Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake

For for those of you who have visited Feasting is Fun before, you will be very aware of my love affair with lemons. I absolutely adore not only their tart, intense flavour, but also their ability to transform a sweet or savoury dish. After using lemon curd to create my Lemon Ripple Ice Cream, I decided to use it in a bake. Specifically this delightful Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake.

A wonderfully moist, damp cake, the lemon curd injects a wonderful tartness in the centre that is balanced by the lemon swirled buttercream on top.

If you love lemons, then I’ll guarantee this Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake will delight you!

Baked as a whole cake, that is then cut in two, this refreshingly flavoured cake is simple to make and decorate.

I was sent a new cake tin to try out, so I decided on this Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake. The cake batter has both finely grated lemon zest and lemon extract oil in it. I’ve given an alternative for the oil in the recipe, although I do recommend buying some if you can. It brings another level of lemonyness to the cake and unlike fresh lemon juice, does not cause any curdling of the cake batter or buttercream.

Lemons have such a sunny yellow colour that they really do bring the sunshine indoors whatever the weather!

Recipe: Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake serves 8-10

You will need an 8″/20cm diameter cake tin that is 3″/7.5cm deep

275g/10oz Unsalted Butter – plus a little extra for greasing

275g/10oz Caster Sugar

1tsp Lemon Oil – I use Nielsen-Massey

6 Large Free Range Eggs

275g/10oz Self Raising Flour (if using plain add 2tsp baking powder)

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon Sea Salt

Grated Zest of 1 Whole Lemon

4-5tbsp Lemon Curd – I use Waitrose luxury lemon curd – make sure you pick a tart one

For the icing:

100g/4oz Unsalted Butter

200g/7oz Sifted Icing Sugar

1/2tsp Lemon Oil – or 1tbsp Lemon Curd

2tbsp Very Hot Water from a kettle

Optional – Sprinkles and edible glitter

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3

• Grease with butter and line the base of the cake tin with baking parchment. I was  testing a new PushPan. I still greased and lined the tin.
• Into a large bowl add the butter, salt and sugar.
• Whisk/beat until pale and creamy.
• Add all 6 eggs (I crack mine into a separate bowl first) and the lemon oil/substitute with 1tbsp of lemon curd if no lemon oil is available.
• Sift in the self raising flour.
• Mix on a low speed until just combined.
• Add the finely grated zest of one whole lemon.
• Mix the cake batter until just smooth – I do this by hand using a spoon.
• Spoon the Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake batter into the cake tin and smooth the top.

• Place the cake tin into the centre of the oven and bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes. The cake is baked when an inserted skewer comes out clean. My cake took 1 hour 15 minutes to bake.
• Once the cake is baked remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the cake tin.

• When the cake is cold remove from the tin.
• With the PushPan tin I used, I simply popped the pan on to a tin of beans and pressed the sides down. The cake released from the tin very easily.

Making the lemon buttercream:

• Into a large bowl add the softened butter, sifted icing sugar, lemon oil or curd and 2 tablespoons of hot water.
• Whisk slowly at first, increasing in speed as the icing sugar is absorbed. Continue whisking on high for a couple more minutes until you have a pale, creamy, light buttercream.
• Scoop the buttercream into a disposable piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip.
• Carefully cut the cake in half horizontally, so that it becomes a sandwich cake.
• Spoon enough lemon curd on to the bottom layer to cover it generously.

• Place the top of the cake back on and pipe six buttercream swirls around the edge and one in the centre of the cake.

• Add sprinkles and edible glitter (if using) and your Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake is ready to be sliced and served.

I do love a slice of cake for Sunday afternoon tea, or any day of the week afternoon tea, when the cake is this good!

I honestly think the pictures in this post speak for themselves. This Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake bursts with lemony yellowness once cut and tastes absolutely perfect. The soft buttercream and tart lemon curd, with a deliciously moist lemon cake.

Today will not be the only time I make this cake!!

If you have enjoyed the recipe for this Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake here are some others you may also enjoy:

Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemony Strawberry Pavlova

Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

 

Whilst this Loveliest Lemon Curd Cake looks pretty with the buttercream swirls, it really is the layers of lemon flavour that make this cake so enticing.

Whatever you are making and baking in your kitchen this weekend I hope that you are having fun. As I popped a couple of slices of this yummy cake over the back fence to our neighbours, almost blinded by the glitter sparkling in the sunlight, I was reminded of how much I simply enjoy sharing.

Baking for my family, friends, neighbours, postman and postlady, random delivery drivers, makes me feel good. Why?? Because it puts a smile on someones face. The heart of this blog is to share, enjoy feasting with people and have fun whilst doing so.

There is no price to making someone smile.

Who will you make smile this week?

Sammie xx