Lemon Cake
A 4 layers lemon cake that is moist and fluffy, filled with a rich homemade lemon curd recipe with no egg waste!
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 5 Eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- Pinch of Salt
- 2/3 Cup Vegetable oil
- 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- Lemon zest of 1-2 lemons or to taste
- 1 Cup Milk
- 3 Cups Flour (cake flour or all-purpose)
- 1 Tbsp Baking powder
Lemon Curd
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- Lemon Zest of 1 or 2 lemons, to taste
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1/3 Cup Egg whites (Or 2 to 3 eggs)
- 2/3 Cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Cup Unsalted room temperature butter
- Pinch Salt
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest (To taste)
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Combine eggs, salt, and vanilla. Beat on high for 2 minutes.
- Add sugar and beat on high for a few minutes until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color. Add oil, lemon juice, and zest. Mix on low just to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add flour and baking powder and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on the lowest setting (I use a hand whisk to avoid over-mixing).
- Add milk and mix on low only to combine.
- Divide batter into 2 greased 8-inch pans. Preheat the oven to 165°C (329°F). Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Lemon Curd
- Combine lemon juice, eggs, and sugar in a saucepan.
- Mix well and cook on medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add cold butter and lemon zest. Stir until butter is melted and fully incorporated.
- Let the curd cool at room temperature. Cover it to prevent a crust from forming. Then place it in the fridge (better to make this in advance and fill the cake when it's cold).
For the Buttercream
- In a clean and grease-free bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, and salt.
- Place the bowl over a double boiler on low to medium heat without the bottom of the bowl touching the water. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Remove from heat and beat the mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form. (Note: Liquid egg whites won’t form stiff peaks but will still work.)
- Let the meringue cool to room temperature before proceeding.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the butter a small piece at a time until fully incorporated. Increase the mixer’s speed and whip until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy. (If it looks curdled, keep whipping—it will come together.)
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest, when grating the zest ,make sure you don't use the white part as it is bitter.
- Mix everything together on medium for a few minutes. If you want the smoothest buttercream texture, set your mixer on the lowest speed and let it run for 10 minutes. This will remove air pockets.
Video
Notes
- Note: the time mentioned does not include assembling and decorating the cake.
- Nutrition info is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and portions. For the most accurate details, consider using a nutrition tool or checking our full Nutrition Information Disclaimer.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcal
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