This lemon curd cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers. It features a fluffy lemon cake base, homemade lemon curd, and a light cream cheese frosting that’s not too sweet. It can be made traditionally or gluten-free.

If you’d rather take a shortcut, you can use a white cake mix and store-bought lemon curd. Just follow the instructions for a 9″ x 13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) pan and buy 15 ounces (420 grams) of lemon curd. I looked up the price of store-bought curd and was shocked. While eggs can be pricey in some parts of the US, I’m thinking homemade lemon curd is still much cheaper!

I adapted the cake base from a King Arthur Flour recipe by using less sugar and adding lemon extract and zest. The lemon curd is the same as in my Lemon Tartlets, and the frosting comes from my Matcha Cake Recipe.

The result was incredible and disappeared in record time! Even the photographer said, “I’ve loved every recipe you’ve ever given me, but that lemon cake was absolutely wonderful. 😂”

I had hoped to share this lemon cake in time for Easter, but with Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect dessert to celebrate with. Bright, cheerful, and full of fresh flavor, it’s sure to be a hit!

What’s to Love

• Bright, fresh flavor – thanks to lemon extract, zest, and plenty of real lemon juice, every bite is packed with zingy goodness.


• Great texture – this cake stays soft and moist for days. It doesn’t get dry or crumbly.


• Perfect to make-ahead – you can prep the curd or even the whole cake in advance without sacrificing quality.

Ingredient Notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe! These are just notes on select ingredients.

Flour – you can use all-purpose or a gluten-free 1:1 baking blend like King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour. I talk more about the gluten-free option below.

Lemon extract – gives the cake a concentrated lemon flavor without adding extra liquid. Lemon zest also boosts the freshness.

Lemon juice – please don’t use bottled! I get the temptation. I hate juicing lemons too, but fresh juice makes all the difference in curd. Something like 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a cake is one thing. But 1/2 cup in curd is a big nope.

Cream cheese – buy full-fat cream cheese for a rich, creamy frosting that whips up beautifully.

Heavy cream – make sure it’s cold when whipping it into the frosting so it firms up properly. If you don’t have heavy cream and prefer regular cream cheese frosting (that’s much less sweet), try my Healthier Cream Cheese Frosting.

It yields 2 cups, which is enough for a somewhat thin layer of frosting.

How to Make It

Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and extracts until thick and pale, then mix in the dry ingredients.

Warm the milk and lemon zest just until small bubbles form, then stir in the butter and oil until melted. Slowly mix the warm milk mixture into the batter until fully combined.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the lemon curd. If you’ve never made curd before, don’t worry – it’s just a matter of gently cooking lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter until thickened. If you’re in a rush, store-bought curd is totally fine.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Then, gently fold in whipped cream.

Assembly is easy. Poke holes in the cake, pipe the curd into the holes, then frost all over with the fluffy cream cheese frosting. Decorate however you like – a twist of lemon slices, fresh berries, or even some edible flowers would be gorgeous!

Tips for Success

• Don’t overmix the batter – mix just until combined to keep the cake tender.


• Use room temperature ingredients – eggs and cream cheese mix in more smoothly when they’re not cold.


• Watch the curd closely – once it reaches 175°F (79°C), take it off the heat to avoid overcooking.


• Whisk the curd constantly – this prevents lumps and gives you the silkiest possible texture.


• Chill the lemon curd – it needs time to thicken and set properly before you use it on the cake.


• Use a sturdy tool for poking holes – a thick-handled spoon works best for creating wide enough holes to hold plenty of curd.

How to Make Ahead and Store

Making parts of this cake ahead can really help if you’re prepping for a party or event.

• Lemon curd – can be made and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir before using if needed.


• Cake – bake, cool, and store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 1 day before assembling. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, let it thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, so it doesn’t dry out. Just be sure to add the curd and frosting after thawing for the best texture.


