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Lemon Cake

This Lemon Cake recipe is destined to become one of your favorite cakes of all time – it is mine!  The cake is soft and airy thanks to the reverse-creaming method, infused with bright fresh lemon flavor, layered with luscious, zingy-sweet lemon curd and lemon curd infused cream cheese frosting!  It is a show stopping dessert for every occasion and 100% make ahead friendly. Tips and tricks, Step-by-Step Photos and Video, How to Make Ahead, How to Freeze all included!
Course Dessert
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings 10 -12 servings

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup milk (anything but nonfat), room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups cake flour (See DIY in Notes)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 16 pieces, room temperature

LEMON CURD (MAY USE STORE BOUGHT) ***

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • 12 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temperature (don't microwave!)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (don't microwave!)
  • 1/4 cup chilled lemon curd, from above (in directions)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

LEMON CURD

  • Prepare the lemon curd according to recipe directions (click here). It must chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before using. It can be made up to three weeks ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray WITH flour or butter and flour the pans.
  • Whisk the eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract together in a 3-cup (or more) liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on the lowest speed until combined, about 20 seconds. With the mixer still running at the lowest speed, add 1 piece of butter at a time and continue to beat until all the butter is added. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas.
  • With the mixer running on low, add approximately half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, approximately 60 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add remaining egg mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled.) DO NOT OVERMIX.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, smooth with a spatula and drop a few times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  • Cool the cakes in pans for 10 minutes then remove cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely.
  • Time permitting, after cooling, freeze the cakes for 30-60 minutes to make them easier to slice in half. (Make ahead: Alternatively, tightly wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap at this point and refrigerate until ready to slice and frost.)

FROSTING

  • Using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together at medium speed until very creamy. Beat in ¼ cup lemon curd (from chilled Lemon Curd you made), lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.
  • Gradually beat in powdered sugar then continue to beat at medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. If frosting is too runny, then refrigerate until more set.

ASSEMBLE

  • Place four strips of parchment paper around the edges of a plate or cake stand to create a square with an open space in the middle (to keep cake stand clean).
  • Cut cakes in half horizontally using a long-serrated knife or cake leveler to create 4 even layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on the prepared serving plate/cake stand.
  • Transfer some frosting to a piping bag (or ziploc bag). Pipe a ring of frosting just inside the top edge of the first cake then evenly fill with a generous amount of frosting (about one heaping cup) and spread into an even layer. (Note: The piping ring is helpful but optional if you don't have piping tips.)
  • Top with the 2nd cake layer, top side down. Pipe a ring of frosting just inside the top edge of the cake then fill with half of the chilled Lemon Curd and spread into an even layer.
  • Add the third cake layer and repeat piping a ring of frosting and evenly filling with about one heaping cup of frosting and spreadig into an even layer.
  • Add final cake, top side down.
  • Time permitting, place the cake in the freezer for 15-30 minutes for the frosting to chill and harden a bit. This interim step prevents the top layer from sliding around on slick warm frosting as you try to apply your crumb coat. (Make Ahead: Alternatively, cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to continue.) 

FROST CAKE

  • Crumb coat: Separate about ¾ cup frosting to use as the “crumb coat.” Frost the cake starting with the top and working down until the cake is evenly, thinly frosted. Freeze the cake for 15-30 minutes or until the crumb layer has set.
  • Frost cake: Frost the outside of cake as you desire with the remaining frosting, then evenly spread remaining chilled Lemon Curd on top of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake if desired (I used fresh flowers and crushed pistachios).

CHILL THEN SLICE

  • Freeze the cake for 20-30 minutes to firm up before slicing, or if not serving immediately, refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. Slice, then serve at room temperature, or pop chilled slices in the microwave for no longer than 8-10 seconds.

STORE

  • The frosted cake should be covered with an inverted bowl or cake cover and refrigerated. Slice while chilled, but bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Video

Notes

Tips for And Tricks

  • Read the recipe:  There are a few components to this recipe, but each step is simple when taken one at a time. As always, I suggest reading the recipe all the way through and allowing plenty of time.
  • Start the lemon curd first – or don’t.  The lemon curd needs 2 hours to chill before using, so if you’re in a time crunch, make it very first so you can get it in the refrigerator as soon as possible.  If you have more time, then make it while your cake is baking or cooling.  I typically do the latter and then refrigerate both the cakes and lemon curd until the next day.
  • Thicken the lemon curd enough:  You’ll know the lemon curd is done when it’s the consistency of pourable pudding and registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer.  A thermometer is so helpful for this and eliminates all of the guesswork!
  • Use room temperature ingredients: Room temperature ingredients help the emulsion be more successful between the butter, sugar and eggs, or in other words, they will mix much easier together (so it’s harder to overmix and over-activate the gluten) and whisk to a higher volume which results in a softer cake with maximum volume.
  • Room temperature eggs hack: Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes. 
  • Don’t microwave your butter:   It is important that the butter be softened at room temperature and not microwaved because we want soft but not warm butter. Also, don’t forget to slice your butter before softening – it’s much easier this way!
  • Don’t pack the flour: Whenever you measure flour, don’t scoop it into the flour bag/container or else the flour will compress; packed flour yields denser, drier cakes. Rather, scoop the flour into a measuring cup and then level.
  • Beat the batter until fluffy:  Make sure to beat the flour with half of the egg mixture until fluffy in order to aerate the batter, otherwise your cakes won’t rise in the oven. 
  • Divide the cakes evenly:  I use a kitchen scale to measure each pan and adjust as needed.  This will create even cakes with the most even layers.
  • Don’t microwave the cream cheese or butter: For the frosting, use cream cheese and butter softened at room temperature, to room temperature. If you soften either in the microwave, your frosting will be runny and create a wobbly mess.
  • Don't skip chilling before slicing: Due to the lemon curd, the cake is much easier to slice when chilled, otherwise, the cake can fall apart/layers squeeze out, under the pressure of the knife.

Make Ahead

This cake can be made entirely ahead of time or it is easy to make in stages: 
  • Lemon Curd: According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, Lemon Curd will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. Of course, always use your best judgement. Lemon Curd freezes well for up to one year without any change in quality. 
  • Frosting: Can be made up to 24 hours, covered and refrigerated.  Let it come close to room temperature before re-whipping if needed.
  • Cakes:  The cake layers can be made, cooled, and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated one day in advance or frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Crumb Coated Cake: Let the crumb coat set completely (about 1 hour in the freezer or 2 hours in the refrigerator), then tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to finish frosting.
  • Frosted Cake: Assemble the entire cake, cover with a cake cover or tent with foil then refrigerate for 24 hours before slicing, then allowing to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving. 

How to Store and Freeze

  • To store: The assembled and frosted cake should be covered with a cake cover or foil and refrigerated. It may be stored for up to 5 days, but is at peak freshness the first two days. Slice the cake, then bring to room temperature before serving or microwave individual slices for 8-10 seconds.
  • To freeze individual cake layers: Tightly wrap the individual cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.
  • To freeze crumb coated cake:  Tightly wrap the set cake in a couple layers of plastic wrap followed by a couple layers of foil, freeze for up to two months.   
  • To freeze frosted cake: Flash freeze the cake until solid, then tightly wrap in a couple layers of plastic wrap followed by a couple layers of foil, freeze for up to two months.  Remove the plastic wrap, transfer to a cake container and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing.  After slicing, let come to room temperature before serving.