Lemon Curd Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

A True Burst of Sunshine

Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Curd Filling and cake slices on plates

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Chill and Cooling Time: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings

Thanks to multiple layers of lemon flavor, this cake is a true burst of sunshine. It's perfect for Mother's Day, Easter, and other celebrations that call for a bright, tangy dessert. And while there are lots of other lemon treats you can whip up, there's nothing quite as show-stopping as a layered cake.

A Cake That's Not Shy Lemon Flavor

Lemon makes multiple appearances in this recipe. Fresh lemon juice is added to the cake batter, while lemon curd not only serves as the filling, but also gets folded into the cream cheese frosting. The resulting dessert is truly a citrus lover's dream.

What Is Lemon Curd?

Lemon curd is a glossy sweet and tart spread made by cooking lemon juice and zest, egg yolks, sugar, and butter. The ingredients are whisked together and cooked on the stovetop until they form a smooth, thick mixture that can be used in other desserts or enjoyed as is.

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Curd Cake

  • If you don't have cake flour and can't make it to the supermarket, you can easily make a substitute with just two ingredients, all-purpose flour and cornstarch, using this helpful recipe.
  • Whipping the eggs whites separately, then folding it into the cake batter is one of the key steps to making the resulting layers extra light and airy.
  • Be sure to grease your cake pans thoroughly so the layers will pop out with ease. If you're having trouble getting the cake out of the pan, you may need to give it more time to cool, or try running a butter knife or offset spatula around the sides to give it some help.
  • Don't skip the chilling time required for the frosting. It's much easier to work with once it firms up in the fridge.
  • Decorate with lemon zest to hint at the cake's flavor. If you plan to do so, zest the lemon before you juice it.

"This layered lemon curd cake is a project, but one that's well worth it. I didn't have cake flour at home and used this substitute, which was very easy to do. There's definitely a bit more work involved than the average cake recipe, but steps like folding whipped eggs whites in the batter make a difference in how light and tender the crumb is. Incorporating lemon throughout the cake also gives it wonderful citrus flavor."—Patty Lee

Lemon Curd Cake tester photo
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • For the Cake:
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, separated, at room temp
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • For the Frosting:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar (sift before measuring)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup lemon curd, purchased or homemade
  • For the Filling:
  • 1 cup lemon curd, purchased or homemade
  • To Serve:
  • Berries or lemon zest, to decorate cake, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cake ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, or spray with nonstick baking spray with flour.

    Greased and floured cake pans

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. In large bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt.

    Cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt mixture in a glass bowl with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup of butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.

    Creamed butter and sugar mixture in a white bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.

    Egg yolk and creamed butter mixture in a white bowl, next to a hand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture (about 4 flour additions and 3 buttermilk additions). Beat just until blended.

    Batter in a white bowl, next to a hand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. In small glass or metal bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.

    Whipped egg whites in a metal bowl, next to a hand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg white mixture, in thirds, into the cake batter.

    Batter in a white bowl with a spatula

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Spread batter in prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on racks for at least 10 minutes. Invert onto racks and cool completely.

    Baked cakes in a cake pans, on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make Frosting and Assemble

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cake frosting and decoration ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup of butter for 2 minutes, until fluffy.

    Cream cheese and butter mixture in a metal bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. At low speed, beat in confectioners sugar, cream, and 1/3 cup of lemon curd until smooth. Cover; chill 20 minutes, until spreadable consistency.

    Cream cheese and butter mixture with confectioners sugar, cream, and lemon curd in a metal bowl, next to a hand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Using a serrated knife, level tops of cake layers if necessary. Place 1 layer on serving plate; spread with the 1 cup of lemon curd. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set the lemon curd.

    Cake layer with lemon curd on top

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Top with remaining cake layer.

    Two layers of cake with lemon curd in the middle

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the cream cheese frosting; refrigerate. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

    Lemon layer cake covered with icing

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Garnish with fresh berries or lemon zest, if desired.

    Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Curd Filling

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

How to Store

Because this cake contains a cream cheese frosting, place any leftover slices in the refrigerator. To enjoy, let the cake come up to room temperature.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
437 Calories
26g Fat
48g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 437
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 16g 78%
Cholesterol 123mg 41%
Sodium 304mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 17%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 4g
Calcium 96mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)