Moist Lemon Cake {With Lemon Curd} (2024)

Published: Jul 11, 2016 · Modified: Jul 7, 2022 by Abeer Rizvi · This post may contain affiliate links · 41 Comments

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Moist lemon cake recipe with lemon curd filling and seven minute frosting, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Super soft and moist.

After going throughloads of lemoncake disasters in the kitchen, I can now safely saythis is the ultimate moist lemon cake recipe made from scratch. It's bursting with zesty lemon flavor, thanks tothe use of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. I also enhanced the lemon flavor by filling and topping this cake with lemon curd. A few other great lemon desserts to try include my Lemon Pound Cake and Lemon Bundt Cake.

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How to make moist lemon cake recipe from scratch?

Whisktogether- All dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix in- Eggs, oil, lemon juice, or emulsion oil and lemon zest.
Add in- Sour cream and mix until just combined.
Pour batter- In two round greased/floured cake pans.
Bake- Until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Make- The lemon curd and frosting.
Place cake- On a cake stand, top it off with frosting and lemon curd, then place the other cake on top.
Frost cake- Roughly with frosting.
Pour- Some lemon curd on top of the cake with some berries.
Keep refrigerated- Until ready to serve.

Variations for best lemon curd cake

Lemon poppyseed cake- Give a different overall flavor and texture by adding in some poppyseeds to the batter.
Glaze cake/ Drizzle cake- With this tasty Lemon Drizzle Icing instead of the 7 minute frosting.
Decorate cake-Using Fondant Flowers, Royal Icing Flowers, or Homemade Sprinkles. You can also use fresh edible flowers, thin lemon slices, or dried lemon peels.
Use other cake pan sizes– For example, you can use mini pans to make several mini cakes or just make one large rectangle cake for easy decorating.
Try other frostings- Such as Marshmallow Frosting, Lemon Frosting, or Blackberry Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, or White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Try other fillings- Such as Chocolate Whipped Cream, Homemade Vanilla Custard, Homemade Vanilla Pudding, Homemade Caramel Sauce, or Blueberry Pie Filling.
Add other berries- Such as strawberries, black raspberries, or blueberries.
Add other extracts- Almond extract would be amazing, but you can also try others, such as vanilla, lemon, or even maple.

Tips and techniques for easy homemade lemon layer cake

Use full fat sour cream- This lemon layer cake might be the softest cake I have ever made because of the use of sour cream. Be sure it is full fat, original sour cream for the perfect amount of moistness.
Don't over-mix the batter- Because it will make your cake more chewy and less soft.
Use a spatula to apply frosting- Because this helps to give it that rough, naked look.
Use a combination all-purpose and cake flour- Because it yields the best texture.
Use lemon emulsion oil rather than lemon extract- Because it doesn't evaporate when baking and has a stronger taste and fragrance. If you must use extract, try tousethe best quality extract you can find.
If you don't have sour cream use plain greek yogurt- Because it yields similar results as long as it is thick, good-quality greek yogurt.
Don't use store-bought lemon juice- Because fresh lemon juice tastes so much better and gives the best flavor!
Don't skip on lemon zest- Because it adds a lot of flavor to this lemon cake.

Storage of lemon raspberry cake-

Fridge- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer- Cakes can be frozen separately for one month. Then thaw and apply the frosting, curd, and berries before serving.

More easy lemon desserts-

Easy Lemon Bars (Lemon Squares)
Lemon Fudge (2 Ingredients)
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Cake Balls (Cake Truffles)
Lemon Cupcakes (With Cream Cheese Frosting)
Easy Lemon Cookies

Moist Lemon Cake Recipe

Abeer Rizvi

Moist lemon cake recipe with lemon curd filling and seven minute frosting, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Super soft and moist.

