Slice off a piece of sunshine with this light & airy Lemon Curd Cake recipe! Featuring three moist, fluffy layers of lemon cake, tart lemon curd, and a lusciously bright lemon buttercream frosting, this sweet treat is the food equivalent of the first real day of spring.
This recipe was originally published on March 7, 2023. It was updated with new information on September 23, 2023.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Cake With Lemon Curd
- Showstopper. This cake is simple to decorate but sure is stunning, and worthy of a centerpiece!
- Easy. Even if you’re new to baking and decorating cakes, this simple recipe is for you.
- Make-ahead friendly. Feel free to make the lemon curd and buttercream up to a week in advance and keep them in the fridge. You can also store the cake layers in the freezer for up to a month.
- Easy to make allergen-friendly. I've tried making this cake gluten-free and dairy-free and it's both easy and delicious! This lemon cake with lemon curd filling is also naturally nut-free and soy-free.
Ingredients
- Butter - I recommend using butter sticks rather than spreadable butter in tubs, whether it's regular butter or vegan butter. Allow it to soften to the point where you can easily indent it with a finger.
- Granulated Sugar - Plain white sugar will sweeten and add moisture to the cake.
- Lemons - Use both the juice and the zest to maximize the lemon flavor. Be sure to wash and dry them first.
- Eggs - Gives the cake layers structure and moisture. Be sure they're at room temperature.
- Fine Salt - If you’re using a different type of salt (e.g. table salt or kosher salt), consult this conversion chart for proper measurement.
- All-Purpose Flour - Plain flour has the perfect amount of protein for this lemony cake recipe. If you’re gluten-free, I’ve included recipe notes for how to make the swap.
- Cornstarch - Adding a touch of cornstarch to your cake batter helps create a beautifully tender crumb.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder - You’ll need both kinds of raising agents for the perfect cake consistency.
- Mayo - Used to add fluff and moisture to this homemade lemon curd cake. It might sound weird, but mayo is a mixture of eggs, oil, vinegar, or lemon juice, and totally works in a cake recipe!
- Non-Dairy Milk - Gives the cake layers moisture. Be sure it comes to room temperature before using it.
- Shortening - Makes the buttercream creamy and more stable. Shortening doesn't melt as quickly as butter, so it's perfect for warmer temperatures.
- Powdered sugar - Used to sweeten and add structure to the frosting. If you’re fresh out, you can always whip some up in the food processor.
Ingredients For The Lemon Filling
- Butter - Make sure you are using room-temperature vegan butter.
- Granulated sugar - Adds a clean sweetness to your lemon curd. Feel free to swap it out for caster sugar.
- Lemons - You need both lemon juice and lemon zest. You can skip the zest and use store-bought lemon juice in a pinch, but fresh lemons will give you the best flavor!
- Fine Salt - A touch of salt will bring out the flavor.
- Eggs & Egg Yolks - The combination makes for a silky rich lemon curd. Make sure that they are at room temperature.
How To Make Lemon Curd Cake
This lemon layer cake with lemon curd might look intimidating, but all of the steps are very simple. Also, note that you can make both the lemon curd and the vegan lemon buttercream up to a week in advance, and/or bake off the lemon cakes up to a month in advance.
Make The Lemon Curd
Step 1: Mix butter, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time and mix until combined after each addition.
Step 2: Stir in the lemon juice. Your mixture may look a little curdled, but don't worry, it'll come together once it's heated.
Step 3: Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens and reaches 175°F (80°C), about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Chill. Pour the completed curd into a clean bowl or plate to cool. Cover it with plastic wrap, making sure that it's touching the surface of the lemon curd to prevent it from forming a "skin" and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make The Lemon Cake
Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven. Grease and line three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the softened butter and work it into the flour until the mixture looks like sand.
Step 3: Wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the milk until a smooth batter forms, being sure not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Step 4: Bake the cake layers in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If you see any crumbs, bake for another minute or two. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make The Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Step 1: Cream the softened vegan butter and shortening for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy and light in color.
Step 2: Add powdered sugar in increments. Add a third of the powdered sugar and continue beating. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula before each addition. After adding all of the sugar, taste to see if it's sweet to your liking. Add more sugar if you'd like.
Step 3: Finish. Once the frosting is sweet enough to your liking, add the salt, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest (if adding) and beat until incorporated. Put the buttercream into a piping bag with a large round tip.
