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Made with moist and fluffy cake, a velvety buttercream frosting, silky bavarian cream and a zesty curd filling, this is The Ultimate Lemon Layer Cake! You won’t find this much fresh lemon flavor in any other dessert.
Table of Contents
- Easy Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream
- What You’ll Need
- How to Make the Lemon Cake
- How to Make the Lemon Buttercream
- How to Make the Lemon Curd
- How to Make the Bavarian Cream
- Assembling Your Cake
- Tips for Making Lemon Layer Cake
- How to Store Frosted Cake
- Can I Freeze Lemon Layer Cake?
- Watch How To Make It
- Get the Recipe
Easy Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream
This layer cake is a lemon lover’s dream come true. The naturally-flavored lemon cake is super tender and buttery – it has such a lovely texture to it. The fillings and the frosting are also spot-on when it comes to flavor and texture. Once you try a bite with all of them together, your mind will be blown!
Fruit-themed desserts are one of my favorite things about summer. Whether it’s a classic Strawberry Shortcake or a fancy Berry Trifle, I’m there to help devour it. There’s simply no substitute for the flavors of ripe, in-season fruits! If you’re a lover of lemon, this cake has to be the next treat you try. You’ll fall in love!
What You’ll Need
Let’s talk about the ingredients for the cake, the frosting, the curd and the bavarian cream. Each one calls for juice and zest from fresh lemons for the most fabulous citrus flavor!
For the Lemon Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: You’ll need 3 cups.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: This cake uses 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder. the combination creates the best rise and texture.
- Salt: Just a teaspoon, for flavor.
- Butter: Unsalted; bring to room temperature.
- Sugar: For a moist cake with the right amount of sweetness.
- Egg Whites: You’ll need 4 egg whites; you can use the yolks in the lemon curd.
- Vanilla Extract: This will set the stage for all that lemon-y goodness.
- Milk: Just over a cup of milk makes this cake super soft and fluffy.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed!
- Lemon Zest: About 2 tablespoons.
For the Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted Butter: Room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar: For volume and the right consistency.
- Salt: Just a pinch.
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice
- Yellow Gel Icing Color
For the Lemon Curd
- Lemon Juice: About 1–2 lemons’ worth.
- Lemon Zest: Finely grated.
- Sugar
- Egg Yolks
- Butter: Salted.
For the Bavarian Cream
- Powdered Gelatin: This gives the cream its custard-like texture.
- Lemon Juice
- Egg Yolks
- Heavy Whipping Cream: You’ll need 3/4 cup to start and another cup later on.
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Zest
- Powdered Sugar
How to Make the Lemon Cake
These cake layers come together quickly and easily. You just have to combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately before mixing them together.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg Whites & Vanilla: Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, to make sure everything is combined.
- Start Adding Dry Ingredients: Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- Add Milk & Lemon: Add about half of the milk and the lemon juice and zest and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- Complete Batter: Continue alternating adding dry and wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, and beating until incorporated after each addition. There should be three total additions of dry ingredients and two total additions of milk. End with the dry ingredients.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Don’t be alarmed if the tops are a little browned – that is normal.
- Let Cool: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 1-2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make the Lemon Buttercream
This lemon frosting is also super fast and simple. You’ll be whipping it up to top off all sorts of yummy treats!
- Beat Butter: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add Half of Powdered Sugar: Slowly add about half of the powdered sugar, mixing until well combined and smooth.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the salt, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Finish Adding Powdered Sugar: Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Adjust to Taste: Add additional lemon juice, if needed, to thin out the frosting.
How to Make the Lemon Curd
Though this cake has plenty of lemon flavor throughout each layer, the curd is where it really shines. Here’s how to make it happen!
- Combine Ingredients: Combine all the ingredients in a double boiler or a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water.
- Thicken: Heat while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 170-180°F, or coats the back of a spoon.
- Chill: Pour the lemon curd into a heat-proof bowl, cover with clear wrap pressed onto the the top of the curd to avoid a film developing, and refrigerate until cold and firm.
How to Make the Bavarian Cream
Last but not least, let’s discuss how to make the light and fluffy bavarian cream. As long as you’re watching it closely while it cooks, you’ll do just fine.
- Combine Gelatin & Lemon Juice: In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin onto the lemon juice and set aside.
- Whisk Egg Yolks: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and set aside.
- Heat Remaining Ingredients: Add 3/4 cup of the the heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm.
- Add Cream Mixture to Eggs: Remove the cream mixture from heat and slowly pour the hot cream into the egg yolks to temper them.
- Cook: Add the egg and cream mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Continue cooking over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, or reaches about 160°F. It should happen fairly quickly.
- Add Gelatin Mixture: Add the gelatin mixture to the hot cream and stir until smooth.
- Let Cool: Pour the custard into another bowl and set that bowl inside another bowl over ice. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Whip Cream & Sugar: While the custard cools, add the remaining cup of heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold Into Custard: When the custard is ready, gently fold the whipped cream into the custard. Be sure it’s at least room temperature, so the whipped cream doesn’t wilt/melt.
Assembling Your Cake
Now that everything is prepped and ready to go, let’s get to the exciting part – putting it all together!
- Cut Cakes & Gather Fillings: The cake layers should be pretty flat, but if there’s a dome, trim the tops of the cakes so they are flat. Cut each cake in half, so that you end up with 6 layers of cake. Get the lemon curd and bavarian cream from the fridge and stir them until smooth. The bavarian cream may need a little hand whisking to work out any lumps.
- Start Layering: Place the first layer of cake on a serving platter. Pipe a small dam of frosting around the outer edge. Fill the dam with 1/3 of the bavarian cream. Place the second layer of cake on top of the cream. The cake layers are very tender, so I recommend using a cake lifter.
- Continue Layering: Add another dam of frosting around the out edge of the cake. Fill the dam with about half of the lemon curd. Repeat with another layer of cake, a dam of frosting and 1/3 of the bavarian cream. Then repeat with another layer, a dam and 1/2 of the lemon curd.
- Finish Layering: Repeat with the another layer of cake, a dam of frosting and the remaining 1/3 of the bavarian cream. Add the final layer of cake on top, then frost the outside of the cake with a crumb coat.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours for the cake to firm up.
- Frost & Serve: Frost the outside of the cake and decorate as you wish. Refrigerate the lemon layer cake until you’re ready to serve.
Tips for Making Lemon Layer Cake
With a cake this luxurious, it never hurts to have some extra recipe tips and tricks. I’ve got you covered!
- Make-Ahead Option: If you want to start working on this cake a day in advance, you can prepare both of the fillings ahead of time and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. Just give them an extra good stir before assembling the cake so they’re nice and smooth.
- Use a Cake Lifter: This cake is super soft and tender, which is amazing in every way, but it does come with some difficulty in terms of assembly. I recommend using a cake lifter to move the thin layers around without breaking them.
- Don’t Forget the Dams: The dams of frosting along the edges of the filling layers are super important. They hold everything in place so that nothing comes spilling out down the sides, so make sure you include them and that your frosting is thick enough to stay in place.
- Use a crumb coat: If you’re new to making layer cakes, you might not know what a crumb coat is. Basically, it’s a thin layer of frosting that goes over the sides and the top of the cake to catch any loose cake crumbs. Then when the cake is chilled those crumbs get set in place providing a smooth surface to apply the outer layer of frosting.
- Easy Decorating Idea: Roughly frost the cake on top of the crumb coat, then color the remaining frosting a nice shade of yellow. Place little blobs of the yellow frosting around the cake, then finish smoothing out the sides and you’ve got a lovely watercolor design going on. I piped the rest of the yellow buttercream around the edges and I love the final look! So bright, summery and lemon-y.
How to Store Frosted Cake
This cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If you can’t fit the whole leftover cake in a container, cut it into slices and store them separately. Enjoy leftovers within 3-4 days for the best results.
Can I Freeze Lemon Layer Cake?
You can! Though I recommend freezing individual slices. To freeze your lemon cake, wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw frozen cake overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
Watch How To Make It
Print
Recipe
The Ultimate Lemon Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours, 55 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with moist and fluffy cake, a velvety buttercream frosting, silky bavarian cream and a zesty curd filling, this is The Ultimate Lemon Layer Cake! You won’t find this much fresh lemon flavor in any other dessert.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Cake
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
For the Lemon Buttercream
- 2 1/4 cups (504g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 9 1/2 cups (1093g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2–3 tbsp lemon juice
- Yellow gel icing color
For the Lemon Curd
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/3 cup (69g) sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter
For the Lemon Bavarian Cream
- 1 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
- 4 1/2 tbsp (68ml) lemon juice
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 3/4 cup (420ml) heavy whipping cream, divided
- 3 tbsp (26g) sugar
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. - Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, to make sure everything is combined.
- Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- Add about half of the milk and the lemon juice and zest and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- Continue alternating adding dry and wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, and beating until incorporated after each addition. There should be three total additions of dry ingredients and two total additions of milk. End with the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.
- Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Don’t be alarmed if the tops are a little browned, that is normal.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
- Slowly add about half of the powdered sugar, mixing until well combined and smooth.
- Add the salt, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add additional lemon juice, if needed, to thin out the frosting.
Make the Curd
- Combine all the ingredients in a double boiler (or in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water). Heat while whisking constantly until mixture thickens and reaches 170-180 degrees, or coats the back of a spoon.
- Pour the lemon curd into a heat proof bowl, cover with clear wrap pressed onto the the top of the curd to avoid a film developing, and refrigerate until cold and firm.
Make the Bavarian Cream
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin onto the lemon juice and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together and set aside.
- Add 3/4 cup of the the heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm.
- Remove the cream mixture from heat and slowly pour the hot cream into the eggs to temper them.
- Add the egg and cream mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat. Continue cooking over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, or reaches about 160°F. It should happen fairly quickly.
- Add the gelatin mixture to the hot cream and stir until smooth.
- Pour the custard into another bowl and set that bowl inside another bowl over ice. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- While the custard cools, add the remaining cup of heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- When the custard is ready, gently fold the whipped cream into the custard. Be sure it’s at least room temperature, so the whipped cream doesn’t wilt/melt.
Assemble
- The cake layers should be pretty flat, but if there’s a dome, trim the tops of the cakes so they are flat. Cut each cake in half, so that you end up with 6 layers of cake. Get the lemon curd and bavarian cream from the fridge and stir them until smooth. The bavarian cream may need a little hand whisking to work out any lumps.
- Place the first layer of cake on a serving platter. Pipe a small dam of frosting around the outer edge.
- Fill the dam with 1/3 of the bavarian cream.
- Place the second layer of cake on top of the cream. The cake layers are very tender, so I recommend using a cake lifter.
- Add another dam of frosting around the out edge of the cake. Fill the dam with about half of the lemon curd.
- Repeat with another layer of cake, dam of frosting and 1/3 of the bavarian cream.
- Repeat with another layer of cake, dam of frosting and 1/2 of the lemon curd.
- Repeat with the another layer of cake, dam of frosting and remaining 1/3 of the bavarian cream.
- Add the final layer of cake on top, then frost the outside of the cake with a crumb coat and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours for the cake to firm up.
- Frost the outside of the cake and decorate as you wish. To create the watercolor look I used, frost the outside of the cake roughly, then color the remaining frosting with yellow gel icing color. Place a few blobs of yellow frosting around the outside of the cake, then smooth out the cake a few more times to spread the yellow frosting around and create the effect. Use the remaining yellow frosting to pipe around the edges.
- Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. The cake is best when stored in an air tight container and eaten within 3-4 days.
Notes
You’ll need about 5 hours total of cooling time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1144
- Sugar: 111.1 g
- Sodium: 346.6 mg
- Fat: 65.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 135 g
- Protein: 9.1 g
- Cholesterol: 264.2 mg
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I cheated and used 2 boxes of white cake mix in two 10” pans and cut into 4 layers. Followed directions for rest of cake and it came out great. Delicious!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
You say 390g for the flour, is that what you weighed when measuring the 3 cups, or is that part of the baker’s percentage for the recipe?
I need to know whether you go by weight or volume. If you go by volume then weighing your volumetric measurements is not going to be right. There’s a difference. This recipe looks amazing, I’m just reluctant to make it because I’d rather use a recipe that uses baker’s percentages.
Thanks!
I don’t use Baker‘s percentage. I had never heard of that but googled it and I can tell you I don’t do that. I can also tell you that this is a great recipe, and the weight amounts are correct, because that’s what I use.
I’m trying to figure out when I weigh flour, all-purpose flour, I get something different other than (390 g); I get less than that! My scale gives me a measurement of (370 g), but I do the lightly spoon method and sweep the excess flour off the top and don’t pack the flour and pour it into a clean mixing bowl on top of my scale and it weighs it, it comes out (370 g) or about 13 oz of all-purpose flour.
That’s the tough part about using cups. Everyone can get something different. I use the weight measurements, so if you use the weights listed, you should be good.
If a recipe calls for 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1): A.P. flour weighs more than Cake flour, like 0.4 or 0.5 oz more than plain flour; however, if you weigh a cup of plain flour, or A.P. flour, then take that weight of that cup of flour and multiply it by 3. So, for me, 3 cups of flour comes out to be about 13 oz, or to convert the oz into grams, you multiply the weight in oz by how many grams makes up 1 oz. I.e.: there are 28.35 grams in 1 oz of mass. (28.35 * 13 ≈ 370 g)! For the best results when measuring flour, lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup, and avoid packing your flour in the cup, and do the sweeping and level method after measuring each cup.
I have made this recipe before and it’s wonderful! Question. I am going to a party and want to make this cake. The problem is it’s a 6 hour drive for us and I’m wondering how to transport the cake. Can I freeze the whole cake finished and transport it that way to eat the next day? Or do you have a better suggestion…
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! Freezing it sounds like a smart way to go, the only thing is that gelatin doesn’t typically freeze fully and can break down when you thaw it. The cream layer may not do so well.
When I say this recipe was a winner, I mean Olympic gold! My family makes a lemon cake for my mom’s birthday, and after hours of research to find this year’s recipe, I finally decided on this one.
When it was finished (tip: you’re going to wonder if three rounds is enough. IT’S ENOUGH!), we brought it with us to the restaurant, where not ONLY was it praised by the guests, but even the staff (who asked for a slice)! In fact, the waitress asked if we were planning to open a bakery. I would definitely recommend this recipe if you’re looking for a lemon cake!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear it was a big hit!
I don’t understand the crumb coat.
A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that goes on before your final layer. It catches any crumbs and keeps them in the crumb coat (that thin layer) so that you don’t have crumbs in your final layer of frosting. It’s not something you have to do, but it can help your frosting look nicer in the end.
Is this cake dense like your homemade fresh strawberry cake?
I’d say it’s not quite as dense.
Can you make this cake without the cream? Just the lemon curd in between layers and of course the buttercream frosting. Love lemon flavor. Sounds delicious!
Yes, definitely. You may just want to make a little more lemon curd if you’re going to have the same number of layers.
Making this for Easter! I see you recommend not using 9in cake pans as layers would be too thin. In the recipe you also mention slicing layers in two. Could I double the lemon cake recipe and use the 9in pans? I’m terrible at slicing cake layers evenly so trying to find a work around.
To clarify, I would bake 6 thin layers separately so that I wouldn’t have to cut layers.
It should work fine. The layers will be a little thicker if you double the recipe. I often do 1.5 recipes worth for 9 inch pans, but doubling might be good so that they layers aren’t quite so thin and hard to work with. If you have a cake lifter or something, that would help with moving them around.
Can I make this in 9in pans?
Sure, the layers will just be quite thin if you do three. You might want to do just 2.
Would 9in cake pans work ok?
Your cake layers would be too thin to be able to torte and have the same amount of filling layers. You may want to do 2 1/2 recipes worth.
Coming back to make this cake for the second time, for a friend’s birthday. This cake is the best cake I have ever made. And I love to bake cakes. It is so delicious and flavourful, and fun to make! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that! So glad you enjoy it!
This cake looks amazing I just want to make sure this cake has 3 sticks of butter. I was wondering is this a typo
It’s not a typo.
Aaamazing!! My husband wanted a Lemon cake on his birthday. I have never baked 1 from scratch. Me: I don’t know if I can do it. Him: Calmly say you can do it. Hmm, okay! The search begun and came across you cake pix. I read through your instructions/recipe and thought oh my, it’s a lot of work. Long story short, I baked it and it was Amazing!! At the end of the his Birthday dinner the cake was almost gone. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!
This is definitely one of the more complicated ones to take on for your first cake, so kudos to you! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
I’m using recipe for a wedding, it’s for a friend and it’ll be about 5 hrs away. 1st question: Can I make the cake, freeze it(just the cake) and have it defrost in the fridge? 2nd: I’ve never worked with lemon curd before, does it freeze? If not, how long can it be stored in fridge? If I make and decorate the night before, should storing it in the fridge then putting in a cooler for the be ok?..THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I’M SO NERVOUS, I normally just doctor box cakes but this looks so good, lemon is the bride to be favorite flavor. WISH ME LUCK and thanks in advance for your help and for posting the recipe
Are you talking about freezing just the cake layers? Or the layered cake after it’s put together? Lemon curd does freeze well, but Bavarian cream doesn’t always defrost very well.
As for transporting it, it’s hard to say. I don’t transport a lot of cakes and when I do, it terrifies my husband and I both, lol. Because the fillings of this cake are softer, it will be possible that things move around more from a bumpy ride. I would recommend freezing it ahead of the drive, but I’m not sure that the cream would thaw very well.
Can you freeze the cake layers before assembling it? I can work better with frozen layers
I suppose you could. It’s not some thing I’ve ever tried.
Can I substitute all purpose flour for cake flour?
You can certainly try it, but I typically prefer all purpose flour. I know there are plenty of people out there who will say cake flour is going to give you a softer cake, but it really depends on the recipe. This recipe was developed with all purpose flour so I believe that will give you the best results. That said, feel free to try cake flour if you have a preference for it.
This was absolutely incredible! My son wanted a lemon cake for his birthday and this was perfect! Huge hit! The cake had a great sponge that was light but still easy enough to work with when cutting and adding all the layers. The lemon curd was the perfect tart balance to offset the frosting and cream. It was like 3 levels of lemon to enjoy! My only alteration was substituting 1C of butter flavored Crisco for the butter which is just a preference. I also added 1 tsp of Princess emulsion to the frosting to enhance the citrus. I immediately received requests to make this again for others birthdays My only suggestion would be to zest and juice all the lemons at once rather than 3 separate times. That might be obvious for most but it was too time consuming and messy to do it 3 separate times! This is truly one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted 🙂
Awesome! So great to hear it was a hit!
I forgot to comment about this one when I made it in March. There are a lot of steps, I’ve never made lemon curd prior to this, and making bavarian cream scared the heck out of me because last time I tried to make whipped cream it was a HUGE failure. HOWEVER your directions are so detailed that everything was seamless and this cake was a huge hit with everyone! It was delicious, the cake, the curd, the cream…just perfection. I will saw that I personally enjoyed it the next day, after it had a day to sit in the refrigerator. All the lemon seemed to calm down just a bit and I enjoyed it even more. Thank you again for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Awesome! So glad to hear that it went well and that you enjoyed it!
I am wanting to make this cake for a wedding. Would it work okay to do a 2 tier? Or is it too soft and wouldn’t hold up? I would definitely use a tiering system but idk if it would still be too soft.Thank you in advance!
I don’t really do tiered cakes, but I would think that if it has dowels to support the cake above that it would be fine.
I made this cake for my birthday last year and it was FANTASTICLY scrumptious!!!! It was a hit and no one could believe that I made this incredible tasting cake! I’d like to make this cake for a celebration at church, but I’d like to make it a 1/2 sheet cake, 2 layers. Do you think there would be enough batter to make it this way??
So glad you enjoyed it and that it was a hit! There should be enough cake batter for 9 x 13, but I’m not sure about a half sheet if you want two full layers. You may need to double it for two layers.
Could I substitute the lemons with lime?
That should be fine.
Is the gelatin in the Bavarian Cream is that the gelatin you use to stabilize whip cream
I believe those would be the same. I use this gelatin.
Do you know how tall the cakes were before cutting or how many cups batter the recipe makes? Thank you!
Gosh, I don’t really remember. I’m guessing around an inch tall. Not sure on the cups of batter.
How much yellow gel food coloring did you add to get the color in your frosting? Can’t wait to try this!
I honestly don’t remember, I’m sorry!
This sounds delicious! Anyway to use regular sugar as a substitute for powdered? I usually don’t like American buttercream. More of a Swiss meringue girl. Do you have a lemon Swiss meringue recipe that would work? Thank you!
I don’t have a Swiss meringue recipe, but I’m sure you could find one and swap it out if you prefer.
I’m going to use this recipe to make two 12” cakes. Should I double the recipe?
I’d at least double it.
For lemon lovers… that’s the best cake ever
My daughter has requested this cake. But she lives 4 1/2 hours away. Do you think the Bavarian cream would hold up at the end of May in NC? I can put cooler packs around it, but they probably wouldn’t stay cold that long. She wants just Bavarian cream snd no lemon curd, unfortunately.
It’s hard to say for sure. It might be fine. You could pop it in the freezer for an hour or so before you leave to get it good and cold before you drive and see if that helps.
I haven’t tried this one yet, but I’m sure it’ll be amazing! Could I make the Bavarian cream and the curd a week ahead of time? Or will it not keep that long?
You can make the curd ahead of time, but I would make the Bavarian cream fresh.
Hi! I’m making this for my sons birthday in a week. Do you think the cake (Bavarian cream is what I’m worried about) will hold up if I made it the day before and served it in his birthday? Thanks
Yes, it’ll definitely hold up in the frosted cake in the fridge.
Can you share some instructions on how to cut the cake layers in 1/2 so perfectly. Every time I cut my layers in 1/2 they are so off. Thin on one side thick on the other side and I have had it high in the center and all over on the sides. Maybe a Video on how to cut a cake I half properly.
I actually have a tutorial you can check out. Hopefully that helps!
I made this cake for my niece’s first birthday, almost a year later my sister told me that she still regularly thinks about that cake and how delicious it was. That’s how good this recipe is. She was devastated on the day when the guests had second and third helpings and there were no left overs for her to eat later.
So glad it was such a hit!
Is there a replacement I could use for the Bavarian cream? The rest of the recipe looks delicious but my family is not a huge fan of that.
You could make more lemon curd and use that instead.
Hi
I’m going to try this today. Not going to use the curd. I’m making a lemon cake with raspberryfilling, with regular buttercream ? Do you have a regular buttercream that’s not so sweet. I’ve made a lemon cake with Italian buttercream. It was good but not enough of lemon in it and the buttercream was way to buttery l thought. So this is my second cake going to make. Try to find a cake that is tasty. I’m starting to make cakes for someone else than family and friends. It’s a little neve racking to make it great. The are allergic to nuts.
She wants a cake lemon cake, raspberry filling, regular buttercream. I’ve made the raspberry filling. Sweet and tart.
So any suggestions
Thank you
I have a standard american buttercream you could try.
Delicious! Well explained and surprisingly very easy to execute. My family loved it!
So glad to hear that!
I had a blast making this cake for my birthday in quarantine! So bright and fun, it definitely made things feel more festive 🙂 I was worried it might be too much lemon flavor but it was just right. The recipe was easy to follow and I was actually surprised at how easy it was to whip up a nice Bavarian cream (I’d never tried before). For a casual at-home baker I would definitely recommend making this a two-day process, particularly if you’re doing anything involved in terms of decorating the cake. In terms of alterations, I didn’t have an 8-inch round pan so I used two 9″ squares. I kept an eye on the cook time and adjusted down to four layers of cake instead of six (cake, 1/2 of the Bavarian cream, cake, all of the lemon curd, cake, 1/2 of the Bavarian cream, cake) to accommodate the size difference and it worked great, with a good moisture level and thick enough to cut into layers. The buttercream was a very nice consistency for decorating although I will say I have no idea how anyone eats that stuff – WAY too sweet for me! But it looked so fun and cheerful and the inside of the cake (with the curd and Bavarian cream) was delicious. I froze half of it–no way was our little quarantine household going to take out a whole cake in a few days–and I expect it to hold up well for a couple of months, with the lemon curd being the limiting factor on freeze time. Thank you to Lindsay for this recipe! It was a very welcome dose of sunshine for a birthday on lockdown. The suggestion in the comments of an orange version may very well be on the menu for next year!
(whoops, meant to say the Bavarian cream is the limiting factor on freeze time! either way it will be a sweet treat for months to come 🙂 )
Can this recipe done in two 8 inch pans… Pls reply soon im hoping to bake this cake tomorrow for a birthday.
Technically yes, but I find that when the cake layers get thicker, the cake gets more dense. So it depends a little on what kind of texture cake you prefer.
This recipe is my top pick to try for my husband’s birthday cake! The only question I have is I was curious when you mix your eggs whites and vanilla for the cake, how fully are you getting your egg whites? I’m used to a having like a soft peak but was curious what you had done to achieve such great results! Thanks so much!
The egg whites aren’t whipped prior to adding them to the cake in this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
Is it also possinle to just decorate the whole cream in buttercream than bavarian cream .As during this lockdown it is very hard to get a lot of things .
You could leave out the bavarian cream, yes.
I just made this cake. The Bavarian cream and lemon curd were delicious. The cake on the other hand didn’t. When it came out of the oven it was swimming in butter. It was mushy and greasy. Any suggestions?
It honestly sounds like an ingredient was off somewhere. That definitely shouldn’t be the result you get.
Hi Lindsay,
Love your blog and your recipes. Have been asked to make a lemon cake for a friends fathers 80th birthday. I love cooking using weight measurement rather than cups and spoons seeing as I am in Australia and often our measurements are slightly different to yours. So was wondering could you tell me the correct amount of butter for the lemon buttercream specifically. Also if you have a weight measurement for any of the other ingredients that aren’t listed using weights that would be excellent but appreciate that you may not.
Thanks heaps.
I updated the butter, but the others that are missing I’m not sure of. Sorry!
Thanks heaps Lindsay. Much appreciated. Happy New Year!
My husband now has this obsession with Walmart’s lemon pies, the little ones. For his birthday, I wanted something lemony and definitely not a lemon pie from Walmart. I made this cake and it was absolutely amazing. Just so you understand how amazing this cake is, my mother did cakes as I was growing up. She became the premier wedding cake person in the town we lived in. I’ve eaten tons of different cakes and frankly, I’m not a cake eater. Then I found your recipe for this Lucious lemon cake. As our children are grown and gone, it was just the two of us. I expected to throw some cake away, but we ate it and a couple of weeks later, I had to make another one. It’s that good!
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it so much!
Hi Lindsay! I just discovered your blog and this recipe. I plan to make it for my mom to take to her Bridge Club meeting in January. They play at a local library, so no refrigerator is available for leftover cake. Do you know how long this cake, when cut, will keep at room temperature? Thanks so much!
I feel like it’s a little hard to say exactly. It should be fine for several hours though. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Understand. Thank you for your reply Lindsay. I look forward to making it! Best wishes to you for a wonderful, warm, safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I totally understand the importance of trying various things, techniques, etc. I constantly find myself “tweaking” things. 😊 But, it is awesome when I find a recipe for which someone has already done all the “tweaking” ahead of time. Somehow, I think your recipe likely falls into that category! 😊 Thank you again!
This cake is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Each layer, with its own flavor and texture, comes together for such lemony goodness! I received rave reviews from my work colleagues. This is definitely a special occasion cake and I look forward to the next opportunity to bake and share it!
– My store was out of Knox Gelatin so I substituted Lemon Jell-O and it worked perfectly. Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m so glad it worked out and that you enjoyed it!
I have a question the gelatin is it plain or whet can I get it from ???
Yes, it’s plain. I use the Knox brand and I’m able to find it at any grocery store and Walmart.
hi lindsay, for the baking powder does it mean we used the 3/4 teaspoons 2 times or 2 & 3/4 teaspoons ?? to make sure 😉 i can’t wait to try it!!!
You use two full teaspoons plus 3/4 of a teaspoon.
Hi Lindsay! Do you think I could swap orange for lemon for all the components of this cake? I’m not sure of the science behind if different citrus work differently.
I think that should be ok.
Wow this recipe omg i love lemon…. btw can i use 2 9-inch-pan for this?? can’t wait to try it!! 🙂
The only issue I see with using 9 inch pans is that the layers will be thinner so it’ll be harder to divide them and fill them.
oh ok! 🙂 btw for the baking powder 2 & 3/4 teaspoons does 3/4 means you put 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder 3 times?? i want to make sure so the cake doesn’t fail..
Well yes. Or a half teaspoon plus a fourth teaspoon.
Im in the middle of making this cake and all was well until the cake didnt rise enough to cut the layers. I had to borrow 8 inch pans. one was light aluminum the other two were dark. What pans do you use? Anything I should look out for next time? Overcreaming the butter? For now Im not going to try to cut them as they are all less then an inch high and Im not that skilled. Im sure it will taste delish.
thanks
Kate
My pans are lighter in color, but darker pans should be OK. Darker pans just might not take as long to bake and might brown more around the edges. Usually, people don’t cream the butter and sugar together long enough. Another possibility is overmixing after the flour has been added.
Hi,
I’m a big fan of blueberry and lemon together. Is there a way you’d recommend for this cake to incorporate blueberries (compote, adding blueberries in the batter, blueberries between layers, etc..?).
Any of those ways would work. I think which one you do depends on how much blueberry and lemon flavor you want. You could try putting some blueberries in with the lemon curd layers, or replace one of the fillings with the blueberry compote. You could certainly add them to the cake batter but I do think they would sink to the bottom when it’s baked.
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! One more question. I know it says to put the cake in the fridge but would it be OK to leave out overnight?
With the lemon curd and the cream filling, it really should be refrigerated.
May i know what sugar you is in the lemon curd and cake? is it castor sugar?
I use regular granulated white sugar
do you sift your ingredients first?
I go through ingredients so quickly with all my baking that I don’t find it necessary to sift them usually. Usually giving flour and sugar a quick stir works just fine. If your ingredients seem a little lumpy (I think people notice this most with powdered sugar) you might want to sift them.
Excellent recipe! It was a hot at work. Cake is light and fluffy with just the right amount of lemon and sugar.
That’s great to hear! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Someone made this cake with 9 inches pan?
Thanks for your reply regarding the thickness of the layers. Although think I was easily able to cut them. The cake is now in the fridge with a crumb coat awaiting its final frost. The only problem I had was with the bavarian cream. It’s a little lumpy but tastes just fine. It was my first time making it so overall I’m pleased. I will be trying some more of your recipes.
The recipe did not work for me. Followed instructions precisely. Could it be my oven? it works with gas. My cake has been in the oven for over an hour. And still is not cooked
Gosh, that seems strange. I haven’t ever used a gas oven, so I’m not sure. But it’s possible.
Hi,
I’ve made this cake twice now – because the first one tasted so good! – but both times the cakes were as flat as an eraser; they didn’t rise. I made them in two different hemispheres and kitchens so it can’t be the ingredients or the ovens that differ from yours. What am I doing wrong?
I should also like to point out that the first time I made this cake it took about 11 hours! It was a two-day process. I’m now already past the two hour mark this second time but haven’t finished. Still have tomake the icing and assemble. I cannot see how this can be done in two hours.
Hmm, hard to say for sure what’s happening without being there, but common issues are not fully creaming the butter and sugar together or over mixing the batter after the flour has been added. I’m sorry if that’s not much help!
I’ll take a look at the times. Thanks for the feedback!
Hello Lindsay!
Thank you for the recipe and I’m about to start!
I’m very new to making cakes, I wonder if I can use soy milk or almond milk instead? and is it okay to bake the cake separately since I only have one 8 inch pan? Thank you!
I haven’t tried those milks, but it should be fine. It’d be a little more ideal to have two pans and only have to do two rounds of baking, but you can try three. I hope you enjoy it!
This cake sounded so fun to make and boy was it ever!! I substituted all lemon juices and zests with orange juices and zests and it was awesome!! Thanks so much for a great recipe!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This lemon cake looks amazing! I would really like to make this recipe, but I only have 9 inch cake pans. Should I still bake three layers? Should I alter the amount of batter by changing the measurments? What is your advice? Thanks.
9 inch cake layers would be pretty thin I think. You could make two cake layers and just have less filling layers. Or you could try doing one and a half recipes worth and make three cake layers with that.
This recipe Was amazing! I did my own variation of Bavarian cream I add corn starch instead. Works like a charm thickens it up nicely and you don’t taste it. I warm up my cream in my saucepan. In a separate bowl mix the sugar, yolks, cornstarch, lemon, vanilla. Once cream is warm temper it Into the yolk mixture add back to pan which on low med heat until thickens. Place in bowl with saran-wrap and place in fridge. I use about 1-2tbsp cornstarch, I also personally like to add a couple more egg yolks and a whole egg. Once cooled I fold in the remainder of the whipped whip cream.Always comes out delicious! I also used a German buttercream for the outside instead of American.
And what brand of whipping cream did u use
Honestly, I most often use the Publix store brand. 🙂
Hi Lindsay! I’m relatively new to your blog, and while I’ve been reading for a little over three months now, this is only the second recipe I have tried so far (the other being your No-Bake Cheesecake). This cake was amazing! I made it for my birthday yesterday, and it turned out perfectly. The cake layers were moist, soft, and tender, wonderfully flavored, and the lemon bavarian cream was like a light, airy lemon mousse! Combined with the lemon curd, everything tasted fabulous together. I did run into a little trouble with cutting the cake layers into two to produce six different layers, but I think this is because they were too thin, as I used 9″ round cake pans instead of 8″ (I baked them for 24 minutes and they were perfect!). I cut one of the three cake layers in half, but it was very crumbly and thin, so I decided not to do the same with the other two (I just went ahead and did a bavarian cream layer, then a lemon curd layer, then placed a whole cake layer atop the lemon curd and layered both bavarian cream and lemon curd beneath the top cake layer). It all worked out in the end, and I was so pleased with it. I decorated it with piped frosting flowers, which is a technique I have never done before, but it turned out beautifully. I’m so glad I decided on this cake! It was a big hit, and I loved it! I can’t wait to try more of your beautiful cake recipes! 🙂
Hi Erin! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cake and the cheesecake! Thank you!
I want to try your cake but I only have salted butter on hand, do you think if I omit the salt it should be Ok?
This cake was a TON of work, but it was delicious. My only complaint with the cake was that it was rather dense, despite following the directions exactly. I usually whip up the egg whites separately to avoid this problem, but the recipe didn’t call for that so I didn’t do it. The flavor is delicious. I would double or even triple the lemon curd amount next time because it was not nearly enough to put a sufficient amount on both of the two layers it had to coat.
Hi, I made this cake yesterday and I’m going to be assembling it tonight. It seems a little crispy around the edges. Is this normal or should I start over. It smells and looks perfect. Thank you.
I don’t know exactly what you’re seeing, but it should be fine.
Hi was wondering if instead of using the buttercream if you could use whipped cream to cover the cake? Have you tried this or know anyone who has? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would be fine.
I am so upset 😞 I made the cake recipe twice followed the instructions precisely and my cakes still turned out so thin it was nearly impossibly to cut in half . I didnt have enough ingrediants to try a 3rd time . I’m sorta had to piece it together. Also the lemon curd curdled first time on me but I found a fool proof way of making sure it didnt split second time around . This cake for me was hard to make but everything else was super easy . Hopefully my mum loves it for her birthday tomorrow here in New Zealand!
I just made this lemon cake for my aunt’s 90th birthday so it had to be perfect! She’s a lovely lady and prefers lemon to chocolate (a head scratcher for me….)
Anyway, I made both the curd and Bavarian cream the night before, and I doubled the curd recipe. The cake batter was very thick and I was a bit wary, but it turned out great! After overnight in the refrig, the Bavarian cream was rather spongy but once on the cake it didn’t matter. I used lemon curd for the top/frosting instead of buttercream, which was wonderful! I piped buttercream flowers to the bottom of the cake and around the edges of the top. Looked and tasted great! Not a crumb left!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello, I am in the process of making the cake and noticed how much powdered sugar is in the buttercream and just wanted to conferm that it is actually 9 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, since it just seems like a lot.
Yes, it’s correct. You can reduce it a bit if you like, but it will make less frosting with a thinner consistency.
hi I’m wondering if this cake can be covered in fondant? or do u have a lemon cake recipe that can be used under fondant as i need it for a bday cake in a weeks time
It’s a fairly tender cake, so if you’re looking for something firm, this might not be ideal.
Hello what about regular 9 in pans
If you make the cake with 6 layers, as shown, 9 inch layers would be a little thin.
Great recipe! How far in advance can you made the Bavarian cream before assembling?
The cream could be made a day or two ahead, if you like. It will firm up in the fridge, but if you give it a good whisking, it’ll smooth back out and you can add it to the cake.
I have just taken the cakes out of the pans. They are very thin ( about 1 inch thick). Is this right or do you think I have a problem with my flour, baking soda or baking powder?
I don’t remember exactly but judging by my photos, that seems about right.
Beautiful cake! Clear directions thank you. I made it today a followed along exactly… and it’s a quarter gobbled up already. Prepped the curd and creme a day ahead. Curd was perfect but the creme set pretty firm and was hard to spread. No effect on the taste thankfully. The curd was so easy, will be my go to for other recipes. So pretty, used square pans.
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the cream will firm up in the fridge, but if you make it again, just give it a really good stir with a whisk and it’ll smooth back out again. 🙂
Is the cake batter supposed to be thicker than most cake recipes?
I’d imagine “most recipes” varies by person and the recipes that they’ve made. I’ve made some that are water-thin and others that are thicker. It varies greatly by recipe. This is on the thicker side, I suppose.
Just made this cake for a 90th birthday. Its delicious!! I’ve never made bavarian cream before and was a bit nervous but the recipe was easy to follow and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe!!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Hi, I tried this recipe and it came out so well. Everyone loved it.. the cake was so soft and a delight to eat.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Ayesha.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
It was real lemons. Could it have been because I didn’t refrigerate it overnight?
