This light and refreshing butter-based zesty lemon cake is surprisingly simple and easy to make. Takes no more than 10 minutes to mix and 25 minutes to bake. Today, I frosted it with yellow ruffles made with lemon-flavored buttercream.
Table of Content
This cake is very rich, light and yet quite stable so it can be used in a tiered cake as well as covered with fondant. It’s a butter-based cake and can be used to carve as well; freezing the cake in the fridge for an hour or two will make carving easy and create fewer crumbs.
A very versatile cake and can be paired with many variations. The light texture of this cake is especially delicious with soft vanilla or lemon buttercreams as well as marmalade or curd fillings. If you love lemon curd you must use my homemade lemon curd recipe and use that as a filling. It's absolute heaven. One of my favorite combinations with this cake is Lemon Curd with lemon Swiss meringue buttercream. (yes, I can handle strong lemon flavors) Another great combination with this cake is a white Chocolate ganache. Yes, I know white chocolate and lemon are not usually paired together but I do love it.
It is not necessary to use yellow food color in this cake. But, I like to use a tiny dab of yellow color, so when the customer cuts the cake there is no confusion about the flavor. It is a personal choice so feel free to omit the color.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of sugar in my recipe but if salted butter is all you gave go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
- Eggs - Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of eggs varies significantly these days so as a guide on large eggs weighs between 50 to 60 grams
- All-purpose flour - yes, regular plain flour (maida) is all you need for these cupcakes. Do not use any self-raising as those contain more leavening.
- Lemon juice - unlike other fruits lemon can be strong so a little goes a long way. Unless you like a strong lemon taste do not add more than the recommended amount mentioned in the recipe.
- Sour Cream - gives the cake a soft crumb. If you don't get sour cream where you are you can make sour cream at home. Here's how to make sour cream at home for baking. If you must you can also use milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk can also be made at home in just 5 minutes - here's my tutorial for homemade buttermilk.
- Vanilla Extract - always use a good quality vanilla extract. I know it's expensive which is why I make my own vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste as well as vanilla sugar.
- Zest - works best to add a particular flavor because it has the essence of the fruit itself. However, you must be careful when zesting fruit and take only the colored part of the peel not the white. The white can be bitter and if added to the cake can make the cake taste bitter.
Step by step instructions
Prepare
- Preheat the oven at 160 °C / 320 °F.
- Grease and line two 6-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together - flour, baking powder, baking soda, zest, and salt.
Whip eggs
- Break eggs in a mixer, add cream of tartar - start whipping on medium-low speed
- Gradually add about ½ cup sugar (use approx. measure for sugar).
- Once all sugar is in whip until light and foamy - ribbon stage.
- Add sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and extract
- Remove eggs and Set aside.
Cream the batter
- Working quickly - using the same mixer bowl (no need to wash)
- Cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and milk in three batches. The mixture will be dense at this stage.
- Combine ⅓ of the whipped egg mixture vigorously so it loosens the batter.
- FOLD the rest of the egg mixture with a spatula by hand.
- Add orange food gel color
Bake
- Divide batter equally into the baking pans.
- I prefer to use baking strips to avoid a dome.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes clean
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes invert onto a cooling rack.
Lemon frosting
- Prepare your choice of buttercream/frosting- then add the lemon juice, zest, and extract.
Decorate
- Once cooled - cut off any dome on the cake to level them
- Moisten each layer with simple syrup
- Spread buttercream and sandwich the two layers
- Add yellow gel food color to the remaining buttercream
- Crumb coats or spread a little buttercream around the cake. (this helps seal the crumbs)
- Chill the cake if necessary for 10 to 15 minutes so the layers won't move.
- Put buttercream in a piping bag with a 104 or rose piping tip nozzle
- Pipe around the cake in a zig-zag upwards motion holding the piping bag vertical against the cake.
More layer cakes
- Best Orange Cake with Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Fresh Strawberry Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Mini Lemon Cheesecake Tarts
- See all layer cake recipes
Storage
- The cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge.
- It can be frozen for a month or more.
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Printable Recipe
Zesty Lemon Cake with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 563kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 12 servings
Description
This light and refreshing butter-based zesty lemon cake is surprisingly easy and simple to make. Takes no more than 10 minutes to mix and 25 minutes to bake. Frosted with lemon flavored Swiss meringue buttercream and some pretty yellow ruffles. Ideal for a weeknight dessert with a lighter cream cheese frosting or can be made into a celebration cake for a birthday, anniversary or wedding with fondant and more.
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 oz (170 g) unsalted Butter ((1 ½ stick) room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup (200 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (200 g) White Sugar (divided)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 large Eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Sour Cream
- ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 drops Yellow Gel food color
For the lemon frosting
- ¼ cup Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 2 - 4 drops Lemon yellow food gel colors
Extra
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Simple Syrup (to brush cake layers)
Frosting
- 4 cups Swiss Meringue Buttercream (OR)
- 4 cups Italian Meringue Buttercream (OR)
- 4 cups American Buttercream (OR)
- 4 cups French Buttercream (Or)
- 4 cups German Buttercream (OR)
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat the oven at 160 °C / 320 °F.
- Grease and line two 6-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together - flour, baking powder, baking soda, zest, and salt.
Whip eggs
- Break eggs in a mixer, add cream of tartar - start whipping on medium-low speed
- Gradually add about ½ cup sugar (use approx. measure for sugar).
- Once all sugar is in whip until light and foamy - ribbon stage.
- Add sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and extract
- Remove eggs and Set aside.
Cream the batter
- Working quickly - using the same mixer bowl (no need to wash)
- Cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and milk in three batches. The mixture will be dense at this stage.
- Combine ⅓ of the whipped egg mixture vigorously so it loosens the batter.
- FOLD the rest of the egg mixture with a spatula by hand.
- Add yellow food gel color
Bake
- Divide batter equally into the baking pans.
- I prefer to use baking strips to avoid a dome.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes clean
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes invert onto a cooling rack.
Lemon frosting
- Prepare your choice of buttercream/frosting- then add the lemon juice, zest, and extract.
Decorate
- Once cooled - cut off any dome on the cake to level them
- Moisten each layer with simple syrup
- Spread buttercream and sandwich the two layers
- Add yellow gel food color to the remaining buttercream
- Crumb coats or spread a little buttercream around the cake. (this helps seal the crumbs)
- Chill the cake if necessary for 10 to 15 minutes so the layers won't move.
- Put buttercream in a piping bag with a 104 or rose piping tip nozzle
- Pipe around the cake in a zig-zag upwards motion holding the piping bag vertical against the cake.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Storage
- The cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge.
- It can be frozen for a month or more.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 563- kcalCarbohydrates: 80- gProtein: 3- gFat: 25- gSaturated Fat: 10- gCholesterol: 72- mgSodium: 261- mgPotassium: 114- mgFiber: 0- gSugar: 64- gVitamin A: 435- IUVitamin C: 1.1- mgCalcium: 40- mgIron: 1.1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Gail Butts
Week 2 Day 2 Done
Deborah Catherine Payne
Hi Veena,
When would I put the lemon curd filling in the cake ? Should I replace with the frosting or do both.
Thanks
Deb
Veena Azmanov
I would use it as a filling Deborah. Pipe a buttercream dam and use the filling in between. So delicious in a lemon cake.
Faith
Hello Veena..,I would like to use fresh cream for decorating the cake instead...what would you advice when using fresh cream?
Veena Azmanov
You can definitely use fresh cream to decorate this cake. It would be very delicious. Make sure the cream is high-fat no less than 38%. And, don't frost it too early as whipped cream does not last long. Stabilizing the whipped cream can give you more time.