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 fantastic centerpiece to all your 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 very good slice of chocolate cake (particularly if it’s the very best chocolate cake).

However in the event you put this lemon cake in entrance of me? Sport over. 

For those who’re like me and love the intense tang of citrus recipes, you’re gonna love this one, too.

Springy lemon layer cake

This lemon cake takes the entire 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 varieties of lemony goodness multi function scrumptious chunk! 

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

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

Methods to make my lemon layer cake

Layer muffins at all times look so spectacular, however they aren’t as troublesome to make as you may suppose! 

Substances you’ll want

For the lemon cake layers, you’ll need:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon nice 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 giant room-temperature egg whites

For those who don’t usually preserve cake flour 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 can work simply as effectively.

Earlier than you begin baking, be sure to know learn how to measure flour appropriately. It will assist your cake layers to come back out good each time. 

This recipe comes collectively finest when the buttermilk, butter, and egg whites are at room temperature. For those who neglect to set them out forward of time, take a look at my suggestions for bringing butter and eggs to room temperature rapidly.

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 components: 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 too 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 components till simply mixed. Add half of he buttermilk combination, then half of the remaining flour, ensuring to combine every addition effectively and scraping the edges of the bowl earlier than including the following addition.

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

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 included 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 additional insurance coverage in opposition to 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. It will assist “glue” the cake in place whilst 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 may 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.

For those who haven’t frosted a layer cake earlier than, take a look at this tutorial on learn how to frost a layer cake for some suggestions and methods on this course of.

Make-ahead and storage suggestions

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 propose to serve it, you completely can!

• Make the lemon curd as much as every week prematurely. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge.
• Make the cake layers 1-2 days prematurely and wrap the cooled muffins tightly in plastic wrap; retailer at room temperature till prepared to brighten. 
• Make the lemon buttercream 2-3 days prematurely. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. Earlier than utilizing, deliver it to room temperature and whip it together 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 need to prep the cake layers and buttercream even additional prematurely, flip to your freezer.

You’ll be able to 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 together with your mixer for a couple of minutes.

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

For full particulars on the freezing and thawing course of, together with learn how to wrap the cake layers, entire cake, or slices, take a look at my submit on learn how to freeze cake.