That shouldn’t affect the flavor of the frosting. I’m really not sure. Is it possible that you used meyer lemons? Those can have a little different flavor.
This was a fantastic cake! It’s the first I have tried from your blog and it was amazing (Vanilla is next!). I think this is one of my first true “from scratch” cake. I simplified by only making 2 layers of cake with the lemon curd (no Bavarian cream). It turned out like a lemon dream! It was dense and moist but didn’t come across heavy! Definitely wanted a second piece! One thing I did come across was a funny taste in the icing. Can the acidity of lemon turn off the butter? Just wondering. Do you think it’s possible to sub in gluten free flour for these cake recipes? Thank you so much!
I have never had that happen. Did you by any chance use bottle lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice? That would give you a weird flavor. I’ve haven’t tried gluten free flour, but other people have had success.
Ive made this a few timesnow, great sponge and fillings. I like to put my own little spin on it by adding some rum extract to the sponges, and finely chopped mint leaves to the buttercream. I call it a mojito cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Fun! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I was wondering if I could make this into a three tier cake and if I could what size cake pans would I use and could you do a recipe for that
Sure! You would just not cut each of the 3 cake layers in half (in step 26) and alternate the bavarian cream and lemon curd.
Can I make this a three tier cake and if I did would I have to use more ingredients
Sure! You would just not cut each of the 3 cake layers in half (in step 26) and alternate the bavarian cream and lemon curd.
Absolutely fabulous! I made this recipe during Christmas time and all of the extended family loved it. The recipe was easy to follow, although it took me much longer than the recommended time.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed!
Hi Lindsay- Please excuse me but to understand my comments you will need a little backstory. I have been diagnosed with dementia. I am 56. Never learned to bake or cook. One of the things they wanted me to do to keep my brain active was to learn new things. So I started to learn how to bake and cook. This lemon cake was my first layered cake. The recipe was easy to follow. The video was so helpful. Thank you so much for making it easy!! Three hours later I have the curd and the cream in the fridge and the cake in the oven. Like you suggested I am putting it together tomorrow! It was fun and I did not burn the house down!
That’s great Amy! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and found the tutorials helpful!
Can I do this but then cover with fondont to make a themed cake? Im going to do it for me anyway but if I was to make for a friend and decorate it will it be ok?
I honestly don’t work with fondant much. When cold, it’s pretty stable. I hope that helps!
Do you have any tips on how to quickly zest a lemon? I feel like just the zesting part would take me forever. What kind of a tool do you use?
So I don’t use this exact one, but something similar. Zesting definitely can take a bit of time, but it’s definitely worth it for the flavor!
how big was your cake pan?
I used three 8-inch cake pans.
The Most Amazing Lemon Cake Ever!!!! I would encourage anyone to make this cake following the exact recipe, making sure to enjoy the smells along the way. The end product is superb! Thank you for sharing this!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Fabulous cake. My daughter wanted a lemon cake for her birthday and I am so glad I chose this one
Looking forward to baking your Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cake. I made sugared cranberries before, which the family loves, but never thought of using them to decorate with. Thanks
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Hi Lindsay
First off, I wanted to apologize if my question sounds so ignorant. I baked my first lemon cake last night and had no other baking experience. I wanted to know what “pipe a small dam” means. Do I need to cut a hold on the cake since I had to fill the dam?
Thank you
No need to apologize! If you haven’t done it before, you might now know. 🙂 If you look at about the 2:05 mark in the video, you can see where the dam of frosting is piped around the outer edge of the cake layer. You’ll do that to help hold the filling in place. I hope that helps!
Hi Lindsay,
I made your Triple Lemon Cake months ago and found it to be very tangy and the curd to be a little sour. Do you think my lemons were not ripe yet? I would love to make this lemon cake, but I’m worried that it will end up very tart and not sweet.
I personally like my lemon curd a bit tart. You could try adjusting the recipe a bit to reduce the tartness. The other layers are all sweet, not tart.
So far everything has gone great in making the cream and curd. I bake cake tomorrow. Is there any way to make the icing ahead of time? I love your blog so much.
Sure, you could make the lemon buttercream ahead of time.
I want to make the cake but without any frosting for my son lunch box. So while making the cake can I add both yolks and whites or only whites as recommended in the recipe
This recipe calls for egg whites for the lemon cake. My Triple Lemon Cake calls for no eggs. Is this what you are looking for?
Hi!
I am in the processes of making the Bavarian Cream and I am lost reading the steps in regards to thw heavy whipping cream. Recipe calls for 1.75 cups. #5 states to put in .75 cups. #10 states to add in the remaining cup. =1.75. However #11 states to fold in whipped cream, I do not see where it states to make whippped cream or how much.
Also, someone else had asked about making the Bavarian Cream and Curd ahead of time. Should I wait to add the whipped cream until I am ready to assemble the cake?
Please advise! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Dawn! #10 is where you are making the whipped cream. The heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar are whipped to stiff peaks, giving you whipped cream.
Are you referring to the whipped cream in bavarian cream and asking if you should add that when you’re going to assemble the cake? It should be added as the recipe is written. The rest of the ingredients will firm up and you won’t be able to fold in the whipped cream if you were to wait.
I hope that helps!
Hi Lindsay, can I use this cake as a nude wedding cake with lemon butter cream? Also is it stackable? Thanks in advance
I would think it’d be fine as a nude cake. As long as the dams of frosting hold the fillings in place, it should be fine. Do keep in mind that it should be refrigerated and could be softer in the fillings as it comes to room temp. As for a tiered cake, I would think that as long as it’s properly doweled to support everything, it should be fine. Though I will say, this is a soft, tender cake. It’s not super firm, so if you’re looking for something like that, this cake might not be it.
What a beautiful cake! Death by Lemon! Can’t wait to try this beauty over the holidays. Question about the ingredients: You mention cream, cake and curd are made ahead of time and the finished product is refrigerated. Can I make the curd and the cream and freeze them prior to use? Then when my cake is completed, can I freeze this cake for a giveaway? Thank you
I have never frozen the curd or the cream, so I can’t say for sure how they will thaw. I don’t typically recommend freezing entire cakes.
This looks delicious! How far in advance can I make the lemon curd and the Bavarian cream?
The lemon curd and bavarian cream should be ok for a week or two. So if you are going to make the cake and keep it awhile, keep that in mind as you’re thinking through the timing, as well.
Thank you! I made it a few days ahead and it was excellent! Rave reviews 🙂 I did a white chocolate drip and put some wc dipped meringues and lemon curd filled meringue baskets on top and it was fantastic! I will definitely be making it again…and likely stalking
your blog for future bakes.
