Introduction:
Lemon Velvet Cake is a refreshing twist on traditional velvet cakes, known for their light, fluffy texture. This delightful cake is infused with fresh lemon flavor and a subtle tanginess that pairs perfectly with a rich, creamy cream cheese frosting. With its vibrant yellow color and zesty taste, it’s a dessert that’s as beautiful as it is delicious, perfect for spring and summer gatherings, birthdays, or any special occasion.
Ingredients Breakdown:
- For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A few drops of yellow food coloring (optional)
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Step-by-Step Recipe:
- Prepare the Cake Batter:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. - Cream the Butter and Sugar:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, oil, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. - Add the Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk:
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. - Add Lemon and Color:
Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and food coloring (if using) until the batter is smooth and well mixed. - Bake the Cake:
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. - Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
While the cakes are cooling, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Stir in the vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest for extra flavor. - Assemble the Cake:
Once the cakes are completely cooled, spread a generous layer of frosting on top of one layer. Place the second cake layer on top, then frost the entire cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting. For a decorative finish, add lemon zest or candied lemon slices on top. - Serve:
Slice the cake and serve at room temperature or chilled. Each bite offers a heavenly combination of soft lemon cake and tangy cream cheese frosting.
Tips for the Perfect Lemon Velvet Cake:
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice:
Fresh lemon juice gives the cake a vibrant, authentic lemon flavor. Avoid bottled lemon juice for the best results. - Cake Flour is Key:
Cake flour helps create a tender, velvety crumb. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make a substitute by replacing 2 tablespoons of every cup of all-purpose flour with cornstarch. - Chill the Cake Before Slicing:
Chilling the cake for about 30 minutes before slicing will help the frosting set and make for cleaner cuts.
Variations and Customizations:
- Lemon Blueberry Velvet Cake:
Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter for a lemon-blueberry twist. - Lemon Coconut Velvet Cake:
Sprinkle shredded coconut between the cake layers and on top for added texture and flavor. - Gluten-Free Option:
Substitute the cake flour with a gluten-free baking mix to make this cake gluten-free.
Health Considerations and Nutritional Value:
- Calories: Approximately 450-500 calories per slice, depending on portion size and frosting thickness.
- Dietary Note: This cake contains dairy, gluten, and eggs, so it may not be suitable for those with allergies to these ingredients.
FAQ:
- Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the cake layers a day in advance and store them wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. Frost the cake before serving. - Can I freeze this cake?
You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and storing them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before frosting and serving. - How long does the cake stay fresh?
This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Lemon Velvet Cake
This Lemon Velvet Cake is soft, moist, and bursting with citrus flavor. Topped with a creamy lemon-infused frosting, it’s a must-try for lemon lovers.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (226g) We used one 8 oz package, full fat.
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter softened (168g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar 400g
- 4 large eggs room temperature (to save time you can warm them in a bowl of very warm water for 5 min)
- 3 cups cake flour- see Notes for substitution 342g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 3g
- ½ teaspoon salt 3g
- ¾ cup milk 175g
- ¼ cup lemon juice approximate amount in one small lemon
- ¼ cup vegetable oil we used canola oil (54g)
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Extract 10g
- Zest of two lemons
For the Lemon Curd Filling
- ¾ cup sugar 150g
- ¼ cup cornstarch 30g
- 1 cup water 236g
- 2 large egg yolks lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons butter 28g
- 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream 240g
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 29g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla 4g
For the Lemon Buttercream
- 3 sticks unsalted butter softened (33g)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract adjust amount to your liking (8g)(Check extract to make sure it still smells lemony.)
- Zest of 1 lemon optional
- 7 ½ cups powdered sugar 863g
- ¼ cup milk or more to reach the consistency you like 60g
- *Yellow Coloring Gel is Optional we used a touch of Americolor Lemon Yellow
Instructions
For the Lemon Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans. We like to line the bottom of our pans with circles of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Set aside.**It will take a on a thick, clumpy look- don’t worry- the lemon is basically turning the milk into buttermilk.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and cream cheese and mix at medium speed until smooth.
- Gradually add the sugar and mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (We did 3 additions of the dry mixture, 2 additions of wet). Slightly increase the mixer speed just until combined.
- Divide the batter between the three prepared pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack before turning out.
- This recipe makes approximately 8 cups of batter. Works for cupcakes also (although there will be little to no dome).
For the Lemon Curd
- Combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil (3-4 minutes). Boil, stirring, for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Spoon about ½ cup of the hot mixture into a small bowl with egg yolks and stir quickly until combined. Continue stirring, while pouring the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the curd is thickened and lemon colored (1-2 min).
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest.– Let the lemon curd cool, then press plastic wrap onto the surface, this will prevent a skin from forming on the top. Refrigerate.
- This will fill a 2-3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake with some leftover. The recipe can be halved.I have refrigerated the lemon curd for a week and it was fine….I’m not sure how long it will keep beyond that. Makes 1 ¼ cups
For the Whipped Cream
- Chill the mixing bowl and beaters/ whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Pour the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the chilled mixing bowl, begin beating on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed.
- The cream begins to thicken (approx. 1 ½ minutes) and soft peaks form….peaks that slightly bend over. Watch closely as this happens quickly. Do not over beat.
For the Lemon Buttercream
- In the bowl of your mixer beat the butter until smooth, blend in the lemon extract and zest.Add ½ of the powdered sugar and ½ of the milk and mix at medium speed until combined.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and gradually add the milk. You can also add a touch of lemon yellow coloring gel at this point if you would like more color.
- Mix at medium speed 3 to 5 minutes scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. At the end of mixing, slow down the mixer to very low speed for a minute or two, this will help to eliminate air pockets in the buttercream.
- Yield: 6 cups – enough to fill and frost a 3 layer 8 inch cakeCan be frozen in an air tight container for at least 3 months. Thaw on countertop and remixIf your buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Assembling the Cake
- Place the first cake layer on the cake plate or pedestal.
- Pipe a dam of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer, using a piping bag with the tip snipped away (or ziplock bag).
- Fill with a layer of lemon curd, followed by a layer of whipped cream. Top with the next cake layer and repeat steps with dam and filling.
- Top with the third cake layer and fill any remaining gaps between the cake layers with buttercream.
- Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm things up (optional).
- Frost the sides of the cake with the final coat of buttercream (I added ridges with a cake comb). Finally, I piped rosettes around the top edge of the cake using a 2D piping tip and filled the top with a thin layer of lemon curd.Chill the cake until within a couple of hours of serving.
Notes
Substitution for Cake Flour: (Using all purpose flour (plain in UK) to make Cake Flour) For each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend