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Mary Berry Lemon Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's lemon cake is a light, vivid two-layer lemon sponge with lemon curd filling and a lemon buttercream — the most completely lemon cake in this collection.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling and Assembly Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 510
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Lemon Sponge:
  • 225 g unsalted butter softened
  • 225 g golden caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 225 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp whole milk
  • Finely grated zest of 3 large unwaxed lemons
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Lemon Curd and Cream Filling:
  • 4 tbsp good quality lemon curd
  • 200 ml double cream cold
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Lemon Buttercream:
  • 200 g unsalted butter softened
  • 400 g icing sugar sifted twice
  • Juice of 2 large unwaxed lemons about 6 tbsp
  • Zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon
  • 1 –2 tbsp whole milk if needed
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • Decoration:
  • Thin lemon slices halved
  • Crystallised lemon peel or edible flowers optional
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm tins. Beat butter and sugar 4–5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and lemon zest. Sift in flour and baking powder. Add milk — fold gently. Divide between tins — weigh for even layers. Bake 20–24 minutes. Cool completely.
  2. Beat butter alone 4 minutes. Add icing sugar in 3 batches. Add lemon juice, zest, and salt — beat 2 more minutes. Add milk if needed.
  3. Whip cold cream, icing sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks. Fold lemon curd through with 2–3 strokes — swirled, not uniform.
  4. Place first sponge upside down on plate. Spread lemon curd cream. Top with second sponge.
  5. Apply thin crumb coat — refrigerate 15 minutes. Apply generous second coat — smooth with hot palette knife or textured with scraper.
  6. Arrange lemon slices around top edge. Dust edges lightly with icing sugar. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Slice.

Notes

Zest of 3 lemons in the sponge — 1 or 2 gives mild lemon, 3 gives vivid and unmistakable.
Lemon juice in the buttercream — 6 tbsp gives brightness and prevents excessive sweetness.
Crumb coat first — seals crumbs and gives a clean surface for the final coat.
Swirl lemon curd through cream — pockets of intense curd are more interesting than uniform mixing.
Beat butter alone for 4 minutes — creates the aerated base for a silky buttercream.
Freeze unfrosted sponge layers for up to 3 months.
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