Recipe For Easter: A Layered, Creamy Dessert For Festive Celebrations
75 mins
Cooking Time
Intermediate
Difficulty
17
Ingredients
Veg + Egg
Diet
Lemon cake is a moist, creamy, and festive dessert loved during celebrations like Easter or Christmas. Made from all-purpose flour, eggs, lemon (juice and zest) and other basic baking ingredients, the lemon cake is a sweet and tangy treat that lights up any and every celebration.
With its bright, citrusy flavours, lemon cake remains a popular Easter dessert, ideal for welcoming warmer weather after winter, often featuring in, or as, a centrepiece for gatherings. There are three main types of lemon cake: bundt cakes, drizzle cakes, and layered cakes, which are frequently garnished with icing, zest, or candies. This lemon cake recipe is for a more festive-style bake, with three layers and frosting. However, if you just want to know how to make lemon cake but don’t want something too complicated, stick to a single layer or skip the frosting completely.
Lemon cake is one of those desserts that stores well in the fridge and is not overtly complicated (requires patience, not special equipment). It also helps that this one is a bona fide crowd-pleaser, because it’s moist, tender crumb cuts through the sweetness, making for a beautifully layered dessert. So this Easter, grab your baking pans and mixers, measure out your ingredients, and let the citrusy scent of lemon and the warmth of a freshly baked cake envelop your kitchen (and home).
Preheat the oven to 177°C. Now, grease cake pans and line them with round parchment papers. Then, grease the papers too. This helps release the cake seamlessly from the pans.
Description - Step 2
Mix the dry ingredients
Take a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk it all together and set aside. Now, with a handheld or stand mixer (with a whisk or paddle attachment), beat the butter and sugar on high speed till it is smooth and creamy. This can take about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
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Make the batter
Once the sugar and butter are mixed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the vanilla extract. Now, on low speed, add the dry ingredients in batches, alternating with milk. Then add lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until just combined—do not overmix.
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Bake the cakes
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for around 21–26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. If a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, your cake is ready. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool on the wire rack.
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Make the frosting
Use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer (with a whisk or paddle attachment) and a bowl with butter. Beat the butter on medium speed for two minutes, until it's smooth and creamy. Repeat with the cream cheese. Then, turn the mixer speed to low and add the remaining ingredients. Now, increase to high speed and beat for three minutes, till it’s smooth and the right consistency to spread (not too thin or too thick). If it’s too sweet, add a pinch of salt.
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Assemble the cakes
Slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife. Now, place the cake on a flat surface and top it with a cup of frosting. Make sure to evenly cover the top of the cake. Then, place the second cake on top. Layer it with frosting again, before adding the final cake on top. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides.
Description - Step 7
Chill and serve
Let the cake chill in the refrigerator for 35-40 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
Your lemon cake can turn dry if it is overbaked. To avoid overbaking, check for doneness early using a toothpick. Also, using only lemon juice instead of zest limits oil-based flavour and moisture.
Increase the amount of lemon zest in the batter and use a lemon syrup soak (juice and sugar) on the warm cake.
There can be different reasons for this, but common causes include using a pan that is too small, overmixing the batter, or underbaking.
If you add cold eggs to butter/sugar, the cake batter can split. Use room temperature ingredients to prevent this, but if it happens, add a spoonful of flour to help bring it back together.