My in-laws have a lemon tree that grows grapefruit-sized lemons, and they’re always looking for ways to use them before the end of the season. What better way to use lemons than by making a lemon layer cake? If you have leftover lemons, or just want a a taste of summer, then look no further!
When I started experimenting with cake recipes, I wanted something that’s refreshing and light, but has a punch of lemon. This cake checks those boxes, while also providing a rich and tangy flavor from the cream cheese frosting.
Hopefully you enjoy this cake as much as us. Let me know how it tastes!
Lemon Layer Cake
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Loading...Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (4 oz) plain 0% Greek yogurt*
- 1 ½ (310g) cups sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup (180ml) milk**
- ½ cup (120ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2-3 lemons)***
- 1 batch of lemon curd
- 1 batch of cream cheese frosting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).
Prepare 2 9-inch round baking pans by spraying pans with cooking spray and dusting with flour to lightly coat all sides of the pan. Be sure to shake off excess flour.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand-held mixer), combine the butter, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides. Add eggs and beat for another minute.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until just incorporated.
Add all of the milk/lemon mixture to the batter and mix until just combined. Then, stir in the remaining dry ingredients, making sure not to over mix.
Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove pans from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before removing cakes from the pan. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling and frosting.
Assembly:
1. If the tops of the cakes are uneven, level the cakes by removing part of the rounded top.
2. Using a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner cut off, pipe a border of frosting along the edge of the bottom cake layer. This will help to prevent the lemon curd from seeping out the sides of the cake.
3. Pour the lemon curd inside the piped border and spread to cover the bottom layer of the cake.
4. Top with the other cake layer and cover with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
Notes
*Whole Greek yogurt will be too thick, so I recommend 0% or 2% fat. I haven’t tested dairy-free yogurt, but I’m sure a plain, unsweetened version would taste great.
**I used whole milk, but any milk will work (unsweetened almond or coconut milk, skim milk, etc.)
***I recommend buying 1-2 more lemons than you think you’ll need. You can always use leftovers in another dish!
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