4.88 from 8 ratings

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Decorating time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Cakes, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9 slices

Calories 446 kcal

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Ingredients

Lemon Cake

1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup Cake flour
1½ cups Sugar
⅔ cup Oil
⅔ cup Fresh lemon juice
3 Eggs
¾ cup Sour cream
1 tablespoon Lemon zest
1 teaspoon Lemon emulsion oil or lemon extract
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda

Filling, frosting, decoration

Homemade lemon curd
Seven minute frosting or Buttercream icing
1 cup Fresh raspberries and blackberries

Instructions

In a mixing bowl,whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
Now, add eggs, oil, lemon juice, or emulsion oil and lemon zest. Mix until everything is smooth
Add sour cream and mix until just combined. Don't over-mix!
Pour this batter in two round greased/floured cake pans (Dimension: 8x2). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
While the cake is baking and then cooling down, make lemon curd and frosting.
Place one cake on a cake stand and top it off with a thin layer of frosting and lemon curd. Place the other cake on top of all this. Press your cake down with your hands (some of the frosting and curd will come out from the sides but don't worry about it!)
Now, use a spatula to frost the entire cake roughly with frosting.
Finally, pour some lemon curd on top of the cake and place some berries here.
Keep this cake refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Note: Prior to serving, if any frosting or curd has come out from the sides along the center of the cake, just run a spatula around the cake again.And you are done!

Notes

Read all my tips above.
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 177mgPotassium: 170mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 200IUVitamin C: 11.6mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1.2mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Heather Johnson
July 17, 2016 at 11:13 am

What temperature do you bake this lemon cake? I'm assuming 350 degrees? Also my curd didn't ever thicken.... any tips?? I did cook for 10 minutes but maybe I didn't have it hot enough?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  July 17, 2016 at 9:57 pm
  
  Oops! I was fixing something else on that post and accidentally deleted that. Yes, the temperature is 350 degrees. Thanks for letting me know.
  The curd will thicken the longer you cook...it will start sticking to your whisk/spoon. With my stove settings, my curd thickens in 10 minutes. Maybe cook yours for a bit longer and see what happens. Keep me in the loop
  Reply
Miranda
July 17, 2016 at 3:00 pm

Oh my goodness, this cake is so gorgeous! I've been looking for a new lemon cake recipe, thanks!
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  July 17, 2016 at 9:54 pm
  
  Thanks Miranda. I am in loveeeee with this cake too. I hope you enjoy it and if you have any questions, feel free to message me.
  Reply
Rose Theobald
July 24, 2016 at 10:59 am

I want to make this just for my family. They seem to like cakes made in a 9x13 pan. Do you think I could make this in a 9x13 pan? Thanks so much, Rose
Reply
- Rose Theobald
  July 24, 2016 at 12:35 pm
  
  Also I assume you add the lemon emuslion oil with the lemon juice and zest?
  Reply
  - Abeer Rizvi
    July 24, 2016 at 10:49 pm
    
    Yes! I do... Thanks for catching that! Fixed it
    Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  July 24, 2016 at 10:45 pm
  
  I don't think that should be a problem BUT your baking time would probably be shorter. Keep a close eye at it after 25 minutes. Also, remember your cake won't be as tall as my cake since you will be spreading the batter in such a big pan. Let me know how it goes...
  Reply
  - Rose Theobald
    July 25, 2016 at 11:26 am
    
    Well I'm going to have to try this again, I think I left it in the oven too long and it got a bit dry and after reading the comments I was afraid my curd wouldn't set so I cooked it til it was the consistancy of pudding(to long), and it really is thick. But what I did was to treat it like a poke cake by poking holes in the cake and pouring the curd over the cake right after I made it. Pretty good.
    Reply
    - Abeer Rizvi
      July 25, 2016 at 11:31 am
      
      That poke cake sounds delicious! I wanna try that now too...hahaha
      Reply
Helen Going
August 05, 2016 at 4:16 pm

Hi Abeer,
this recipe sounds FAB! I have been trying to make the middle layer for my wedding cake....thank heavens my friend is doing the other layers....and I have had a couple of really disappointing attempts at lemon cake. They just didn't taste tangy and while I attempted adjustments because we are at altitude...4500 feet...the cakes were just blah.The first one rose fast and sank spectacularly. The second one was just dry and heavy. I am going to try this version and if all else fails I am going to use your suggestions on jazzing up a pilsbury cake. Wish me luck!
Do you have any suggestions re cooking this cake at altitude?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  August 06, 2016 at 4:16 am
  
  Hey Helen... Congrats on your upcoming wedding! This cake is spectacular, especially if you are fond of the lemon flavor. I would suggest using buttercream icing rather than 7 minute frosting for your wedding cake since 7 minute frosting is not that stable.
  I don't have personal baking experience with high altitudes but I think you are supposed to increase the oven temperature by 25 degrees and lower the baking time by 10 minutes. Have you tried that yet?
  You said you tried another cake recipe that sank. I think that cake didn't get a chance to fully cook in the center and should have been baked longer in the oven. I always like to gently tap the center of my cake with my finger at 40 minutes to see if it jiggles. It it does, I let my cakes bake longer and just watch them like a hawk...hehehe.
  I have a great tutorial on my blog for making cake mixes taste awesome. So check that out if you go that route. You can add more lemon zest to it and give it a stronger kick.
  If you have any questions about this recipe or the cake mix recipe, please feel free to reach out and I would be happy to help. Good luck!
  Reply
  - Helen Going
    See Also
    Super Moist Lemon Bundt Cake
    August 14, 2016 at 10:19 am
    
    Hi Abeer, our wedding was yesterday and everything went sensationally well. Your Lemon cake was simply AMAZING. I don't have enough superlatives. It was moist, light and lemony....which was a far cry from my first attempts. For the filling, I made a Swiss meringue buttercream and lemon curd and mixed 2 1/2 c of buttercream with 1/2 cup of the lemon curd....frosted a circle of buttercream around the cake, spread the filling and then added a few dollops of the curd. It was so lovely and I am so grateful for all your experimentation and work on this because it will be forever my go-to cake recipe.
    Reply
    - Abeer Rizvi
      August 16, 2016 at 1:58 am
      
      OMG Helen! That cake sounds delicious! I am soooooooo happy to hear your wedding cake was a success and your comment truly made my day! Thank you! Hope you are enjoying your honeymoon and some of that leftover cake now
      Reply
Waunita
November 17, 2016 at 8:00 am

I am going to make your lemon cake for my Grandsons wedding next week do you know how to double or even triple the recipe?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  November 18, 2016 at 12:40 am
  
  I have never done that. I wish I could help more. But, if you end up doubling or tripling, please let me know how it goes...Congrats on your grandson's wedding!
  Reply
Katie Thompson
November 27, 2016 at 5:44 pm

Hello lovely Abeer!
I would like to thank you for this recipe, I made a huge wedding cake for my brother's big day made this lemon cake as a lighter option on the side. I had been looking for the perfect lovely cake to use up all the beautiful lemons which are exploding off the trees here in Australia, and yours was it! I sandwiched it with lemon curd, cut into dainty squares and piped whipped cream on top and everyone raved about it!!
It is going in my collection of favourites! I also love that you demand full fat sour cream - you're a woman of my heart! Life's too short!
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  November 29, 2016 at 1:11 am
  
  WOOOHOO! Congrats on your brother's wedding and thank you so much for your feedback.
  And yes... when I want a truly decadent cake, everything must be full fat. Who the heck wants to eat a flavor-less cake? Right?! lol
  Reply
Shaw
December 23, 2016 at 12:21 am

Hi...just want to ask if you grease up the pan or just leave it like that...no bottom lining?
I want to try it today...hope you reply,thanks
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  December 23, 2016 at 7:59 pm
  
  I always grease and flour my cake pans.
  You can also grease/flour just the sides of the pan and place a circular sheet of wax paper at the base.
  Reply
Kat
January 14, 2017 at 11:42 pm

I few years ago I had an amazing lemon-cranberry cake, no icing or frosting, just a dusting of powdered sugar. The cake had cranberries (fresh) all throughout it and I loved it. It was from a bakery that isn't around anymore.
I've tried several lemon-cranberry cake recipes the last 3 years and all of them are not right. I think it's because the cakes aren't fluffy enough or moist enough. I've tried a bundt with a cranberry topping, a pound cake, a tart-like cake (kind of a mix), a sponge cake and a couple others.
My question is, do you think you're lemon cake recipe (which looks to be really moist) would be able to handle cranberries as an addition?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  January 15, 2017 at 12:27 am
  
