Lemon curd cake recipe

This lemon curd cake is light, sweet and citrusy and only takes 35 mins to bake.

This lemon curd cake recipe is hard to beat and is the perfect teatime treat for those of us who don't have an overly sweet tooth. The syrup, drizzled through the sponge, makes a deliciously sticky and moist cake. Using a thicker lemon curd rather than a thin drizzle of syrup means that you get a rich tangy lemon flavour with enough sweetness to not make this lemon curd cake taste too tart. Try our recipe for lemon curd if you'd like to try making your own.

Ingredients

• 250g butter, softened
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• 4 medium eggs
• 2tbsps milk
• Finely zested rind of 2 lemons
• 4 level tbsps caster sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons

For the filling:

• 2 level tbsps lemon curd
• 125g unsalted butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 4 level tbsps lemon curd

For the decoration:

• 3-4tbsps lemon curd
• 2 x 18cm (7in) round sandwich tins, buttered and base lined
• Small disposable piping bag

Method

1. Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. To make the cake: Beat the butter, add to the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Divide the mix between the 2 tins and level the surface. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until they’re just firm to the touch in the centre then remove them from the oven.
4. To make the syrup: Pour 4tbsps water into a small pan and add the caster sugar. Place on a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Allow it to boil rapidly for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice.
5. Remove cakes from the oven and immediately pour over the syrup, half over each cake. Leave in the tins for about 10 minutes, until all the syrup has soaked in, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Sandwich the 2 cakes together with the lemon-curd filling.
7. To make the frosting: Beat the butter until very soft, then add remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
8. To decorate, spoon lemon curd into the piping bag, cut off the end to create a small hole and drizzle in a zigzag over the top of the cake.

Top tip for making lemon curd cake

This seems like a lot of syrup, but it makes the cake deliciously moist. If possible, use solid-based tins, so that no syrup leaks out.

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