Assemble & Decorate The Cake
Step 1: Add filling. Place one cake layer on a flat plate or cake stand. Using an offset spatula or knife, spread on a thin layer of buttercream (about 1-2 tablespoons). Pipe a border of buttercream on the edges, creating a well in the center. Fill the center with lemon curd (about ⅓ cup).
Step 2: Repeat. Add another cake layer on top and repeat.
Step 3: Crumb coat. Once the final cake layer is placed on top, crumb-coat the entire cake by adding a thin layer of buttercream to seal in all the crumbs and lock in the moisture. Put the cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Add any extra decorations you like. I kept my cake as a "naked cake" and added little blobs of frosting on top with an extra layer of lemon curd, and some lemon slices for decoration. Feel free to decorate with more buttercream, sprinkles, berries, toasted nuts, or anything else you like.
Variations & Dietary Adaptations
As much as my family loves this recipe for a layer cake with lemon curd filling as-is, here are a few variations worth considering:
Gluten-Free
Substitute the all-purpose flour with 1⅓ cups (197g) of gluten-free measure for measure flour. (Make sure to use one that has xanthan gum!) Be sure to let the cake batter rest for 30 minutes before pouring it into the cake pans and baking them, to avoid a gritty texture.
Dairy
If you're able to tolerate dairy, feel free to substitute non-dairy milk with whole milk, and the mayonnaise with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
Different Pan Size
While I designed this recipe for a three-layer 6-inch round cake, you can also bake this as a two-layer 8-inch round cake.
Get Fruity
Feel free to add fresh berries on top of the curd between the cake layers! You can also swap your citrus. Make a tart and tangy lime cake with lime curd and lime frosting instead!
Tips For Making The Best Lemon Cake
- Chill the cake entirely. Let the cake layers cool completely, or give it a couple of hours (wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge or freezer. Chilling will help to firm up the layers, making it much easier to achieve a cleaner look when frosting it.
- Fill the cake pans evenly. Each cake pan will take about 10.5 oz (300g) of cake batter. Although it's most accurate to measure out the batter using a scale, you can also use a measuring cup or ice cream scoop to pour even amounts of batter into each pan. This ensures they’ll bake at the same rate and will ensure even layers.
- Slice the cake layers. If your cakes come out of the oven domed, you can slice the domes off using a serrated knife after they've cooled completely.
- Invest in the right tools. A kitchen scale, piping bag with piping tips, offset spatula and cake turntable are all invaluable when making bakery-style cakes at home!
- Use a piping bag to frost your cake. By piping your frosting, you can add even layers of frosting in between the cake layers. If you don’t have a proper pastry bag, you can always use a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
FAQs
This recipe will keep well for a couple of weeks if kept covered in an airtight container and refrigerated.
If you are planning on keeping the cake for more than a couple hours after decorating, I do suggest popping it in the fridge. It's an absolute must if you're using vegan butter in the frosting, as it tends to melt much faster than regular butter. If you have already removed slices from the cake, keep it from drying out by pressing a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap over any exposed sides.
I would highly suggest freezing each component separately to keep everything super fresh! You can bake the cake layers a month in advance if kept in the freezer. Be sure to wrap each individual layer tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap in a layer of aluminum foil, and keep it in a freezer bag. For the lemon curd and frosting, store them separately in airtight containers in the freezer, and defrost them in the fridge for a day. Stir the lemon curd and re-whip the frosting before assembling the cake.
Aside from using it as a cake filling, it’s also delicious as a filling for danishes and sweet buns, spread on toast, dolloped on plain dairy-free Greek yogurt, added to sweet crepes, or as a topping on blueberry muffins or french toast.
Save your extra egg whites for making chocolate hazelnut financiers, pistachio financiers, or matcha financiers.
Absolutely! Buy 1-2 jars of your favorite lemon curd and use it in place of my homemade lemon curd recipe.
You can use any citrus fruit you like in this recipe! Just swap out the lemon juice and lemon zest for orange, lime, or even grapefruit.
If using cake flour instead of all purpose flour in this recipe, omit the cornstarch and use 1⅔ cup cake flour. The cake should be light and fluffy!
More Lemon Dessert Recipes
- This lemon poppy seed loaf cake is super moist and so good with a cup of tea or coffee!
