This Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream recipe is a moist and fluffy recipe, which is made with lemon zest and milk. It’s the perfect celebration cake, ready in about 3.5 hours (including cooling time).
Jump to RecipeLemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cup milk
For the Lemon Meringue Buttercream:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- Fresh raspberries, for decorating
How To Make Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream
- Prep Oven and Make Cake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Finish the Batter: Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix well. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Bake and Cool the Cakes: Pour the batter equally into the 2 pans. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Make the Buttercream Base: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan. In the bowl of a stand mixer (that can fit over the saucepan), whisk the sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt by hand.
- Cook and Whip the Base: Set the bowl over the simmering water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is light in texture and has cooled completely.
- Finish the Buttercream and Assemble: With the mixer still running, beat in the room-temperature butter, a little at a time, until the icing is smooth and spreadable.
- Frost and Serve: Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread with approximately 1/4 of the frosting. Top with the second layer and frost the top and sides of the entire cake. Decorate with fresh raspberries.
Recipe Tips
- Why is my buttercream curdled or soupy? This is a common issue with this style of frosting! It happens if the butter is too cold or too warm, or if the egg yolk mixture is not completely cool. The solution is almost always to just keep whipping. Keep the mixer on medium-high for another 5-10 minutes. It will look like a broken mess, then suddenly, it will come together into a silky, smooth buttercream.
- How do I get a fluffy lemon cake? Using room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, milk) is essential. This allows the ingredients to emulsify, creating a smooth batter that traps air, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake.
- Can I make this frosting ahead of time? Yes. This buttercream can be made, transferred to an airtight container, and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before using, let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours until it’s soft, then re-whip it in your mixer for 5 minutes until it’s light and smooth again.
- Why did my cake sink in the middle? This is a very rich, buttery cake. The most common reasons for sinking are: 1) Opening the oven door too early, which causes the delicate structure to collapse, or 2) The cake was underbaked, and the center wasn’t fully set.
What To Serve With Lemon Cake
This cake is a rich, elegant centerpiece. It pairs best with simple, complementary flavors.
- A hot cup of tea (like Earl Grey or chamomile)
- A glass of sparkling wine (like Prosecco)
- A small scoop of raspberry sorbet
How To Store Lemon Cake
- Refrigerate: Because the frosting is made with egg yolks and a large amount of butter, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Keep it in a cake dome or airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Serve: This cake tastes much better at room temperature. Let it sit out for 1-2 hours before serving to allow the butter in the cake and frosting to soften.
Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream Nutrition Facts
(Per slice, assuming 16 slices)
- Calories: ~580 kcal
- Total Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 23g
- Cholesterol: 190mg
- Sodium: 280mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 56g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 42g
- Protein: 5g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
The title is a bit confusing! This is a “Sablé” or “German” style buttercream base, which uses cooked egg yolks (not egg whites, which are used in a meringue). It’s a rich, yellow, tangy frosting, very different from a light, white meringue.
Absolutely. If you don’t want to make the egg yolk buttercream, a simple American buttercream (butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice) or a classic cream cheese frosting would also be delicious.
Yes. This step is essential. It dissolves the sugar completely (so the frosting isn’t gritty) and, more importantly, it gently pasteurizes the egg yolks, making them safe to eat.
Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
servings45
minutes55
minutes580
kcalA rich, moist, and tender lemon layer cake with a silky, tangy, and decadent buttercream made from cooked egg yolks.
Ingredients
Cake: 3 sticks unsalted butter (room temp), 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups sugar, 5 extra-large eggs (room temp), 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 cup milk
Frosting: 1 1/4 cups sugar, 5 large egg yolks, 3 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, Pinch salt, 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter (room temp, cubed), Fresh raspberries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease, line, and flour two 9-inch pans.
- Cream 3 sticks butter and 2 cups sugar. Beat in 5 eggs one at a time. Add 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp zest.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Alternate adding the dry mixture and the milk to the batter (begin and end with dry).
- Divide batter into pans and bake for 45-55 minutes. Cool completely.
- Frosting: Whisk sugar, 5 egg yolks, 3 tsp lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt in a stand mixer bowl over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves (1-2 min).
- Transfer bowl to the mixer and whip on high for 10 minutes until thick, pale, and completely cool.
- On low speed, add the room-temp butter, one piece at a time. Once all butter is in, beat on high until smooth. (It may curdle first—just keep beating!)
- Frost the cooled cake and decorate with raspberries.
Notes
- This advanced buttercream requires all ingredients to be at the correct temperature. The egg yolk mixture must be fully cooled, and the butter must be at room temperature.
- If the frosting looks curdled, just keep beating on high speed; it will come together.
- The cake layers must be 100% cool before frosting.
- Store the finished cake in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature for best flavor.
