curd Cake will last 3+ days in an airtight container.