- If you love lemon bars, you have to try my lemon bars recipe! You get super clean slices with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
- Can't tolerate eggs? Make this vegan lemon curd instead!
- These lemon thumbprint cookies are buttery, soft, and filled with lemon curd.
Alright, friends! I hope you turn any lemons life throws your way into this lovely Lemon Curd Cake. For more tasty dairy-free and gluten-free recipe ideas, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook. You can also sign up for my email newsletter to get all of my shiniest new content delivered straight to your inbox — I solemnly swear to not spam you. 💛
Lemon Curd Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Lemon Cake
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour See Notes for gluten-free instructions
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅔ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter softened at room temperature
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
Instructions
Lemon curd
- In a bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, salt, lemon zest. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time and mix until combined after each addition.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Your mixture may look a little curdled, but don't worry, it'll come together once it's heated.
- Pour the mixture into a small pot and heat it over medium low heat and stir continuously until it thickens and reaches 175°F (80°C), about 5 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and pour it into a clean bowl or plate to cool. Cover it with plastic wrap, making sure that it's touching the surface of the lemon curd to prevent it from forming a "skin" and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Lemon Cake
- Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and line two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar, and lemon zest. Add the softened butter and work it into the flour until the mixture looks like sand.
- In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, mayo, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the milk until a smooth batter forms, being sure not to overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Fill the cake pans evenly with the cake batter (about 300g per pan). Bake the cake layers in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If you see any crumbs, bake for another minute or two. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before taking them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and shortening for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy and light in color.
- Add a third of the powdered sugar and continue beating. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula before each addition. After adding all of the sugar, taste to see if it's sweet to your liking. Add more sugar if you'd like.
- Once the powdered sugar is all incorporated, add the salt, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest (if adding) and beat until incorporated. Put the buttercream into a piping bag with a large round tip.
Assembly
- Take one cake layer and put it on a plate or cake stand. Using an offset spatula or knife, spread on a thin layer of buttercream (about 1-2 tablespoons). Pipe a border of buttercream on the edges, creating a well in the center. Fill the center with lemon curd (about ⅓ cup).
- Add another cake layer on top and repeat.
- Once the final cake layer is placed on top, crumb-coat the entire cake by adding a thin layer of buttercream to seal in all the crumbs and lock in the moisture. Put the cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Take the cake out of the fridge and decorate with more buttercream if you like! I kept my cake as a "naked cake" and added little blobs of frosting on top with an extra layer of lemon curd, and some lemon slices for decoration. Any leftover lemon curd and frosting can be kept in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the all-purpose flour with 1⅓ cups (197g) of gluten-free measure for measure flour. (Make sure to use one that has xanthan gum!) Be sure to let the cake batter rest for 30 minutes before pouring it into the cake pans and baking them, to avoid a gritty texture.
- Dairy: If you're able to tolerate dairy, feel free to substitute non-dairy milk with whole milk, and the mayonnaise with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Different pan sizes: While I designed this recipe for a three-layer 6-inch round cake, you can also bake this as a two-layer 8-inch round cake.
- Chill the cake entirely. Let the cake layers cool completely, or give it a couple of hours (wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge or freezer. Chilling will help to firm up the layers, making it much easier to achieve a cleaner look when frosting it.
- Fill the cake pans evenly. Each cake pan will take about 10.5 oz (300g) of cake batter. Although it's most accurate to measure out the batter using a scale, you can also use a measuring cup or ice cream scoop to pour even amounts of batter into each pan. This ensures they’ll bake at the same rate and will ensure even layers.
- Slice the cake layers. If your cakes come out of the oven domed, you can slice the domes off using a serrated knife after they've cooled completely.
- Invest in the right tools. A kitchen scale, piping bag with piping tips, offset spatula, and cake turntable are all invaluable when making bakery-style cakes at home!
- Use a piping bag to frost your cake. By piping your frosting, you can add even layers of frosting in between the cake layers. If you don’t have a proper pastry bag, you can always use a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
Patricia Ann Farra says
Why is there not lemon juice in the cake itself?
Ai says
Hi Patricia. The acidic ingredient in the cake that works with the baking soda is the mayo. If you wanted to add lemon juice to the dairy-free milk to make a dairy-free buttermilk, I'm sure that would be delicious as well! Happy Baking 🙂