Looking for an easy lemon cake recipe that’s both delicious and look beautiful? Look no further! This lemon cake combines a zesty cream cheese frosting, and extremely fluffy chiffon sponge, to create a dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
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Ingredients you will need
For the lemon curd
Lemon zest and lemon juice
Cornstarch
Egg yolks: If you don’t know what to do with the leftover egg whites, try making these Coconut macaroons, Coffee macarons, or Mini pavlovas.
Sugar: You can adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding a little less or more granulated sugar to your lemon curd.
Butter: You will need unsalted butter to make this lemon filling.
For the sponge cake
Eggs: Use eggs at room temperature.
Salt
Flour: You will need all-purpose flour to make this easy lemon cake recipe.
Milk: I use whole milk to make the cake layers for my lemon cake.
Fats: I use unsalted butter, but you can replace it with odorless vegetable oil such as canola oil or sunflower seed oil.
Vanilla: You can skip the vanilla, replace it with lemon flavoring, or add some lemon zest to your sponge.
Sugar: Use white granulated sugar to make this cake.
Lemon juice: Add lemon juice to the egg whites before whipping them to make the meringue more stable, or replace it with ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar.
For the cream
Cream cheese: You will need cold, full-fat cream cheese such as Philadelphia cream cheese or a similar brand.
Powdered sugar
Heavy cream: Use cold heavy whipping cream to make this cream cheese frosting.
If you love desserts with lemon flavor, you should also try these moist Lemon poppy seed muffins, rustic-looking Lemon crinkle cookies, or soft and light Lemon cookies.
Cooking tips
Whip Egg Whites Properly: When whipping egg whites, ensure no egg yolks leak into the whites and that the bowl and whisk are free from fat. Any grease can prevent the whites from whipping properly. I like to wipe all utensils that will touch the egg whites with a bit of white vinegar before using them.
Fold Gently: When incorporating the whipped egg whites into the batter, fold gently to avoid deflating them. This ensures a light and airy sponge.
Refrigeration: Don’t skip the refrigeration step after assembling the cake. This helps the flavors to meld and the cake to set properly.
How to make the perfect lemon cake
Making the Lemon Curd
Start by combining all the ingredients, except the butter, in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens. Once it’s ready, remove from heat, add the butter, and mix until fully incorporated. Cover the curd with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until cold.
Preparing the Sponge
Preheat your oven to 160C (320F) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Begin by whisking together the egg yolks, milk, lemon juice, zest, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Sift in your dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Then, gently fold in the whipped egg whites to maintain the batter's lightness. Spread the batter evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
Whipping Up the Frosting
For the frosting, place all the ingredients in a stand mixer and whisk until smooth and fluffy. Add the lemon curd and whisk to combine. Be cautious not to overwhip the cream.
Assembling the Cake
Once all components are ready, it’s time to assemble the cake. Place the first layer of sponge in your casserole dish and spread half of the cream on top. Repeat with the second layer. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours to let the flavors meld together.
Flavor Variations
Berries: Add a layer of fresh berries between the sponge layers for a burst of fruity flavor. Blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries complement the lemon flavor particularly well.
Lime & Lemon: Replace half of the lemon juice and zest with lime for a tangy lime-lemon combination.
Ginger Lemon: Add a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to the lemon curd for a spicy kick that complements the lemon’s tartness.
FAQ
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and store the cake in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I would not recommend freezing this cake as the cream cheese frosting can change texture or even split when frozen and then thawed.
Recipe card
Easy lemon cake recipe
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Parchment paper
- Rubber spatula
- Saucepan
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
- A deep 8” by 11” (20cm by 28cm) baking dish
- Baking sheet
- Whisk
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
For the lemon curd
- 3 egg yolks can be cold
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 60 ml lemon juice
- Zest of one lemons
- 5 g cornstarch
- 60 g unsalted butter
For the sponge
- 5 large eggs at room temperature, separated
- 70 ml milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 g vegetable oil such as canola oil
- 90 g all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 90 g white granulated sugar
For the frosting
- 600 g cream cheese
- 80 g powdered sugar
- 90 ml cold heavy cream
Instructions
For the lemon curd
- In a saucepan, add all the ingredients except the butter. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture starts simmering and thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mix until it has melted and is fully incorporated.
- Pass through a sieve to remove the zest, cover with plastic wrap (making sure it touches the mixture), and refrigerate until cold.
For the sponge
- Preheat your oven to 160C (320F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The sheet should be big enough to bake an 11” by 16” (28cm by 40cm) rectangular sponge. You will also need a deep 8” by 11” (20cm by 28cm) baking dish.
- Into a large bowl, add the egg yolks, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and oil. Whisk well.
- Sift in the flour and salt. Whisk until well combined and no dry ingredients are left.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer and a bowl), add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Whip on medium-low speed, gradually adding sugar. When all the sugar is added, switch the speed to medium-high and whip to medium peaks. Do not overwhip to stiff peaks!
- Using a rubber spatula, fold ⅓ of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until well combined.
- Then, add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold until a homogeneous consistency.
- Pour the cake batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it in an even layer using an offset spatula forming an 11” by 16” (28cm by 40cm) rectangle. Bake the sponge for 25 minutes or until the top is springy to the touch. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then, lift the cake from the pan, holding onto the parchment paper, and flip it onto a fresh piece of parchment paper. Peel the paper and cover the sponge with plastic wrap.
- Allow the sponge to cool to room temperature. Cut the sponge into two 8” by 11” (20cm by 28cm) rectangles.
For the frosting
- Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and whisk on low until no dry powdered sugar is left.
- Then, whisk on medium until reaching a homogeneous consistency.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and whisk once again on high until thick and fluffy. Add the cold lemon curd and whip just until combined. The whole process should take 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overwhip the cream.
- Assembling the cake
- Place the first cake layer inside the baking dish.
- Spread half of the cream in an even layer on top of the sponge. Place the second sponge layer on top.
- Spread the rest of the cream on top. Decorate the top as desired and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
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