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Triple Lemon Layer Cake

Triple Lemon Layer Cake
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Perfect For Easter – Or Any Celebration

A while back, while visiting a local Farmer’s Market (who doesn’t love a Farmer’s Market?), I bought this lovely jar of lemon curd. I had no idea what I was going to use it for, it was just so pretty and sounded wonderful…sweet and tart and creamy…so I bought it. And into my pantry it went, to be picked up, moved around, and forgotten about multiple times.

Lemon Curd
Lemon Curd

But last weekend, while trying to decide on a sweet Easter treat to make and share, I remembered the luscious sweet and decided to make my Triple Lemon Layer Cake using the jar of lemon curd instead of lemon cream. A perfect way to make a beautiful cake with less fuss and time.

When Life Gives You Lemons…

This moist, bright lemon cake is the perfect platform for the thick, creamy custard-like curd, and it is topped off with a fluffy lemon buttercream. Whoa! That’s a load of lemon love!

“In all my work, I try to say – ‘You may be given a load of sour lemons, why not try to make a dozen lemon meringue pies?'” – Maya Angelou

The secret to the tender cake (besides the lemon) is the addition of sour cream for extra moistness! I used cake flour, but you can certainly use all purpose flour instead (just decrease the amount of flour by 1/4 cup). Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Then add sour cream and mix until smooth and creamy.

Pour into two 8-inch pans and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Once the cakes have cooled, split each layer in half. There are several gadgets to make splitting the layers easier, but you can easily use toothpicks to mark the middle of the layers and then follow along the line carefully.

Cake Layers

Put one layer on your serving plate. Pipe a ring of lemon buttercream around the outer edge to keep the lemon curd from coming out the sides as seen in the example below. Spoon half your jar of curd inside the buttercream ring and spread evenly.

Piping Buttercream
Pipe a ring of buttercream to hold in your filling

Place the second cake layer on top. Frost this layer with the buttercream. Place the next cake layer on top of the frosting. Repeat with another ring of buttercream and lemon curd. Place the final layer on top, then frost the entire cake as normal.

Of course, you could make your own lemon curd. It’s not difficult, but it is time consuming, and since I am all about keeping it simple as often as I can, this semi-homemade option was a great decision!

Triple Lemon Layer Cake
Our Triple Lemon Layer Cake – Decorated for Easter

Give this sweet-tart of a cake a try…it’s pretty, simple, and delicious! And let me know in the comments if you do, or share your favorite cake flavors with us! And if you’re not already a subscriber, don’t leave without signing up so you won’t miss any more of the good stuff!

Until next time, keep A Slice of Spice in your life!

Triple Lemon Layer Cake
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Michele

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Triple Lemon Layer Cake

Triple Lemon Layer Cake

A moist, tart lemon cake filled with tangy lemon curd and fluffy lemon buttercream.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Author Michele

Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups cake flour or 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 jar lemon curd 12-14 ounces

Lemon Buttercream

  • 2 cups unsalted butter – softened
  • 9 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tsp lemon zest
  • 4 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cake

  1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.

  2. Add eggs, oil and lemon juice and mix until smooth.  Add sour cream and mix until smooth and cream.  Pour batter evenly into cake pans.

  3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until center springs back when touched. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to completely cool on wire rack.

  4. Divide cake into four layers by splitting each cake in half horizontally.

Lemon Buttercream

  1. With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy – about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, and zest with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick.

Assembling the Cake

  1. Place first cake layer on serving plate.  Pipe a ring of buttercream around the out edge to hold in the lemon curd.  Spoon half of the curd into the center of the buttercream ring and spread evenly.  Place the second cake layer on top.

  2. Frost the second layer with buttercream.  Place the third cake layer on top.

  3. Pipe a ring of buttercream around outer edge of third layer.  Spoon the remainder of the lemon curd into the center of the buttercream ring and spread evenly.

  4. Top with fourth cake layer and then frost entire cake with the remaining buttercream. 



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