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Lemon curd cake is sweet and tangy, with moist lemon sponge cake layers in between rich lemon curd. It’s topped with a silky and fluffy Italian meringue buttercream frosting that has a light lemon flavor from more lemon curd. This epic lemon layer cake has the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness, making it suitable for any occasion!
A vanilla sponge cake is soft, tender, and downright dreamy on its own, but we know all of our fellow lemon lovers will appreciate how we turn it up a notch with bold lemon flavor!
A simple lemon syrup adds moisture to the delicate sponge cake, while thick and tangy lemon curd layers create the best lemon cake ever.
Why This Recipe Works
I can never resist a delicious lemon cake recipe! (This lemon cake roll and lemonade Bundt cake are both a must-try when it comes to delicious lemon desserts!)
Lemon has such a bright, vibrant flavor, and it works for all seasons.
Our lemon curd cake recipe is:
- Perfect for any occasion. This soft and delicate lemon cake, with its beautiful layers and intense lemon flavor, is a special occasion all on its own!
- Uncomplicated. The multi-step process is straightforward, even for a beginner baker.
- Impressive. Homemade lemon curd, a soft sponge cake, and a dreamy buttercream on top of the cake creates a delicious combination of flavors and textures that is absolute lemon cake perfection.
The Ingredient List
You’ll need your classic baking essentials, plus a few extras, to create this bakery-style lemon curd cake. We have a whole post dedicated to making your own lemon curd, but we’re also including the instructions in this lemon curd cake recipe.
You will need:
- Eggs, egg yolks, and egg whites. Whole eggs are for the sponge cake. Egg yolks (you’ll need 10 of them!) are essential for the lemon curd filling. Save the egg whites since you’ll need some for the Italian meringue buttercream.
- Whole milk. This adds moisture to the cake.
- Butter. You will need butter for both the sponge as well as softened butter for that rich lemon curd.
- Sugar. A must for all four steps of this lemon curd cake. Sugar is required for the sponge, lemon curd, simple syrup, and the Italian meringue frosting.
- All-purpose flour. A main ingredient when making a homemade sponge cake. All-purpose flour creates a soft, tender cake.
- Baking powder. Because all sponge cakes need leavening!
- Salt. A dash of salt always adds a touch of flavor in baked goods.
- Vanilla extract. For a subtle taste of vanilla in the cake.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest. What’s a lemon cake without lemon juice and zest?! You will need juice for the lemon curd and the simple syrup.
Recipe Highlights
Here’s a summary of the process, but for the very best results, make sure to read the full recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Prepare the lemon curd. Combine the yolks, sugar, and butter in a saucepan. Add lemon juice and salt. Cook until the curd thickens, then strain it. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
Make the sponge cake. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan and keep it on low. Beat the eggs and sugar for 8-10 minutes until almost tripled in volume.
Sift together the dry ingredients, then fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add vanilla to the milk mixture, then gradually pour it into the cake batter.
Pour the cake batter into the cake pans and bake. Let the cakes cool, then use a sharp knife to trim the crust off the top of the cakes. Trimming the crust off will allow the lemon syrup to absorb into the cake easier.
Mix together all of the lemon syrup ingredients in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then set it aside to cool.
When the syrup cools, drizzle it over the cakes. You can either use a spoon or place the syrup in a squirt bottle.
Make the buttercream, then beat some of the lemon curd into the buttercream. Spread a thin layer of frosting on a cake layer and pipe a border around the edge to create a dam.
Spread the lemon curd on top of the cake layer.
To Assemble the Lemon Curd Cake
- Drizzle each of the sponge cakes with lemon syrup. The sponge cake soaks up the syrup, and together, they create a beautifully moist cake.
- Place one of the cakes on a cake plate, then spread half of the curd on top.
- Place the second cake on top of the curd and spread more lemon curd on top.
- Frost the lemon layer cake with the Italian meringue frosting, spreading it on the top and sides of the cake.
Tips for Success
- When pouring the hot syrup into the whipped egg whites for the meringue, slowly and carefully pour it down the side of the mixing bowl. This is a great way to avoid getting hot syrup on the beaters, which will fling against the sides of the bowl.
- Once the sponge cakes are baked, you can remove them from the cake pans and invert them onto a wire rack to cool.
- The best way to get extra precise cake layers is to use a kitchen scale to make sure the cake pans contain the same amount of cake batter.
- Each prepared pan is greased and lined with parchment paper for easy cake removal.
- Place the whole eggs (for the cake) in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Bringing them to room temperature (or a few degrees higher) will help warm them up and allow them to whip to a higher volume.
This sweet and tart lemon curd cake is a dreamy combination of lemony white cake with fluffy meringue. Each bite is heavenly and pairs perfectly with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
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More Recipes You Will Love:
This Triple Lemon Golden Oreo Cheesecake is loaded with lemon deliciousness! You’ll love the creamy, lemony cheesecake filling, zesty lemon curd and the sweet Golden Oreo cookie crust.
