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Lemon Curd Layer Cake

Lemon cake layers filled with tangy lemon curd and covered in a plain vanilla buttercream that lets the lemon lead. Chill the curd well and pipe a buttercream dam first; it is soft.

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Lemon Curd Layer Cake

What it's made of

Cake layersLemon Cake Layers Filling between the layersLemon Curd FrostingVanilla Buttercream
Makes 12 servings Active 1 hr 32 minChill or rest 2 hr 0 minParts 3
Contains milk, egg, wheat, soy (check labels)

Each part is a full recipe as written; the Dessert Builder scales them to fit this layer cake and merges the shopping list. Open it with the button above to adjust servings or swap any part.

Ingredients

Lemon Cake LayersCake layers · makes 12 slices

  • 2.5 cupscake flour (285.0 g)
  • 2.5 tspbaking powder (10.0 g)
  • 0.5 tspfine sea salt (3.0 g)
  • 1.5 cupsgranulated sugar (300.0 g)
  • 2.0 tbspfinely grated lemon zest (3 lemons) (12.0 g)
  • 0.75 cupunsalted butter, softened (170.0 g)
  • 3.0 large eggs (150.0 g)
  • 2.0 tsppure vanilla extract (10.0 ml)
  • 0.75 cupwhole milk, room temperature (180.0 ml)
  • 0.25 cupfresh lemon juice (60.0 ml)

Lemon CurdFilling between the layers · makes 12 doughnuts

  • 0.5 cupfresh lemon juice (120.0 ml)
  • 1.0 tbsplemon zest, finely grated
  • 0.75 cupgranulated sugar (150.0 g)
  • 4.0 large egg yolks (72.0 g)
  • 0.125 tspfine sea salt
  • 6.0 tbspunsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature (85.0 g)

Vanilla ButtercreamFrosting · makes 24 servings

  • 1.0 cupunsalted butter, softened (227.0 g)
  • 3.5 cupsconfectioners' sugar (400.0 g)
  • 3.0 tbspheavy cream (45.0 ml)
  • 0.25 tspfine sea salt (1.5 g)
  • 1.5 tspVanillaGoods vanilla extract (7.5 ml)

Method

1. Lemon Cake Layersfull recipe

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until fragrant, then beat with the butter 4 minutes until fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Mix the milk and lemon juice. Add the flour in three additions alternating with the milk, mixing just until smooth.
  4. Divide between the pans and bake 26 to 30 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

2. Lemon Curdfull recipe

  1. In a medium heatproof bowl or small saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth.
  2. Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water), or cook the saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula until the curd thickens enough to coat the spatula and reaches 170°F, 8 to 12 minutes. Don't let it boil.
  3. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until smooth.
  4. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold and thick, at least 2 hours.
  5. Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a long filling tip. Poke a small hole in the side of each cooled doughnut and pipe in about 2 tablespoons, until the doughnut feels heavy.

3. Vanilla Buttercreamfull recipe

  1. Beat the softened butter on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
  2. Add the confectioners' sugar in three additions on low speed, mixing each addition in before adding the next. Start slowly so the sugar stays in the bowl.
  3. Add the vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the cream. Beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. The buttercream should look smooth and fluffy, not grainy.
  4. Beat in the remaining cream only if needed to reach a spreadable consistency. For piping, keep the buttercream slightly firmer than you would for spreading.

4. Put it together

  1. Bake the Lemon Cake Layers and cool the layers completely, at least 1 hour. Level the tops with a serrated knife if they domed.
  2. While the layers cool, make the Lemon Curd and chill it until it holds its shape.
  3. Make the Vanilla Buttercream.
  4. Set one layer on the plate. Pipe a ring of frosting around the top edge as a dam, spread the Lemon Curd inside it, then set the second layer on top, bottom side up.
  5. Spread a thin coat of frosting over the whole cake and chill 20 minutes, then frost with the rest.
  6. Chill until the frosting is firm, then let the cake sit at room temperature 30 minutes before slicing.