Lemon Layer Cake

5 from 5 votes

Bright and tangy, this Lemon Layer Cake with its amazing frosting is the kind of dessert that instantly lifts your mood with lemon in the cake. filling and frosting.

Prep Time3

Total Time3

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon cake, Lemon Layer Cake,

Servings: servings

Calories: 820kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

1/2 sheet pan

Ingredients

Lemon Filling

4 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
1/3 cup cornstarch (45 grams)
2/3 cup lemon juice (from all 3 large lemons)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45 grams)
1 tablespoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)

Lemon Sour Cream Cake

3 large egg yolks
1 cup sour cream (225 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour* (300 grams)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170 grams or 1 12 sticks)
*If measuring by volume it is important to sift the cake flour until overflowing in a dry measuring cup and then sweeping it off with the back of a knife.

Amazing Lemon Buttercream

1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup lemon fillng
1/4 cup butter, softened* (60 grams or 4 tablespoons)
*It is important to have the butter very soft but not runny.

Instructions

Lemon Filling

Whisk everything together in a medium size sauce pan.
Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
Transfer to a storage container, cover the top of the filling with plastic wrap and let come to room temperature. Store in the fridge for 2 days. or at least overnight to firm up.

Lemon Sour Cream Cake

It is always best to weigh the ingredients but if you don't have a scale (why don't you) sift the flour until over flowing in the cup measure and then sweep it off with the back of a knife. That should get you close.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and spray the paper only. Try not to spray the sides. If you do, wipe them with a paper towel. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sour cream and vanilla.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low for 30 seconds to blend. Add the softened butter and remaining 3/4 cup sour cream. Mix on low until moistened. Then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes.
Add the egg mixture in three additions, beating on medium 30 seconds each time, scraping down as necessary.
Dollop the batter in the half sheet pan. Using and offset spatula, spread it out evenly.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a tester comes out clean. It will be a medium golden brown. It will be golden brown. Place on a cooling rack and cool cold.
At this point, it can be frozen in its pan well wrapped.

Amazing Lemon Buttercream

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bow. Beat on low to bring together. Raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Raise it again to high and beat for 5 or more minutes until light and smooth with no grittiness from the powdered sugar.

Assembly

The cutting insructions will be made easier if you look at the pictures.
The easiest way to cut the cake is to use a ruler and a pizza cutter. The pizza cutter gives a smooth cut.
Place the cake vertically in front of you, Cut a 4":piece off the the long side of the cake. Set this aside.
Turn the cake so it is horizontally in front of you. Cut four 4"x 8"" layers. You will now have six 4"x8" layers.
Take one layer and break it up in pieces. Add it to the processor. Process to make crumbs. Spread them out on a baking sheet to dry slightly while preparing te rest of the cake.
Whisk the filling slightly to smooth it out. Do not over whisk or you can thin it too much.
Spread 1/3 cup filling on each of 4 layers to within 1/4 inch of the edges. The filling will spread to the edges when the next layer is added.
Place the fifth layer on top with no filling.
Cover the sides of the cake and top with the Lemon Frosting. Use a decorating comb or sometimes called a triangle to swirl the top of the cake.
Cover the sides with the lemon cake crumbs. This is easiest to do by holding the cake on a cake board or other flat plate in your left hand and picking up the crumbs in your right hand pressing them into the frosting from the bottom to the top.
This is a professional tip make it easier to move the cake from the work board to the final presentation plate. It is called chanelling. Place a straight metal spatula under the bottom edge of the cake and remove about 1/8" of the frosting. Then go under the cake to make sure it will release cleanly when you move it. Make sure you are keeping the spatula pressed on the board and not on the cake.
I use two pancake turners placed on either end of the cake to lift it up and place it on its final plate.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

_______________________________________________

It will take 3 large lemons for the filling and the cake.

Be sure to follow the times given when mixing the cake ingredients. This ensures they won't be over beaten which would toughen them.

Don't stint on the zest. That's what gives the cake its flavor.

Freeze the layers until they are firm before filling and frosting. This makes it so much easier and faster as they won't tear or slide around.

Make sure the butter for the cake and the frosting is very soft but not runny. If the butter is too hard, the frosting may not whip up with much volume and it will be dense.

This cake uses an American buttercream which uses powdered sugar. As such, it requires a lot of beating to increase the volume, lighten it and make sure the powdered sugar dissolves so the frosting isn't grainy. If it is under beaten, the frosting will be dense and possibly grainy.

The cake layers can be made and frozen up to 3 months well wrapped.

The Lemon Filling can be made and refrigerated up to 5 days.

Nutrition