Lemon cream cake recipe

This lemon cream cake is easy to make and perfect for sharing with friends and family.

Compared to our lemon drizzle cake, this bake is a little indulgent at over 500 calories per portion but it is incredibly delicious and easy to make. The fresh cream filling elevates the humble lemon sponge to a decadent treat worthy of dessert or as part of an afternoon tea. 

Ingredients

• 250g (8oz) butter, softened
• 250g (8oz) caster sugar
• 250g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 3 medium eggs
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

For the syrup:

• 50g caster sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons

For the filling and topping:

• 150ml  double cream
• 6 level tbsp lemon curd

Method

1. Set the oven to 160C (140C fan, Gas 3). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin. To make the cake, tip the butter, sugar, flour and eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth then beat in the lemon zest.
2. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface. Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes or until the sponge feels firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean after being inserted into the centre of the cake.
3. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Pour 4tbsp of water into a pan and add the sugar. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and boil it rapidly for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice.
4. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup over it. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, cut in half to make two thinner sponges.
5. To prepare the filling and topping, pour the cream into a bowl and whisk until it starts to thicken. Add 4 level tbsp of the lemon curd to the cream and continue whisking until it's thickened. Use some to sandwich the cakes together and spread the rest on top of the cake.
6. Put the remaining lemon curd in the piping bag and cut off the end of the bag to give a small hole. Pipe random lines over the top of the lemon cream. Keep the cake chilled until ready to serve.

Top tips for making lemon cream cake

Feeling confused about what the best cream is to make this cake? Perhaps you want tips on how to make the cake dairy free. Continue reading below for all the information you need. 

This recipe makes a large quantity of cake batter and you might prefer using a stand mixer instead of a large bowl and electric hand whisk. If you’re looking for inspiration, Food Editor Jessica Dady wrote a glowing KitchenAid Stand Mixer review.

KitchenAid Mixer Design Series 4.7l Blossom Artisan - View at KitchenAid

The colour of the stand mixer is very chic and we love the detailed hammered copper mixing bowl. This stand mixer comes with four stainless steel mixing accessories to make light work of all your baking endeavours. There are 10 speeds and it comes with a five year guarantee. 

If you fancy some more citrusy bakes, try our lemon pound cake recipe which uses cream cheese in the batter. You might also like our lemon cake with poppy seeds which looks spectacular once sliced or our lemon curd cake is the ultimate crowd pleaser.