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Try our lemon layer cake recipe, then check out our lemon drizzle cake, vegan lemon drizzle cake, lemon loaf cake, olive oil cake and lemon and blueberry cake.

For more classic cake recipes, why not try our vanilla cake, coffee cake or carrot cake. Also see our recipe for a basic cream cheese frosting.

Love the zingy flavour and creamy texture of lemon curd? Us too. It's even better in a cake, when you can use lemon curd as one of the key components in a really indulgent icing recipe. Just sandwich each sponge layer together with a normal lemon buttercream (butter, icing sugar and fresh lemon juice and zest), remembering to top the buttercream with a healthy swirl of lemon curd before adding the next sponge layer. We've used a whole jar of lemon curd for this recipe, but you can always reduce that amount if you haven't much of a sweet tooth.

If you want to make your layer cake even more special, try making your own lemon curd for it. Our recipe is so simple: all you need is butter, golden caster sugar, lemons and eggs, plus an hour-or-so of free time. It's well worth the effort and your jar of curd will last for up to two weeks if kept in the fridge.

Read our guide on where to buy edible flowers for advice on purchasing the perfect floral decorations for your cake

Check out the olive shop for more treats from artisan producers to enjoy or buy as gifts.

Easy lemon curd

  • 250g butter
    plus a little for the tin
  • 250g golden caster sugar
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 lemons
    zested
  • 1-2 tsp milk

LEMON ICING AND DECORATION

  • 250g butter
    very soft
  • 500g icing sugar
  • 3 lemons
    zested and juiced
  • 1 jar lemon curd
  • crystallised flowers
    to decorate

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal724
  • fat22.7g
  • carbs91.2g
  • fibre0.9g
  • protein4.4g
  • salt1.1g

Method

  • step 1

    Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the bases of 3 x 20cm sandwich tins. Beat the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and lemon zest together with beaters until you have a smooth batter. Add enough milk so the mix just drops off a spoon.

  • step 2

    Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, swapping the tins around halfway through so that they brown evenly. When they’re ready, a skewer poked in should come out clean. Cool on wire racks, cooked-side up.

  • step 3

    Make the icing by beating the soft butter with the icing sugar, lemon zest and juice until light and fluffy. Use 2/3 to fill the cake and top each layer with some lemon curd. Frost the top with the rest of the buttercream and finish with sugar flowers.

More lemon cake ideas below:

Lemon drizzle cake

A classic afternoon tea lemon drizzle cake that sounds as good as it tastes. If you fancy some enjoyable baking, with a great reward at the end, then this recipe is for you.

Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

Lemon meringue cupcakes

Spread some love with these lemon meringue cupcakes, whose zesty sponge is topped with a sweet frosting and meringue hearts. It only takes an hour of hands-on time to make them, too.

Lemon Meringue Cupcake Recipe

Lemon cupcakes

These cute little lemon cupcakes would work well for a kids party, baby shower or just a treat to serve with afternoon tea. The lemon zest topping is a great finishing touch.

Easy Lemon Cupcakes Recipe

Lemon polenta cake

This lemon polenta cake is a dense, rich cake with a boozy limoncello syrup. A great way to zest up an afternoon tea or coffee break.

Lemon polenta cake with limoncello syrup

Lemon and blueberry poke cake

This lemon and blueberry poke cake is sure to be a hit with the whole family. With lemon sponge, blueberry compote and a cream cheese frosting, it's an impressive bake that's surprisingly easy to make.

Lemon and Blueberry Poke Cake Recipe

Shimmering edible flowers really make this cake what it is. We buy ours from eatmyflowers.co.uk, who sell everything from crystallised violets to spray roses.

Or alternatively, why not grow your own edible flowers to use with this cake recipe? Our friends over at gardenersworld.com recommend pretty nasturtium flowers (the leaves are edible too). You can learn how to grow edible nasturtiums right here.

nasturtium flowers

Plus, we've perfected three buttercream recipes too, click here for our expert tips.

Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
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