Lemon Custard Pie is rich and creamy, the perfect balance of tart lemon and rich vanilla custard. This old-fashioned custard pie is exquisite with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and candied lemon slices for a beautiful garnish.
This 6-inch White Cake is an elegant, three-layer cake with almond flavor and a fluffy almond ermine frosting. It’s delicious and sophisticated- the perfect sized cake for a smaller gathering.
For more lemon recipes, check out our lemon lavender cake, lemon tart (made with whole lemons), lemon ricotta cake, cheesecake bites, soft lemon ricotta cookies, creamy lemon custard pie, blackberry lemon bread, or our lemonade bundt cake.
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Lemon Curd Cake
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Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 5 large eggs
- 1¼ cup whole milk
- 12 tablespoons butter, softened, 170 grams
- 2 cups granulated sugar, 400 grams
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, 360 grams
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Curd Filling
- 10 egg yolks
- 1½ cup granulated sugar, softened, 300 grams
- ¾ cup butter, softened, 170 grams
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Lemon Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
Italian Meringue Buttercream
- ⅓ cup water
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 5 egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 cups butter, softened but slightly cool, 454 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Sponge Cake
- Place the eggs (while still in the shell) in a bowl of warm water. This will warm them up and help them whip to a higher volume. Let them sit while you prep the cake pans and the ingredients.
- Heat oven to 350°. Grease 2 eight-inch cake pans with butter and line them with parchment paper.
- Place the milk and butter in a saucepan and warm it over low heat until the butter melts. Keep the pan on the lowest heat setting to stay warm while you beat the eggs.
- Crack the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat on high speed for about 8 to 10 minutes. The eggs should triple in volume and become pale yellow in color.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add half of the flour to the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula until it is combined. Fold in the second half of the flour.
- Add the vanilla to the warm milk mixture and gradually pour the milk into the batter. Stir the mixture at low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Divide the batter into the cake pans.
- Bake for 25 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Lemon Curd Filling
- In a large saucepan, beat the yolks, sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until blended well.
- Add the lemon juice, cornstarch (if using), and salt. Cook slowly over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (if you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should be between 192° and 195°). Be patient and do not allow the mixture to boil, or it will curdle. The process will take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once thickened, pour the mixture into a strainer set over a bowl and discard any cooked egg bits that may be left in the strainer. Stir in the lemon zest, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The mixture will thicken more once chilled.
Lemon Syrup
- place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then set aside to cool.
Italian Meringue Frosting
- Place 1-¼ cups of sugar and the water in a saucepan. Stir to combine then stop stirring. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. You will let the syrup boil until it reaches between 238°F to 245°F.
- While the syrup boils, place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. Stir to incorporate the cream of tartar and keep the mixer on low speed. Keep an eye on the candy thermometer. When the syrup reaches 230°F to 235°F, switch the mixer to medium-high speed to whip the egg whites.
- When the egg whites reach soft peaks, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until they reach stiff peaks. As soon as the syrup reaches between 240°F to 245°F, remove it from the stove and slowly drizzle the syrup into the meringue. Keep the mixer on medium to medium-high speed while you drizzle in the syrup.
- Beat on high for 2 minutes, then switch to low speed until the mixture comes to room temperature. It can take about 15 to 20 minutes for the mixture to cool down.
- Place the mixer on medium speed and add the butter 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat for about 3 to 5 seconds after each addition. After a few tablespoons of butter, the mixture will start to look thin and sloppy but just keep beating and slowly adding the butter.
- When all the butter is added, beat in the salt and vanilla. Continue to beat the buttercream until it is light and fluffy.
- Beat ½ cup of lemon curd into the buttercream.
Assembling the Cake
- Drizzle each of the sponge cakes with lemon syrup.
- Place one of the cakes on a cake plate and spread a thin film of buttercream over the cake (this will help prevent the lemon curd from soaking into the sponge). Next, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake to serve as a dam, so the lemon curd doesn't seep out.
- Spread a little more than half of the remaining lemon curd on the first layer of the cake.
- Add the second cake layer and frost the cake with the buttercream. Spread the remaining lemon curd on top of the cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!This recipe was first published on May 23, 2014.
Your recipe says to use 3 8″ cake pans but the directions and picture only shows 2 layers. Is 3 or 2 correct?
sorry about that, I corrected the instructions. If you want to use three cake pans, you will need to reduce the baking time.
I made this for a work baking competition and won!
(It’s definitely the type of cake that you only need a tiny slice of. So sweet!!!)
Congratulations Hazel. That’s exciting to hear. Thanks for the comment
This was a great cake. Thanks for making my birthday special!
Oh Happy birthday 😉 I’m glad you liked it
I love the meringue on the outside!
Cora this is the Italian Meringue I showed you how to make when we were at Grandmas house 🙂
Oh man you are killing me! How am I supposed to get these next 10 pounds off if you keep posting this stuff 🙂 This looks sooooo good!
Kathi
Sorry Kathi but you know a girl looks good with some curves 🙂