The Most Delicious Lemon Bar Cake
Lemon Bar Cake – lemon cake layers baked on a shortbread crust, filled with lemon curd and topped with a lemon buttercream.
Is it Springtime Yet?
This winter is proving to be a long one and even though spring is supposed to officially start in just a couple weeks, I’m doubtful it will really come. We’ve had so much snow and so many freezing cold days this winter. And just when you think it’s over with the arrival of blue skies and 55 degree weather, winter comes back with a vengeance. It hit hard again last week for a couple days and I couldn’t help but dream of springtime… and spring baking. Flavor combinations started flooding my head and the one that seemed most appropriate was a cake inspired by lemon bars.
Lemon Bars
Why lemon bars, you ask? Well, this past weekend was my mom’s 60th birthday and she’s a huge fan of lemon bars. She actually makes the most delicious lemon bars and I’ve been eager to get another lemon cake recipe on the blog for a while. It seemed like the perfect inspiration for a new cake.
Plus, a few months ago, my brothers, sister and I decided to surprise my mom with US for her birthday! Yup, the four of us together would be our big gift to her. But I didn’t want to show up empty handed, and we all know that every birthday needs a cake… so, it was the perfect time to try out this new recipe.
Lemon Bar Cake
This cake has all the makings of a lemon bar, but in cake form, of course. I started with a shortbread crust that you’ll bake on it’s own for about 8 minutes. I then added a lemon cake on top of the crust. This lemon cake is so divine and would be equally delicious without the crust if you wanted to just have a basic lemon cake.
I’ve filled the inside with a lemon curd and lemon buttercream.
I realize that sounds like a lot of lemon, but trust me, it all blends so beautifully that it doesn’t feel over powdering. Plus, the savory shortbread crust is the perfect contrast to the tartness and sweetness of the rest of the cake.
I was able to share this cake with friends and family and it’s been a hit all around!
Tips:
- Make the lemon curd a few days in advance.
- Make sure not to put too much curd in between the layers so it doesn’t lose stability. Instead, use only about ¼ to ⅓ cup curd in the cake and serve extra on the side of each slice.
- Make sure to use a sharp knife to cut the cake.
Enjoy!
Lemon Bar Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons (169.5 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.8 g) Kosher salt
FOR THE CAKE
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
- 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz.) instant lemon pudding mix
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 12 tablespoons (169.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup (300 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) lemon extract
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
- Yellow food coloring optional
FOR THE LEMON CURD
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) grated lemon zest one large lemon
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 3 large eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons (56.5 g) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
FOR THE LEMON FROSTING
- 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) lemon extract
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of salt
- Yellow food coloring optional
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
Instructions
FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line each pan with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy. Stir in the salt and flour. If the mixture is too crumbly, you can add another tablespoon of butter.
- Evenly divide the shortbread cookie crumbs into each cake pan (about 8 ounces in the 8-inch pans or 6 ounces in the 6-inch pans). Using the back of a spoon, press the shortbread cookie crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
Bake for about 6 minutes. Will be light in color. Let cool while you make the cake batter.
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a medium size bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites and add the lemon extract. Set aside.
- In another medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and pudding mix together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches, mixing until well combined, about two minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the batter has been incorporated. Continue to beat the batter on medium-high speed until smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Fold in food coloring, if using.
- Divide batter evenly among your pans, right on top of the shortbread crust, about 16 oz of batter in each 8-inch pan or 12 oz in each 6-inch pan.
- Bake the cakes (on the shortbread crust) until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs inserted into the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting them onto cooling racks to cool completely. The cake will stick to the shortbread crust and flip out of the pan together.
FOR THE LEMON CURD
- Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
- Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream, salt and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes.
- Use wooden spoon to beat the frosting by hand for about 2 minutes to push out any air pockets.
ASSEMBLY
- Spread a small dollop of buttercream onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cake layer and pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling. Spread about 1/4 cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.
- Place a second cake layer on top of the piped buttercream and filling and repeat step 2. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
- Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the buttercream.
- Finish buttercream and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve a spoonful of the remaining lemon curd with each slice of cake.
- The cake can be stored in the freezer for about a week, in an airtight container. Give the cake about 8 hours to return to room temperature before serving.
Can’t wait to try this! I’m assuming that you pour the batter on top of the previously baked shortbread layer? Not to be dumb but I wasn’t clear on this part.
Yes that’s correct.
I can’t wait to try this cake because I love lemon anything! When you cook the shortbread for 8 minutes, do you add the cake batter on top and cook it until the cake is done or do you crumble the shortbread after the thin layer of frosting and adding the curd? Thank you!
You cook the cake batter on top of the shortbread crust.
This looks delicious! I’m a little confused though as to where you combine the shortbread and the cake layers – do you bake the cake on top of the shortbread after it’s had its initial 8 minute bake or are you stacking both elements (fully baked) as you build your cake?
Make and bake the crust first and leave it in the pan. Put the batter on top of that and bake as usual.
I’ve not tried this recipe, but a similar one (cookie cake, 5 stars) and OH MY GOSH. The contrast in textures compliment each other perfectly.
I’m so glad you like it!
Hi! Can I use 3 6 in pans for this recipe?
Looks good, and I’ll have to try! Any ideas for an egg-free lemon curd? Or a substitute for that? Also, your instructions on assembly don’t include the shortbread crust. Do you put a layer of frosting between the shortbread and the cake layer? Or does it stick on its own? Excited to try!
The cake batter gets baked on the shortbread crust.
Looks delicious! How much salt do you put in the lemon curd? I see it in the instructions but not the ingredient list.
Sorry about that – just a pinch.
Does the shortbread crust just go on the bottom?
Yes, bake the crust and then pour the batter on it and bake again.
When you do step 2 for the cake and you are whisking the egg whites and the lemon zest are you just combining them? Or are you whisking them to form peaks?
Just combining them.
Your curd says to whisk in salt but under ingredients it isn’t listed as to how much? Excited to try this recipe and just curious as to the amount. We just did a pinch
I know you are a cake blog…but any way you would post your Moms lemon bar recipe? This cake looks awesome!
Instant or Cook and Serve pudding?
Instant
Hi there,
Can you tell me what pudding mix is? I live in Europe so trying to find an alternative.
Thanks
It’s a small box of powder that gets mixed with milk to make pudding.
I put 2 cups of batter of this recipe in 6 in pans and they didn’t rise that much and didn’t measure up to 2 in. Is there any way to fix the problem?
I put 2 cups of batter of this recipe in 6 in pans and they didn’t rise that much and didn’t measure up to 2 in. Is there any way to fix the problem?
I was really looking forward to this but the cake itself barely rose at all and the taste is rather bland. I’m sure the lemon gets punched up beautifully with the curd and the frosting but on its own, it’s a little disappointing.
Hi Nell. Sorry to hear you had problems with the cake. It actually should rise nicely. Have you checked your baking powder lately? If that’s old, the cake won’t rise well. Also, if you overmix your batter, the cake won’t rise well either. As for the flavor, since I did pair it with the lemon curd and lemon frosting, I didn’t want the cake to compete or overload you with lemon since the lemon flavor is so strong elsewhere. If you add another teaspoon of lemon extract, it will give you a little more punch.
Can the recipe be halved and used with 6in pans?
You can half it and use 2 6-inch pans or keep it the same and do 4 6-inch pans
Hi Courtney,
I love your recipes! Just wondering if you think this type of cake would be suitable to be covered in fondant icing for a wedding cake? It would be a top tier of three tiers, the other two being chocolate biscuit cake
Thanks!
Michelle x
Yes I think you could cover it.
Should the salt for the cookie layer be added in with the sugar & butter or when the flour is added?
I think this turned out so good. I am a big lemon fan and this really hit the spot. Its good cold or room temp (other than it being hard to cut when cold) The frosting was a little too sweet so I think I’d add less sugar next time? I ended up having to bake the cake layers for like 8 minutes longer than the recipe stated. Maybe I have a crappy oven. But man, that shortbread layer really makes this cake outstanding!
I’m so glad you liked it. And yes, ovens are all a bit different – glad you were able to make it work.
I made this for Easter, and my family loved this cake!
My only question in the assembly was the curd layer. The instructions say “Spread half of the curd in the center of the cake” but then the tips say 1/4-1/3 of a cup between layers. I know my batch of curd was quit a bit more than 1/2-2/3 total. Which is correct?
I’m excited to try this for my mom’s birthday. Can I use 9 inch cake pans? If so, How long would I bake it?
Yes you can. I would only do two pans though and bake for about 5 minutes more.
I am planning to spend some special time with my mom this weekend baking this cake! I was wondering if the lemon pudding mix should be instant pudding or the kind you have to cook??
Instant is great!
So I like lemon but I don’t LOVE straight lemon. I made this cake with other lemon lovers in mind and was amazed by how much I loved it. It definitely had a good lemon flavor, but it was not too much or too overwhelming. The shortbread crust is awesome. We all loved it. Sooo good.
So glad it was a hit.
for the frosting, could i use lemon juice rather than lemon extract? thanks!
could i use lemon juice rather than lemon extract? thanks!
Yes, but it might not be as strong of a flavor.
Can you refrigerate the cake overnight or will the curd not sit well?
You don’t want to refrigerate the cake for longer than a night because it will dry out the cake!
I noticed that in your cake class in your intastories, you used crumbled shortbread cookie instead of a layer baked to the cake. Could I do that as well? And if so, how would I cook the shortbread? Just wondering, because although it tasted amazing, it was really hard to slice with the solid cookie layer.
Yes, definitely. Just cookie the shortbread crust in a sheet pan and break it up.
Everything is delicious. I never thought something so gourmet would be feasible for me!! One thing: I wish your hint about the curd was in the assembly portion. In fact, we should not call it a hint. It completely determines whether the cake stays together. Assembly says to use half of the curd on each layer (why not just tell us what we’re really supposed to do?). I take things literally even though it seemed like way too much. Half of a third cup is a world different from half the total. The sloppy Hagrid cake I ended up with is delicious but very sad looking.
This cake is amazing as I have made it before. Any suggestions or objections to making this as cupcakes?
Just watch your bake time with the cupcakes so you don’t over bake them.
how do I change the temp and time for 2 – 10 inch cake pans?
Also, if i want to make a cookie crumble instead of bake it with the cake layers, do I have to change the bake time for the cake?
Did you ever find out the answer to this? I would like to use 10” pans as well. I need to serve 25 people. Thanks!
Do you think that you could bake this cake batter in a bundt pan?
It would probabaly be too much batter for a bundt pan. Maybe half it?
Recipe wasn’t specific to instant or cook pudding mix. I made the wrong choice and added cook pudding mix. It was horrible.
I am so sorry! It is supposed to be instant. I will fix that now.
I plan to make this cake this weekend for my sister, but also want to make cupcakes to deliver to her kids and grands so we can Zoom Mom-Mom’s b’day party. I plan to 1-1/2 the recipe for 4-6’s and the rest cupcakes. Do you think I should bake the shortbread in the cupcake wrappers as well or just bake as a group and put in bottom of each – or skip altogether? Just not sure about baking time on this. Can’t wait to make it- lemon and shortbread are her favorites!!
I would skip the shortbread in the cupcakes. It won’t come out the same way as the cake! And the cupcakes will be about the same time! Just keep an eye on them!
Can this be made in advance and frozen?
Yes it can. Just lightly wrap it in saran and keep it in the freezer!
Cake is awesome…but the vague “whisk the dry ingredients” and then “cream the butter and sugar” after that needs editing…sugar and pudding are dry ingredients, so we whisked them and then ruined the creaming part because the sugar was in with the flour.
I will fix that.
Some of the instructions are lacking specificity. Should the pan be lined completely with parchment, or just a circle at the bottom?
Just a circle at the bottom.
Hi! I’m making this cake for MY moms 60th Birthday! The directions say store in the freezer for a week. Can it not be stored in the fridge? I want to make it tonight and serve tomorrow night. Thanks!
You can store it in the fridge for one night but after I suggest cutting into individual slices, wrapping in saran and keeping in the freezer. That will keep the pieces from drying out.
Hi,
Can you use AP flour instead of cake flour?
Thank You,
Y’vette
You need to use cake flour.
What would you suggest to use instead of the lemon extract, and still get the lemon flavor? I am finding that when I add lemon extract, I can taste a artificial flavor, almost chemical flavor. I have tried 2 different brands of lemon extract with the same result. :/
Lemon juice.
This cake is delicious, but oh so slippery…wondering if I put it int the freezer for a bit as I build it it would be better. All was good until the weight of the third layer caused some curd leaks around the edges. Any tips for keeping it all together?
Make sure you are piping a rim of buttercream on each cake layer to hold in the curd! Don’t overfill in between layers!
If I wanted to bake this into a 4 layer cake (6in pans); how long should I bake the cakes for as well as the crust? Thank you.
About the same time! Keep your eye on it.
I made this in 4 6″ pans. I had to bake the cakes for 40 minutes. The cakes rose beautifully, and were perfectly cooked. (high elevation baking)
I’ve noticed a few of your recipes that used to have a reverse creaming method changed. Have you tested them with the new method? They turn out quite different, I’m just wondering why you’ve changed them.
Hi! So excited to try this cake! Can you make the cake/shortbread layers and wrap and freeze them like you other cakes until ready to assemble?
Absolutely!
Hi! I was wondering if you can freeze the cake and shortbread combo for the lemon bar cake after it is baked. Do you think the shortbread would be ok after it is thawed? I am trying to make as much as I can ahead of time. Thanks for your help!
Leah
Yes you can!
I plan to make this cake for my friends birthday, but I only have lemon juice not lemon extract. Will that work the same? Is there a way I can make lemon juice work?
You’ll have to use quite a bit more lemon juice than extract. Try 1/4 cup for 1 tsp extract.
Will the extra lemon juice make it too wet and require additional flour?
Can we freeze the layers until we’re ready to assemble
Yes thats what I recommend!
Can this cake be left on the counter (covered) or does it have to be refrigerated/frozen?
You can leave it on the counter for a day or two. After that I recommend individual slices that are wrapped in saran and frozen to keep them fresh.
We had a bumper crop of lemons in the yard so a little music and lots of baking. This is a fun cake to make, everything comes together pretty quickly. So yummy – huge success with everyone. The lemon curd is particularly amazing.
(With family corn and wheat allergies I used gluten free Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1, sifted and weighed)
I love to hear it!
This was one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted! At first I worried that it wouldn’t actually be any better than lemon bars and worth all the extra steps… But then I tried it and it’s seriously amazing. It’s like a lemon bar but way better, plus festive and fancy. Everyone I served it to raved about it!
Thank you so much!
Wow. Made this for my boyfriend’s birthday, as lemon bars are his favorite dessert, and I have now set the bar too high for myself. I must note that I used vanilla pudding instead of lemon and omitted the lemon extract, as I find them a tad too artificial (I added about 2 tablespoons of zest in the cake and 2 teaspoons in the frosting to compensate and found them perfectly lemony). It seemed daunting at first, but the execution was far less stressful than I expected. It is truly a showstopper of a cake. This is the first Cake By Courtney I’ve made but it is absolutely not my last.
Amazing! Thank you so much!
This was incredible! I was pretty frustrated with my decorating (it just wasn’t coming together today), but when I had a bite of the end result… oh my! That shortbread crust DEF balances out the sweet and tartness of the rest of the cake. And that CURD!(!) I was unusually proud of myself for making that successfully. I’d definitely make this again!
This makes me so happy! The curd is one of my favs!
Could you use cultured(Bulgarian) buttermilk?
I’ve never tried!
I made this cake for a baby blessing and the entire family raved about it. One person said this this cake was an “experience” which is the best compliment you can have! I don’t particularly love lemon but I did like this cake. I was worried the shortbread crust would stick, but the cakes came out clean.
This was such a nice compliment. Thank you!
hi ,
I’m in UK
if I can’t get lemon instant cake mix is it OK to leave out or wld you substitute with something else.
cake flour is that plain or self raising ?
many thanks
Replace with sugar and an extra 1/2 tsp of lemon extract.
I’m looking for a lemon cake for a three tier wedding cake. Would you recommend this to be layered and stacked? It looks scrumptious for a tasty wedding cake but I need it to be sturdy enough to stack.
It might not be as stable as others because of the curd.
Hi. How do you decorate this cake?The outside is smooth and yellow and I can’t tell what you did on top. Would be very helpful if you could share how you did this. Thank you.
It’s powdered sugar.
how did you do the top
powdered sugar with lemon slices
Questions: I know to use 8” pans, but how many inches high should the cake pans be?
How many does this cake serve? (I have to serve 20 people)
How did you get the top of the cake so flat?
What did you sprinkle on top?
Thanks
I use 8×2 inch pans. The cake should serve 18-20. I use my cake leveler if any of my cake is domed. There is powdered sugar on top.
Hi Courtney! If I wanted to make this for a gluten free friend as cupcakes, how could I modify? Would gluten free flour work? I will leave off the shortbread but not sure what else to do!
Yes just use your favorite GF flour and sub it cup for cup!
Hi Courtney,
Can the curd be omitted and just stick with buttercream filling?
Thanks!
So bright and delicious! Everyone loved this cake so much. The lemon curd served with it makes it pop and gives it that freshness. I didnt try it without the extra lemon curd but definitely definitely serve it on the side. I was nervous for the shortbread baked into the cake but it came out well, and even though one cracked a bit due to me being a little aggressive taking it out of the pan, nothing fell apart. I left my cake out at room temp for a few hours and it never bulged or slid. 10/10 would make again.
Looking to make a strawberry lemon cake for Easter. I love your lemon bar recipe so I was thinking of using this recipe but change the buttercream to strawberry. Do you think that worked work?
Sounds delish!
Hi! I’m so excited to make this for Easter 🙂 I was wondering about the decoration lemon slices on the top, are they just sliced lemons or did you do anything to preserve them? Will they dry out or look weird if I put them on the day before serving? Thank you!
They are just sliced lemons!
I made this cake for Easter. I decided to decorate with pastel colored macrons filled with the left over lemon buttercream and curd. The cake was a showstopper and absolutely delicious. Thanks for this recipe! Will definitely make again.
Since it has the lemon curd, do leftovers need to be refrigerated?
I suggest cutting the cake into individual slices and wrapping in saran and keeping in the freezer!
The cake turned out beautifully. However, I did not like the extract. It tasted like fake lemon flavor. It could have been the store brand I used. What is your recommended brand of extract? Could you do this cake and frosting with just real lemon to flavor? The curd (no extract) was divine! And the shortbread crust element was so tasty!
So good! Was a huge hit at Easter. You really did make it taste like a lemon bar, one of my favorite desserts! The instructions were spot on.
Thank you!!
What would your thoughts be on using a classic vanilla buttercream?
Whatever sounds good to you, do it!
I’ve made this cake several times. It is absolutely the best lemon cake I’ve ever had. I love the texture and taste of the cake and the subtle lemon flavor in the frosting. Sometimes I use store bought curd, but the entire recipe is awesome. I haven’t been disappointed with any of Courtney’s cake recipes.
First I would like to say this cake was delicious but man was it messy!! Figuring out how to keep the lemon curd in between the layers without oozing out was a challenge! It made a lot and I didn’t want to waste it so I possibly filled the layers too full. My top layer kept wanting to slide of the cake which was super frustrating.
I also used about 1/2 of the total sugar (between the cake, curd and frosting) and it was plenty sweet! Was a hit with everyone who tried but it wasn’t pretty to look at.
Do you have any recommendations for turning this into cupcakes? I’d love to incorporate the lemon curd if I could
I would make a small cutout in the center of the cupcake and add the curd there, then pipe with buttercream on top.
Would you cook the shortbread for less time if you were doing cupcakes?
No
Delicious but my lemon cake party came out kind of dry. What can I add more of to make it more moist. Would 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil help moisten it?
You could certainly add some oil or even sour cream, but I’d also consider reducing the baking time for your oven by a couple minutes.
My husband accidentally bought stovetop pudding mix instead of instant pudding mix. Can I use the stovetop version?
Yeah it should work.
I’m very confused with the pudding mix. In this comment you say stove top pudding will be an ok substitute but you don’t mention if you are supposed to add the powder or the prepared version. Am I supposed to add 1/4 cup of Prepared instant pudding according to the instructions or 1/4 cup of the instant pudding mix powder straight from the box. In case of cook and serve pudding which would be the correct substitute? Dry powder or prepared final product??? Please clarify since I may have to bake this again 😅
It’s the powder you’ll be adding to the sugar mixture. I’ll make sure to clarify better.
Making this tonight… Can I use two 10″ pans instead of three 8″ pans?? Does that adjust the baking time/temp?
Yes you can!
For real, this was soo delicious. I’m a huge lemon bar fan and I didn’t think it was possible to achieve the same flavors in a cake… I’m in love. Thank you for the recipe!
Wondering could I make this as a sheet cake? Would you adjust baking time for that?
Absolutely! The bake time will be closer to 35 to 40 minutes.
If turning this into cupcakes, would you substitute regular flour for cake flour?
No, you won’t change anything but decreasing the bake time for cupcakes.
Great concept, and definitely job well done on adding the shortbread crust.
The key with lemon zest is you add it at the very end (during or right after the last knob of butter) to brighten the flavor. You should never add lemon zest at the beginning before applying heat as it will turn the zest bitter.
That alteration could actually make the cake live up to its name!
Could you use this shortbread crust with all of your cake layers or will it only work with this cake specifically?
You totally could!
The cake is really delicious. I need to make it again though cuz I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, I made this lemon curd twice and I keep getting an “eggy” aftertaste. what causes that? I do exactly as directions say. Also, for the clear vanilla, do you ever get a strong after taste? There’s an overpowering tastewith the buttercream but still good.
I meant lemon extract not clear vanilla lol
This is probably my most favorite cake of all time. It is the best cake, and everyone (as long as they like lemon!) LOVES it!
Thank you so much!
OMG!!! If you’re a lemon lover, this cake is to die for! I’ve made it twice (cut the recipe in half and made a 2 layer 6″ cake and a 3 layer 4″ cake) and kept it all to myself LOL
The only thing I changed was I covered it with lemon cream cheese buttercream and that was only because I prefer cream cheese buttercream over regular buttercream.
And I have made your lemon bar cake and your lemon blueberry cake… I’m curious if there’s a reason for the different recipes. The lemon blueberry cake uses fresh lemon juice, where the lemon bar cake has the pudding…is there a reason for the difference?
The BEST lemon curd ever! Thank you so much!! But my cakes came out really dense, not light and fluffy. Baking Powder is fresh & I made sure I didn’t overmix the batter …. could it be because I made my own buttermilk with milk and lemon juice?
Can I pre-make and freeze the curd too? How long will the buttercream last in the fridge?
Yes you can. The buttercream can stay in the fridge for a week or so.
This cake was SO GOOD. Even better the next day. I was so surprised because I wasn’t sure how the texture would be, but it WORKS. Mmmmm
YAY!
Can I make these in 9in pans?
Yes 1.5x the recipe.