  That sounds like a delicious cake. Sometimes, the simplest cakes are truly the best cakes.
  As for your question... without having tried the addition of cranberries myself, I really can't say what the results would be like. But, I am very curious and when I try it, I would be sure to add a note in this post. If you try it before me, please let me know as well.
  Reply
  - Katyna Smith
    February 11, 2017 at 10:46 pm
    
    I made the lemon cake today, without the cranberries, just to see if it was going to be the right texture and flavor and it is perfect. I will be trying it with cranberries (if I can find them this late in the season) the next time I make it. Thank you for the recipe!
    Reply
    - Abeer Rizvi
      February 13, 2017 at 5:43 am
      
      I am so happy to hear that! Hope you find some cranberries and I can't wait to hear how it turns out with this addition...
      Reply
      - Renee
        February 20, 2017 at 5:47 am
        
        Could this cake be made as a semi naked cake? Do you think it would be firm enough if the layers were wrapped and frozen before it's all assembled?
      - Abeer Rizvi
        February 21, 2017 at 9:13 am
        
        I always freeze my cakes before putting them together. So, I don't see any reason why freezing an assembling would not work...
Jordan
March 10, 2017 at 4:08 pm

I made a vegan version of this cake and it was amazing! I simply substituted applesauce for the eggs (ratios can be found online) and vegan Tofutti sour cream. I made frosting with Earth Balance vegan butter and powdered sugar and added some poppy seeds. Delicious, moist recipe and it's not too sweet - thank you!
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  March 14, 2017 at 2:08 am
  
  That sounds really good! Thank you for sharing your vegan lemon cake recipe version. I am sure it would be very helpful to my readers!
  Reply
Jill Kane
August 07, 2017 at 8:18 pm

Hi Abeer, I've searched everywhere for a lemon cake recipe to make a 21st birthday cake. The birthday girls request. I think you're recipe will be perfect. When you say tin size 8x2 is that inches? I'm in NZ we work in cm. I have to make a two tier cake. Quite a challenge! Can I double your recipe or do I make individual batches then mix together? Appreciate any advice.
Thanks Jill
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  August 08, 2017 at 4:43 pm
  
  Hi Jill... These measurements are in inches. Also, I have doubled this recipe in the past and didn't have any problems BUT I always prefer making individual batches to be safe... it's just a quirk of mine...lol.
  Reply
Barb W
August 12, 2017 at 2:48 pm

Can this be done as cupcakes and if so how many would you say it would make?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  August 13, 2017 at 10:59 pm
  
  I have not tried this recipe as a cupcake. So, I really don't know... Sorry!
  Reply
Tanya Reeves
September 17, 2017 at 4:23 am

Hi could I add poppy seeds to this cake?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  September 18, 2017 at 7:15 pm
  
  Yes, absolutely!
  Reply
Annette W.
January 16, 2018 at 7:49 am

Hi, can you use store bought lemon curd?
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  January 16, 2018 at 7:08 pm
  
  Yes, absolutely. It will save you some time!
  Reply
Tammie
May 29, 2019 at 7:16 pm

I absolutely recommend this recipe!!! It would be my fourth attempt at making lemon cake and I won’t make any other recipe but this one. Good job!
Reply
Jane
December 21, 2019 at 12:31 pm

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the best lemon cake recipe! My friends and I have already made it 4 times. For anyone else living 5000 feet above sea level, you don't have to change a thing. Love it!
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  December 21, 2019 at 10:11 pm
  
  Yayyyyy! That makes me so happy. Good to know about the high altitude too.
  Reply
Marie
September 05, 2020 at 12:24 am

OMG OMG OMG! This is the best lemon cake ever! Holy smokes. I just made it tonight and used a super fluffy and lower sugar american buttercream on it since thats all I had time for. So good. Light, moist, lemony. Perfect! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Reply
- Abeer Rizvi
  September 07, 2020 at 12:46 pm
  
  Yayyyy! I am so glad you agree it's the best too. I have tried so many recipes and this one always rocks!
  Reply