Lemon Curd Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
We love this lemon cake with lemon curd and cream cheese frosting because it looks impressive but is actually very low effort. It’s a single-layer cake, so there’s no stacking, trimming, or fancy decorating required. Just bake the lemon sponge, spread the frosting generously on top, swirl on some lemon curd, and suddenly you have…
We love this lemon cake with lemon curd and cream cheese frosting because it looks impressive but is actually very low effort. It’s a single-layer cake, so there’s no stacking, trimming, or fancy decorating required. Just bake the lemon sponge, spread the frosting generously on top, swirl on some lemon curd, and suddenly you have a bakery-worthy lemon dessert ready to share or enjoy yourself.
Pull Up A Chair
Rachel: I love that this cake feels fancy but is actually really easy. No stacking layers, no complicated decorating.
Emily: The lemon curd swirl is the best part. You get little pops of intense lemon flavor in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Curd Cake
- Single-layer cake – no need to bake additional cake rounds, and no stacking or trimming required.
- Bright lemon flavor – by using both lemon juice and zest in the cake, plus lemon in the frosting and lemon curd on top, this cake is full of tangy citrus flavor.
- Super moist crumb – the sour cream in the cake keeps it super light and fluffy.
- Tangy cream cheese frosting – the frosting adds creaminess and additional tang without being overwhelmingly sweet.
- Lemon curd swirl for extra citrus notes – just to drive the lemon flavor home, this cake is topped with a swirl of lemon curd (use homemade lemon curd for extra fresh flavor).
- Beginner-friendly baking recipe – there are no complicated steps to this recipe, and no challenging decorating either, making this a great dessert for beginner bakers.
Quick Recipe Snapshot
- Skill level: Beginner-friendly
- Pan needed: 9 inch round cake pan (can use 8 inch, but it’ll be thicker/taller; may need to adjust cooking time)
- Time commitment: About 1 hour total (plus cooling time)
- Special equipment: Hand mixer or whisk
- Flavor: Bright, tangy lemon with creamy frosting
- Decorating level: Super simple. Just frost the top of the cake and swirl on the lemon curd.
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is a thick, creamy spread made with eggs, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and sometimes lemon zest. It’s closer to a custard than a jam, but more spreadable like softened butter. You can find it at many grocery stores, but it’s also super easy to make yourself, especially if you use a double boiler, which is our preferred method. To see how we make it, check out our homemade lemon curd recipe.
Before You Start (Quick Things to Know)
Ingredients in the Best Lemon Cake You’ll Ever Eat
- Dry ingredients – all purpose flour (no need to use cake flour; this cake is pretty forgiving), salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Wet ingredients – granulated sugar, melted (and cooled) butter, lemon juice and lemon zest, whole milk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Cream cheese frosting – cream cheese (use a block instead of a tub), butter (if using unsalted, you might want to add a pinch of salt to the frosting), powdered sugar, and lemon zest.
- Lemon curd – use store-bought or homemade lemon curd.
How to Make Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd and Cream Cheese Frosting
Prepare the oven and cake pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
Make the cake batter. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda) in a bowl and set aside. To a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and the lemon zest and rub together with your fingers. This helps infuse the sugar with lemon flavor. Using a whisk or handheld mixer, mix the melted butter into the sugar and lemon zest, then mix in the milk and sour cream. Mix in the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Finally, mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix or it’ll make your cake gummy.
Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the cake pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting and finish the cake. Beat together the frosting ingredients with a handheld mixer until smooth. Frost the top of the cake, then dollop on spoonfuls of lemon curd on top of the frosting and swirl them in.
Our Tips for Single Layer Lemon Curd Cake
Serving and Storage Suggestions
We love to serve this Lemon cake with lemon curd and cream cheese frosting after a light spring or summer meal. It’s a great way to celebrate bright, fresh flavor. If you want to really punch up your lemon experience, enjoy this single layer lemon cake for dessert after eating a plateful of Roasted Vegetable Couscous with Lemon Vinaigrette for dinner.
To store this lemon curd cake, because it has a cream cheese frosting and lemon curd on top, both of which need to be refrigerated, it’s best to keep this cake refrigerated. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a couple of days, but any longer and it will get dense and potentially dried out.
Make Ahead Ideas
If you’re planning on making this cake for a party or another occasion ahead of time, bake the cake first, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. The cake can be left at room temperature for a day or two until you’re ready to frost it. The frosting can be made a day or two ahead of time. Just refrigerate the frosting, then let it soften at room temperature for about 20 minutes before frosting the cake. Once frosted and topped with curd, serve the cake immediately.
FAQs: Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd and Frosting
Lemon Curd Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled; (about 187g)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup whole milk room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Lemon Curd Swirl
- 6 tbsp lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda) in a bowl and set aside.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda
- To a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and the lemon zest and rub together with your fingers to infuse the sugar with lemon flavor.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp lemon zest
- Using a whisk or handheld mixer, mix the melted butter into the sugar and lemon zest, then mix in the milk and sour cream, then the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla.¼ cup lemon juice, ½ cup butter, melted and cooled, ⅓ cup whole milk, ⅓ cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla
- Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Be careful not to overmix or it’ll make your cake gummy.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest with a handheld mixer until smooth.8 oz cream cheese, 4 tbsp butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tbsp lemon zest
- Frost the top of the cake, then dollop on spoonfuls of lemon curd on top of the frosting and swirl them in.6 tbsp lemon curd
Final Thoughts
This lemon cake with lemon curd and cream cheese frosting is super simple to put together but looks like something you’d find in a bakery window and tastes even better. If you’re just getting started baking, or even if you’re a seasoned baker but want to make something that’s super easy and tastes like spring, this is a great recipe for you. If you do make it, we’d love to hear from you in a comment below, or tag us on Instagram to let us know how it turned out!
Got a Sweet Tooth? Check Out These Desserts Too!
- Our quick and easy Dessert Quesadillas with Strawberries and Nutella
- This Easy Cranberry Orange Loaf Cake for another citrus cake option!
- These Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies, which are a chocolate lover’s dream!
- These boozy, adults-only Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting, which are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or whenever you want something a little special.