I’m so glad you liked it! The decorations sound so cute, love it!
Would this recipe work using whole eggs, if so, how many? Thanks
I don’t believe it would work.
Hi Lindsay, I love lemon so I wanted to make this cake. I could not get the cake to set up properly. The bottom layer almost was crushed by the weight of the other cake layers and the Bavarian cream. I don’t think the curd was the issue because that produced 2 very thin filling layers, but the Bavarian cream layers were much thicker as the recipe made quite a bit and when I split it in 3 layers, it turned out very wonky. I had crumb coated it but there was no way I could save it.. The flavors are great, what I ended up doing was kind of making a trifle out of it but of course no layers. It’s quite good this way! I’ll try it again soon and just put much thinner layers of the cream in there. Thanks for sharing your recipes, I’ve made many and they are always delicious!
I’m sorry to hear it gave you trouble, but glad you were able to enjoy it anyway. You could certainly reduce the amount of cream between the layers. Also, be sure your frosting is thick enough so that when you pipe the dam, everything stays in place.
I made this exactly as written for my friend who loves lemon. It was a HUGE hit! I’m not always a big lemon fan, and I thought it was going to be too lemony, but it definitely wasn’t. I really enjoyed it and everyone was impressed!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh man I love lemon and this has me salivating at work! I can’t wait to try this baby!
I hope you enjoy it!
I may be missing something here, but somehow in following the instructions as I save them I only see where you place 5 cake layers. I’ve reread it multiple times, I’ve marked the numbers on my paper and I only see where there are 5 layers of instructions for the cake. However I do see 6 layers in the picture.
So far I see the following:
1. Cake layer
2. 33% Bavarian Cream
3. Cake layer
4. 50% Lemon Curd
5. Cake layer
6. 33% Bavarian Cream
7. Cake layer –
8. 50% Lemon Curd
9. Cake layer -this is the layer you call the “last layer”
10. 33% Bavarian Cream
9. However these last layers of piped dam of frosting and Bavarian cream need to have a top added that has NO lemon curd or Bavarian Cream and no dam piped around it so it can be frosted.
So HERE is where the “LAST LAYER” should go. I think this is what has happened. The last layer in the instructions still has a dam piped on it and the cream being added. This is how it seems to me unless my brain has gone to jelly by this point in the day. I’m sure if actually making this and I have my paws on everything I would just do it. I’ve learned the hard way when having to place a certain percentage of a filling or whatever on layers I evenly divide those BEFORE I begin stacking because if I do it by eye it’s never equal. I either divide in the bowl if I can or actually remove the different portions. As I bake using the Mise en place technique anyway its really no different.
I have updated the recipe to reflect that last layer being added on top. Thanks!
This sounds delicious. I really appreciate your tips about pan size, crust etc.
I like to try a new cake every year at Easter. I’ll test this one out first.
I hope you enjoy it!
Hi Lindsay! This cake looks amazing—I will be trying it soon! I have made a few of your cakes and have done a lot of practicing with the icing. I have been pleased with how they turn out right after I finish (the icing is smooth and looks great!). But within a half hour or so, I already begin to see bulges on the side from the icing in between the cake layers. I have watched your tutorials on consistency and how to ice a cake and follow them closely, but this seems to be a consistent problem with the cakes I have made. Its disappointing to have a cake turn out beautiful and then look like its bulging on the sides so quickly! Any advice? Thank you! 🙂
I’m sorry you’ve had that trouble. If your frosting consistency is correct, you shouldn’t end up with bulges between the layers. Is it possible that you’re getting air pockets? Those can create bulges as well.
Your cakes are so beautiful! What is your trick for getting such clean cuts where you can still see each distinct layer in the slice? Is there a certain type of knife that you use? It’s near perfection!
I wish I had a good secret. A good, sharp knife helps. I also wipe off the blade between cuts.
You can add unflavored toothpicks or cocktail sticks, sticks in The middle of The hight of The cake around it and cut along them. Fairly leveled layers by that
Hi Lindsay, thank you for this recipe I love anything lemon. Wow time sure does fly that the boys are already 6 months old. So happy to hear you all are doing well. My grand daughter is now 7 months old they are so cute at this age. I love all your recipes as you know and your beautiful cakes. But, I need to make a plain chocolate no bake cheesecake and everyone I looked at have german chocolate topping or some other added something my family just want a chocolate one with nothing else of course I would drizzle it or top it with whipped cream couldn’t bring myself to make just a plain one lol. But, as far a the cheesecake goes I would do it just chocolate like they want if I knew a good recipe. Do you happen to have one? Thank you so much for all your wonderful desserts, have a wonderful trip with your family.
It’s definitely such a fun age! I actually don’t have a no bake chocolate cheesecake, but I have added it to my list of things to work on. Thanks Debbie!
I love lemon ???? It’s beautiful, can’t wait to try it!
I hope you enjoy it!
What is powdered gelatin? Where do yo purchase this type of gelatin?
Thank You,
Eileen
This is the one I use. I buy it in the grocery store, but you could also find it on Amazon.
Heather
She cut each cake in half and then layered it. 🙂
Hi
With what cream should I cover the cake? With bavarian or buttercream?
I used buttercream.
I’m not one for hyperbole, but this sponge looks amazingly
light and delicious. Love the use of ???? .
The combination of lemon curd and bavarian cream just right,also many thanks for the metric conversion,which due to living in the Mediterranean island of????????????????Cyprus makes life easier .
Hi Lindsay,
Is there any way to make the bavarian cream without gelatin or with a substitute like agar agar?
Thanks!
Sabrina
I’m not familiar with agar agar to be able to say if that works. I’m only sure of the gelatin, I’m sorry!
I used pectin ( plant base gelatine) and it worked out with the exact texture of the video. I’m sure agar agar would work fine as well
This looks awesome!
The cake layers must get cut after baking?? I’m not seeing that in your instructions. You say to use 3 cake pans but you end up with 6 layers.
See step 26
I want to try this but I have a question. I’m I cutting the three layers so that I have six?
Yes, that’s correct.
I love this recipe it was so awesome everybody loved it for pictures of my cake I made using this amazing receipe go to @nikkiandjazzysevents
Thank you Lindsay
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Thanks for another great cake, Lindsay. This is a keeper! Lemon is so light and refreshing.
I’ll have to try this soon. Thanks for the update on the boys–six months old, Wow time sure does fly. I have a new born grandson with me and he is just a joy. Enjoy the boys! Have fun on your excursion.