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Tangy, easy lemon layer cake topped with zesty lemon curd and creamy cream cheese frosting.
For quite a while I’ve been wanting to bake pound cake batter in cake layer pans. I was so curious how it would turn out.
Then, recently, my Sister In Law told me about a delicious, zesty lemon curd recipe. Along with cream cheese frosting, my niece had used this lemon curd to top a layer cake and the cake was just divine.
So, I said to myself, “why not make lemon pound cake layers and top them with this amazing lemon curd and cream cheese frosting”? And guess what, I did it and it tasted like it was sent down from above.
So, when life gives you lemons, make lemon cake and curd and always top with cream cheese frosting.
Tools Used In Lemon Curd Layer Cake
- Lemon (Citrus) Juicer
- Lemon Zester
- Sieve
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Dry Ingredient Measuring Cups
- Liquid Ingredient Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- 2 (10) inch round cake layer pans
- 3 (9) inch round cake layer pans
Ingredients In Lemon Curd
- eggs
- sugar
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- fresh lemon juice – not from the bottle, squeezed from a lemon.
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
Ingredients in Simple Lemon Pound Cake
- all purpose flour – I sifted my flour
- granulated sugar
- butter room – room temperature
- eggs separated – room temperature
- buttermilk – room temperature
- salt
- baking soda
- lemon extract
- grated lemon peel
Ingredients In Cream Cheese Frosting
- cream cheese – room temperature
- butter – room temperature
- powdered sugar
- milk – optional, for thinning the frosting
- vanilla extract
For the cake and frosting the cream cheese, butter and milk need to be at room temperature. This makes combining your ingredients so much easier. It can also effect the degree to which the cake layers rise.
Pound Cake Layer Cake
As I said above, I have been wanting to make cake layers with pound cake batter. I wondered if it would come out as rich, moist and as dense as regular pound cake or would it be just like a regular layer cake.
I discovered that by baking this lemon buttermilk pound cake recipe in cake layer pans, that, yes, it was like pound cake and that, no, it was not like pound cake.
The richness and moistness of a regular pound cake were present, but the full denseness of a pound cake was missing. There was still density to these pound cake layers. They were more dense than most regular cake layers, but I missed the heavy density of a regular pound cake.
Despite the lack of density, I was really pleased with how this lemon pound cake layer cake came out. It was rich, moist and easy to stack and put together. Because of this, I will be doing pound cake layer cakes again and in more delicious flavors.
Convert Pound Cake To Layer Cake
So, can you just put pound cake batter in layer pans, bake and all will be just fine? This is what I did and it worked out just fine.
However, as I researched baking pound cake in layer cake pans, I learned there are concerns about the batter not fully cooking in the middle and it burning on the edges.
Though, this is a concern, there are several posts of pound cake layer cakes that came out stunningly beautiful and, I’m sure, delicious. So, from my positive experience and these other successful pound cake layer cake posts, I’m feeling really good about converting a pound cake to a layer cake.
Simple Lemon Curd Recipe
Confession time, I’m so scared to make custards and curds. Oh how this intimidates me. I’m just so afraid they will not thicken and end up a runny mess. Anyone else have this fear factor?
However, after making this easy lemon curd recipe, I feel a little silly that I was so intimidated. With just six ingredients it was so effortless to make and it quickly became a thick lemon curd recipe. No standing over the stove and whisking for hours. This thickened and was ready in 5 minutes.
Most importantly, the flavor was so zesty and spectacular. Seriously, a lemon bomb of flavor that matched perfectly with the lemon layer cake with cream cheese frosting.
How To Use Lemon Curd
After making this enticing lemon layer cake with lemon curd, I knew lemon curd was just delectable on cake, but what else could you do with lemon curd? Well friends, this post from Food52 answered my question by listing 11 ways to use lemon curd. Here’s their list:
- Serve with crepes
- Spread on toast, crumpets, muffins, pancakes…
- Swirl into breakfast buns
- Bake into flaky pastries
- Make lemon bars
- Turn into a tart
- Make brighter bread pudding
- Fold into whipping cream
- Sandwich some cookies
- Use in a cake
- Add to ice cream
Try This Simple Lemon Curd Cake Today
This might not be the quickest cake you’ll ever make, but it is easy and is made with simple ingredients. Most of all, you’ll love the enticing, sharp, tangy, zesty flavor of this lemon cake with lemon curd filling and cream cheese frosting.
In case you have any queries regarding the recipe feel free to reach out via the comment section or the contact page. Also, if you have tried this recipe, I would love to hear about your experiences.
I have linked to our related recipes below and I’m sure you will love them.
More Homemade Lemon Cake Recipes
- Zesty Lemon Pound Cake With Frosting
- Lemon Cream Cheese Loaf Cake
- Mama’s Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake
- Deep South Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Cake Pie – Cake & Pie Together, Oh My
Lemony Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Curd
Lemony Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Curd
Equipment
- Sieve to strain curd
- Liquid Ingredient Measuring Cups
- 2 (10) inch Cake Pans Round see notes below
- 3 (9) inch Cake Pans Round see notes below
Ingredients
Ingredients In Simple Lemon Curd
- 3 eggs
- â…“ cup sugar
- 1 grated zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients In Easy Lemon Pound Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 6 eggs separated at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1.5 – 3 tsp lemon extract depends on how lemony you like it
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
Ingredients In Simple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 6 – 8 Tbsp butter room temperature
- â…“ or more cup powdered sugar how cream cheesy do you want it? see notes below.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Instructions For Simple Lemon Curd
- Whisk eggs, sugar and lemon zest together in a medium saucepan well.3 eggs, â…“ cup sugar, 1 grated zest of 1 lemon
- Add lemon juice and butter and cook over medium heat while whisking constantly. Do this until the mixture is thick and simmers for a few seconds.½ cup fresh lemon juice, 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Set a mesh sieve over a bowl and using a fork or spatula, scrape the curd through.
- Add vanilla extract½ tsp vanilla extract
- Let it cool before you put it on the cake.
- To cool, cover and refrigerate. When cooling the lemon curd, make sure the foil or plastic wrap touches the top of the curd. This stops a skin from forming over the top.
- After the curd and cake layers have cooled you will put all or part of the lemon curd on the bottom cake layer.
Instructions For Easy Lemon Pound Cake Layers
- Cream sugar and butter until they are light and fluffy. Should be lighter in color and less gritty.3 cups sugar, 1 cup butter
- Add egg yolks one at a time. Beat each egg well before adding the next.6 eggs
- Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk3 cups all purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 cup buttermilk
- Beat egg whites until stiff and add to mixture
- Add lemon extract and lemon peel1.5 – 3 tsp lemon extract, 1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
- Preheat oven to 325°
- Grease and flour pans or spray with Bakers Joy.
- Pour batter into 2 (10) inch round cake layer pans or 3 (9) inch round cake layer pans (please see notes below).
- Bake between 30 and 45 minutes, checking regularly. It will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or with dry crumbs.
- Let the layers cool for 10 – 15 minutes and release. I ran a knife along the outside of my layers to help them release.
- Let the layers completely cool. Spread lemon curd on top of the bottom layer and add the top cake layer. Spread cream cheese frosting on top of the top cake layer.
Instructions For Simple Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cream cheese and butter well.8 ounces cream cheese, 6 – 8 Tbsp butter
- Add powdered sugar and cream well.â…“ or more cup powdered sugar
- Add vanilla extract1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add milk if needed to think frosting.
- Spread over the top of the top cake layer once the layers are completely cooled.