Lemon Layer Cake – My Baking Habit

Tender lemon cake is full of tart lemon curd and coated with lemon buttercream frosting. This lemon layer cake makes a stupendous centerpiece to your whole spring celebrations!

Anybody who has been round right here for some time is aware of that I’ll select a lemon dessert over a chocolate dessert nearly any day.

And actually, that’s saying a LOT as a result of I actually love a great slice of chocolate cake (particularly if it’s the most effective chocolate cake).

However if you happen to put this lemon cake in entrance of me? Recreation over. 

When you’re like me and love the brilliant tang of citrus recipes, you’re gonna love this one, too.

Springy lemon layer cake

This lemon cake takes all the goodness of my lemon cupcakes and places it into layer cake kind.

The cake layers are gentle and tender, with loads of lemon zest and only a little bit of lemon extract in them for a bit extra lemon taste. 

I added my microwave lemon curd between the layers and coated the entire thing in lemon buttercream frosting. 

Yeah, that’s proper. It’s three sorts of lemony goodness multi function scrumptious chunk! 

The silky texture of the curd goes so nicely with the ethereal cake layers and the fluffy buttercream frosting. And I really like the additional punch of tanginess that the curd provides, holding your complete factor from tasting too candy.

This lemon layer cake would make a very pretty centerpiece to your Easter or Mom’s Day dessert tables. 

make my lemon layer cake

Layer truffles at all times look so spectacular, however they aren’t as tough to make as you would possibly suppose! 

Elements you’ll want

For the lemon cake layers, you have to:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon tremendous 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 two lemons
• 12 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
• 4 massive room-temperature egg whites

When you don’t usually preserve cake flour readily available, don’t panic. I’ve a easy cake flour substitute you may whip up to make use of on this recipe as a substitute. 

I additionally at all times neglect to purchase buttermilk. However fortunately, you can also make a 2-ingredient buttermilk substitute that may work simply as nicely.

Earlier than you begin baking, ensure you know  measure flour accurately. This may assist your cake layers to come back out good each time. 

This recipe comes collectively greatest when the buttermilk, butter, and egg whites are at room temperature. When you neglect to set them out forward of time, try my ideas for bringing butter and eggs to room temperature shortly.

For assembling the cake, additionally, you will want:

• 1/2 cup lemon curd
• 1 batch lemon buttercream frosting

Making the cake layers

In a big bowl, sift collectively the dry substances: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this apart.

In one other bowl or a measuring cup, whisk collectively the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon extract.

Add the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (you can even use a big bowl and an electrical hand mixer). Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest into the sugar till it’s aromatic and the sugar is moistened.

Now add the butter and cream the butter and sugar collectively till gentle and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Don’t attempt to rush this step!

With the mixer on low pace, add 1/3 of the dry substances till simply mixed. Add half of he buttermilk combination, then half of the remaining flour, ensuring to combine every addition nicely and scraping the edges of the bowl earlier than including the subsequent addition.

End with the remainder of the milk combination adopted by the final of the dry substances. 

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. 

Use a spatula to softly stir 1/4 of the overwhelmed egg whites into the batter till no streaks stay. Add the remainder of the egg whites and gently fold them into the batter.

As soon as the egg whites are integrated and no streaks stay, divide the batter between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. I counsel lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment as further insurance coverage towards sticking.

Bake the cake layers for 25-Half-hour, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Let the layers cool utterly on a wire rack earlier than you assemble the cake.

Assembling the cake

Whereas the lemon cake layers cool, combine up your frosting and measure out your lemon curd.

To assemble the cake, begin by including a dab of frosting to the cake plate and set the underside layer on prime of it. This may assist “glue” the cake in place when you frost it.

Use an offset spatula to unfold a skinny layer of frosting on prime of the cake layer. Now pipe a line of frosting across the prime fringe of the cake layer – this can create a barrier to maintain the lemon curd from leaking out of the cake.

Unfold the curd contained in the frosting barrier you simply made. Flip the second cake layer over so the underside is now the highest; place it on prime of the cake. Use the remaining frosting to frost the highest and sides of the cake as desired.

When you haven’t frosted a layer cake earlier than, try this tutorial on  frost a layer cake for some ideas and tips on this course of.

Make-ahead and storage ideas

Retailer leftover lemon cake within the fridge, coated, for as much as 3 days. Let the cake come to room temperature earlier than serving.

If you wish to make the recipe parts forward of time and assemble the cake the day you intend to serve it, you completely can!

• Make the lemon curd as much as per week upfront. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge.
• Make the cake layers 1-2 days upfront and wrap the cooled truffles tightly in plastic wrap; retailer at room temperature till prepared to embellish. 
• Make the lemon buttercream 2-3 days upfront. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. Earlier than utilizing, convey it to room temperature and whip it along with your mixer for a few minutes to revive the feel.

Are you able to freeze this lemon cake?

If it is advisable to preserve leftovers for longer otherwise you wish to prep the cake layers and buttercream even additional upfront, flip to your freezer.

You may freeze the unfrosted cake layers for as much as 2 months and and the lemon buttercream for as much as 1 month. 

Let the cake layers thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Let the frosting thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than bringing it to room temperature and whipping it along with your mixer for a couple of minutes.

The assembled, frosted cake or slices of the cake will be frozen for as much as 1 month.

For full particulars on the freezing and thawing course of, together with wrap the cake layers, entire cake, or slices, try my publish on  freeze cake.