×
Lemon Curd Cake | DonalSkehan.com, A sweet sponge cake with a tangy lemon curd filling!
  • desserts-baking

Lemon Curd Cake

March 26

This lemon sponge is light, airy and so moist because of the tangy lemon curd and creamy buttercream filling. This recipe, was inspired by a lemon cake I was treated to by the nuns at Kylemore Abbey and it’s hard to beat.

  • serves Serves 8
  • time 45 mins

Method

  1. 1. For the lemon curd, place the sugar, cornflour and 450ml/2 cups water in a large saucepan and stir until you have a smooth mixture. Stir in the lemon juice, egg yolks and salt. Place over a medium heat and keep stirring while the mixture boils, for about 10–12 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and butter until the butter has melted, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. 2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line two 21cm/8" springform tins. In a standalone mixer, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until pale and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs one by one before adding the vanilla extract and lemon juice.
  3. 3. Using a spatula, fold in the flour and baking powder until you have a smooth mixture. Use a little bit of the milk if you need to loosen the mixture. You want the mixture to be a bit loose.
  4. 4. Divide the mixture into the two springform tins, flatten the top with a spatula if needed. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until it's nice and golden. When the bases are cooked, take them out and let cool for a few minutes before you take it out of the tin to cool completely.
  5. 5. While the bases are cooling prepare the buttercream filling by beating the butter and vanilla extract together in a bowl until light and fluffy then add the icing sugar, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
  6. 6. To assemble the cake, spread some lemon curd on one of the bases before topping with buttercream, then add the second base and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Ingredients

For the sponge:

2 sticks of butter

1 cup caster sugar

4 large free-range eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

About 3 tbsp of milk to loosen batter

For the buttercream:

2 3/4 sticks butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups plus 1 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

For the lemon curd filling (or 2 cups store bought lemon curd):

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1/4 cup cornflour (corn starch)

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)

4 large free-range egg yolks

A pinch of salt

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

1/2 stick butter

To Finish:

Dusting of icing sugar

For the sponge:

225g butter

225g caster sugar

4 large free-range eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

210g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

About 3 tbsp of milk to loosen batter

For the buttercream:

300g butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

520g icing sugar, sifted

For the lemon curd filling (or 2 cups store bought lemon curd):

300g caster sugar

50g cornflour (corn starch)

120ml lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)

4 large free-range egg yolks

A pinch of salt

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

60g butter

To Finish:

Dusting of icing sugar

 

You'll Need

Large saucepan

2 x 21 cm/8″ springform tins

Standalone mixer