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Luscious Lemon Cake basking in sunlight
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Luscious Lemon Cake (Simply Irresistible!)

A delicious, moist lemon cake with just the right balance between sweet and tart. Simply irresistible!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Author: Kai

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk (Substitute:1 cup milk with 3 tbsp of lemon juice)
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest

Lemon Curd Frosting (Check above for Lemon Curd video link)

  • 4 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (~3 large lemons)
  • 80 g unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 3/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 175°C/ 350°F and line two 7-inch baking tins with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs on medium speed (~1/2 minute)
  • Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed (~1/2 minute).
  • Add vanilla and oil and beat on medium speed (1 minute)
  • Decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in ~ half of the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk until completely incorporated. Lastly, add in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
  • Do not over-mix. Beat until just combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. The batter will be thin.
  • Pour batter into the two 7-inch baking tins. (For nice even layers, I measured them equally, about 860g each including the tin.)
  • Bake for 30-40minutes at 175°C /350°F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes and then remove.
  • Cool the cakes completely to room temperature before frosting

Lemon curd frosting

  • To make the lemon curd (see recipe note), in a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and juice. Whisk to combine.
  • Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Cook on moderate heat, whisking until mixture becomes thick (~10 minutes).
  • Check your thermometer. Heat to about 75°C /175°F to cook the eggs.
  • Remove from heat and immediately strain the mixture through a sieve.
  • Add butter and whisk until completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or cool completely before use.
  • Using both a chilled bowl and chilled beaters, whisk the cold heavy cream until soft peaks,
  • At this point, add in the lemon curd and mix well. Stop once the cream holds a stiff peak.

Assembly

  • Place first cake layer and spread the top with 1/4 of the lemon curd frosting
  • Place second cake layer on top of the first, then cover the sides and the top with the remaining frosting.
  • Decorate with fresh strawberries.

Video

Notes

Lemon curd can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To use, place overnight to thaw in the fridge.
If you are making this a 4 tier Luscious Lemon Cake, check out my post updated video above for the different frosting proportions. Enjoy!