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Tender lemon cake is filled with tart lemon curd and covered with lemon buttercream frosting. This lemon layer cake makes a beautiful centerpiece to all of your spring celebrations!
Anyone who has been around here for a while knows that I will choose a lemon dessert over a chocolate dessert almost any day.
And honestly, that’s saying a LOT because I really love a good slice of chocolate cake (especially if it’s the best chocolate cake).
But if you put this lemon cake in front of me? Game over.
If you’re like me and love the bright tang of citrus recipes, you’re gonna love this one, too.
Springy lemon layer cake
This lemon cake takes all of the goodness of my lemon cupcakes and puts it into layer cake form.
The cake layers are light and tender, with plenty of lemon zest and just a bit of lemon extract in them for a bit more lemon flavor.
I added my microwave lemon curd between the layers and covered the whole thing in lemon buttercream frosting.
Yeah, that’s right. It’s three types of lemony goodness all in one delicious bite!
The silky texture of the curd goes so well with the airy cake layers and the fluffy buttercream frosting. And I love the extra punch of tanginess that the curd adds, keeping the entire thing from tasting too sweet.
This lemon layer cake would make a really lovely centerpiece to your Easter or Mother’s Day dessert tables.
How to make my lemon layer cake
Layer cakes always look so impressive, but they aren’t as difficult to make as you might think!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the lemon cake layers, you will need:
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups room-temperature buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 12 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
- 4 large room-temperature egg whites
If you don’t typically keep cake flour on hand, don’t panic. I have a simple cake flour substitute you can whip up to use in this recipe instead.
I also always forget to buy buttermilk. But thankfully, you can make a 2-ingredient buttermilk substitute that will work just as well.
Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your cake layers to come out perfect every time.
This recipe comes together best when the buttermilk, butter, and egg whites are at room temperature. If you forget to set them out ahead of time, check out my tips for bringing butter and eggs to room temperature quickly.
For assembling the cake, you will also need:
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
- 1 batch lemon buttercream frosting
Recipe Tip
Since the cake only uses egg whites, save the egg yolks for making chocolate chip cookie bars or a strawberry tart.
Making the cake layers
In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.
In another bowl or a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon extract.
Add the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer). Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it is fragrant and the sugar is moistened.
Now add the butter and cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Don’t try to rush this step!
With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients until just combined. Add half of he buttermilk mixture, then half of the remaining flour, making sure to mix each addition well and scraping the sides of the bowl before adding the next addition.
Finish with the rest of the milk mixture followed by the last of the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Use a spatula to gently stir 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold them into the batter.
Once the egg whites are incorporated and no streaks remain, divide the batter between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. I suggest lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment as extra insurance against sticking.
Bake the cake layers for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the layers cool completely on a wire rack before you assemble the cake.
Assembling the cake
While the lemon cake layers cool, mix up your frosting and measure out your lemon curd.
To assemble the cake, start by adding a dab of frosting to the cake plate and set the bottom layer on top of it. This will help “glue” the cake in place while you frost it.
Use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake layer. Now pipe a line of frosting around the top edge of the cake layer – this will create a barrier to keep the lemon curd from leaking out of the cake.
Spread the curd inside the frosting barrier you just made. Flip the second cake layer over so the bottom is now the top; place it on top of the cake. Use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake as desired.
If you haven’t frosted a layer cake before, check out this tutorial on how to frost a layer cake for some tips and tricks on this process.
Make-ahead and storage tips
Store leftover lemon cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
If you want to make the recipe components ahead of time and assemble the cake the day you plan to serve it, you totally can!
- Make the lemon curd up to a week in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Make the cake layers 1-2 days in advance and wrap the cooled cakes tightly in plastic wrap; store at room temperature until ready to decorate.
- Make the lemon buttercream 2-3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before using, bring it to room temperature and whip it with your mixer for a couple of minutes to revive the texture.
Can you freeze this lemon cake?
If you need to keep leftovers for longer or you want to prep the cake layers and buttercream even further in advance, turn to your freezer.
You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 2 months and and the lemon buttercream for up to 1 month.
Let the cake layers thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Let the frosting thaw overnight in the fridge before bringing it to room temperature and whipping it with your mixer for a few minutes.
The assembled, frosted cake or slices of the cake can be frozen for up to 1 month.
For full details on the freezing and thawing process, including how to wrap the cake layers, whole cake, or slices, check out my post on how to freeze cake.
Recipe variations
I am a big, big fan of this lemon cake as written in the recipe card, but there are all kinds of ways you can change it up to make it your own.
- Use the lemon-blueberry frosting from my lemon cupcakes for another fruity variation. You could even add fresh berries into the cake filling.
- My microwave lemon curd is super quick and easy to make, but you can always substitute it for jarred lemon curd.
- Swap the lemon curd filling for jam! Strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry preserves would be delicious with the lemon cake and frosting.
- Cream cheese frosting can be swapped for the buttercream for a more tangy flavor.
Lemon Layer Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
For the filling
- ½ cup lemon curd homemade or jarred
For the frosting
- 1 batch lemon buttercream frosting
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack set in the center. Grease (2) 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment rounds.
- In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon extract.
- Add the granulated sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is fragrant. Add the butter and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until very light and fluffy.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, beating on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat in half of the buttermilk mixture, then beat in half of the remaining flour mixture. Scrape the bowl again and add the remaining milk, beating until fully incorporated. Add the remaining flour and beat until ingredients are combined and batter is smooth.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Gently stir in ¼ of the egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Add the remaining egg whites, gently folding them into the batter by cutting the spatula down the middle to the bottom of the bowl, then sweeping it around, up, and over. Continue to fold until the egg whites are incorporated and no streaks remain.
- Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before assembling.
To assemble:
- Add a dab of frosting to the middle of your cake plate and set the first layer on top. (This will prevent the cake from sliding while frosting.) Use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of frosting onto the top. Pipe a line of frosting around the top edge of the cake to create a barrier for the filling.
- Spread the lemon curd evenly on the cake, staying inside the frosting barrier.
- Flip the second layer of cake over so the bottom is now the top, and place it onto the first layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