• Fully assembled cake – store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Gluten-free

I always use King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour for this cake because it bakes up just like the regular version. It has the same texture and flavor, with no weird aftertaste or gummy center.

Having tested way too many dense or rubbery gluten-free vanilla cake recipes, this one was the clear winner!

I haven’t tried it with other brands, so I can’t say for sure how well they’d work out.

Please don’t sub in almond, coconut, or any non-1:1 flours as they definitely won’t work here.

That’s it for now! I hope you’ll enjoy this lemon curd cake. If you try it, I’d love to hear your feedback. :) Thanks!

Lemon Curd Cake

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• Prep Time: 40 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Ready in: 4:40 h
• Yield: 16

A moist lemon cake filled with tangy homemade lemon curd and topped with creamy, whipped cream cheese frosting. Finished with fresh lemon slices or zest for a refreshing and delicious dessert.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour or for gluten-free, use 2 cups (240 grams) King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 large (50 grams each, out of shell) eggs, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk of choice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pats
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) canola or vegetable oil

For the curd:

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 large (50 grams each, out of shell) eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (84 grams) cold unsalted butter

Frosting:

• 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese¹, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) cold heavy cream

Topping:

• a lemon to make lemon slices/wedges with and/or lemon peel/zest for decorating a slice with

Directions

Make the cake:

1. Place the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C) and line a 9” x 13” pan with a piece of parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon and vanilla extract at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until it's thickened and a light gold color. Should your stand mixer not have a whisk attachment, then beat the mixture for 5 minutes using the paddle attachment.
4. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix briefly to incorporate.
5. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and lemon zest over medium heat. You shouldn't let it boil. When you see small bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan, it's ready. The temperature will be 180-185°F (82-85°C). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and oil until the butter has melted.
6. Slowly stir the milk mixture into the batter at low speed and mix until totally combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It may look bubbly.
8. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes (make the curd in the meantime) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges of the cake are pulling away from the pan's sides.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, which takes about 2 hours.

Make the curd:

10. In a nonreactive bowl, whisk together a little of the lemon juice and cornstarch until combined. Then add the remaining juice, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, sugar and salt until smooth.
11. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water.
12. Continuously whisk the mixture until it thickens and reaches at least 160°F (71°C). That's the temperature most sites recommend for curd, but mine was still much too runny at this point. The photographer said that this temperature worked for her. But I had to cook mine to 175°F (79°C) to get it thick enough. The first time I made it, I cooked it to 160°F, added the butter, realized it wasn’t going to get much thicker, put it back on the heat, and thickened it up more. And it was fine.
13. Whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated.
14. Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean, nonreactive bowl.
15. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, or simply stir occasionally as it cools.
16. Let cool until room temp, about 1 hour. You can place it in the fridge or freezer and stir occasionally if in a hurry. You can also make this 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated. I had no issue with piping it straight from the fridge.

Make the frosting:

17. In a large mixing bowl using an electric or stand mixer at medium power, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until totally combined.
18. While still mixing, now on low, gradually add the heavy cream.
19. Once it’s well incorporated, turn the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form - about 3-5 minutes.

Assemble the cake:

20. Poke holes in the cake using the handle of a large wooden spoon or whatever you have that makes sense. An apple corer is a bit too wide. My handle was 1.5 cm wide (.6"). I'd recommend doing around 40 holes (8x5).
21. Pipe the cooled lemon curd into the holes.
22. Spread the frosting over the top. It's okay if it combines with the curd a bit. If you have any curd left over, you can spread it over the top and kind of swirl it in.
23. Top with lemon slices/wedges and potentially some lemon peel or zest. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Notes

1. Outside the US? To get cream cheese like in the US, take 300 grams of European cream cheese (any brand works – Aldi and Lidl are great), wrap it in a clean towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze until it weighs 225 grams.

Cake base adapted from King Arthur Flour

Permalink: https://www.texanerin.com/lemon-curd-cake/

Recipe by Texanerin Baking | www.texanerin.com

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