Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Frosting Recipe
User Reviews
5
Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Frosting Recipe
Description
This Lemon Cake starts with a batter mixing room temperature egg whites, buttermilk, lemon zest, and a blend of cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Butter and sugar are creamed until light, then combined with the dry ingredients and lemon-infused wet mixture. The cake bakes into two tender layers with a fine yet slightly porous crumb due to the buttermilk's acidity.
The frosting is a whipped buttercream incorporating powdered sugar, fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon curd, resulting in a fluffy, bright topping with added moisture and richness from heavy cream. The lemon curd adds a concentrated citrus note that complements the cake's delicate lemon flavor without overwhelming it.
This cake can be made a day in advance, with layers baked and stored wrapped at room temperature to maintain freshness. Use good-quality lemon curd for best results; it can be homemade or store-bought. Leftovers freeze well when wrapped tightly and thawed in the refrigerator overnight.
To level the cake layers for even stacking, trim domed tops if desired. Bake even strips may prevent doming. The buttermilk contributes a subtle tang and tender crumb, making the cake moist and flavorful without being dense.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 5 egg room temperature, white
- ¾ cup buttermilk divided
- 2 lemon zested (about 2 Tablespoons of zest, plural
- ¾ cup butter softened, unsalted
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened, unsalted
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ cup lemon curd
Instructions
- To prepare cake, grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper (cut circles to fit). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat egg whites, 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg white mixture. Beat in remaining buttermilk.
- Pour evenly into cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25-28 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and cool in cake pans 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat butter for 3-5 minutes until pale in color. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp from fresh lemon). Don’t add the heavy cream yet. Beat for 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Remove 1 cup of this frosting mixture. Set aside for now.
- To the big bowl of frosting add 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream and beat an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- To make the filling, take that 1 cup of the frosting and add ¼ cup of lemon curd and beat until combined.
- To assemble, place the first layer of the cake on a server or cake platter. Gently tuck strips of parchment paper under the cake to keep the frosting off your serving dish.
- Spread the lemon curd frosting over the top of the cake.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the filling and press down slightly to secure.
- Spread the remaining frosting over the sides and the top of the cake. Remove parchment paper slips. Enjoy.
Notes
- Use homemade or store-bought lemon curd for the frosting to add bright citrus flavor.
- Separate eggs when cold for easier handling, and save yolks to make lemon curd.
- The cake batter yields tender layers with a moist crumb due to buttermilk.
- Prepare lemon curd and bake cake layers up to one day ahead, storing properly wrapped.
- Freeze leftover cake slices wrapped tightly; thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving.
- Trim domed cake tops or use bake even strips to create level layers.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 639 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 639kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 93g | 31% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 29g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 9g | 53% |
| Cholesterol | 81mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 242mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 68g | 136% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
