Triple Lemon Cake

Name: Triple Lemon Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 115 min
Ingredients: 500 g Butter or baking spread (unsalted, softened); 500 g Caster sugar; 9 Eggs (large); 5 Lemons (zested); 4 tbsp Lemon juice; 500 g Self raising flour; 300 g Butter (unsalted, softened); 600 g Icing sugar; 5 tsp Lemon extract; 2 tbsp Milk; 200 g Lemon curd (good quality shop bought or homemade); Lemon jelly sweets (optional); Yellow sprinkles (optional)

01/03/2019 by thebakingexplorer 74 Comments

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Lemon cake is such a classic flavour and my Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling are a super popular recipe. I really wanted to create a larger lemon cake version for you all to enjoy. This Triple Lemon Cake is made up of three layers of lemon sponge flavoured with lemon zest. I've filled and topped them with sweet lemon buttercream and zingy lemon curd - the lemon curd is really what makes this recipe extra special!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
If you would like to make your own lemon curd for this cake, check out my Homemade Lemon Curd recipe.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Triple Lemon Cake

To make the sponge, mix the butter and sugar together. Add eggs and whisk well. Then mix in the lemon juice and self raising flour. Finally stir in the lemon zest.

Divide the mixture between three 8″ tins and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden.

To make the buttercream, mix together butter, icing sugar, lemon extract and milk until smooth. Then stack up the sponges, piping buttercream and drizzling lemon curd between each layer. Finish the Triple Lemon Cake with more buttercream and lemon curd on top, lemon jelly sweets and yellow sprinkles.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can this cake be made in different sized tins?

Yes! I made this recipe in 8" tins, if you would like to convert it to different size tins, please check out my Conversion Guide for details on how to adjust the ingredients.

Can this can be made into cupcakes?

Yes! Check my my Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling recipe for details.

What lemon curd should you use?

If you are using a shop bought lemon curd, make sure to get a good quality one. They are worth the extra pennies for that delicious lemon zing! If you fancy giving Homemade Lemon Curd a try, check out my recipe. It's easy and quick to make with only a few ingredients, it's also creamy and silky smooth, and the flavour is incredible!

How long does the Triple Lemon Cake last for and can you freeze it?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated (but do not freeze the sprinkles or lemon jellies). Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it's own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don't it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this cake be made gluten free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour. You may also like to add xanthan gum for better texture. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can this cake be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake and buttercream. I recommend Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block for the buttercream, as they give the best texture. You will also need to use a dairy free lemon curd. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cake will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

More tips for making the Triple Lemon Cake:

I really do recommend using lemon extract for the buttercream, lemon juice is not as concentrated in flavour and you won't get the same lemony zing from it. You can find lemon extract in most supermarkets, I've bought it in Tesco before, and you can buy it online via Amazon (see my recommended products section below).
To decorate the cake, I used lemon jelly sweets and sprinkles. You could decorate with some simple curls of lemon zest or lemon slices instead if you like.
I used a Wilton 8B nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cake.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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