This 6 inch sunshine citrus cake cures the cold weather blues with bright flavor, a light and springy cake crumb, and creamy whipped frosting. This whipped frosting is lightly sweetened, so it doesn’t overpower the cake’s tangy citrus flavor. Use lemon, orange, and/or lime juice and zest in the cake batter and don’t forget the homemade lemon curd!
This is Sunshine on a Cake Stand
I endlessly tested this cake recipe during a week of freezing rain and ice, taste tested the final version with a few friends as snow fell outside, and photographed the cake on a cold day with 40mph wind slamming against my window. And so we’re calling it sunshine citrus cake because nothing is more fitting as we yearn for warmer, brighter days ahead!
Sunshine Citrus Cake Details
- Flavor: If you love the sweet, sour, and refreshing flavor of fresh citrus fruits, you will fall in love with today’s cake recipe. Cream butter and sugar together for a minute before adding fresh orange, lemon, and lime zest. In this creaming step, we’re infusing flavor right into the base of the cake. Add fresh-squeezed juice into the batter when you add milk. We’ll also prepare fresh lemon curd which you’ll mix with whipped frosting to fill the cake. You have control over the citrus used, so if you want to skip the orange– go right ahead! You can also add grapefruit, use blood orange, or stick with plain lemon.
- Texture: The crumb is light and springy, but still holds up nicely to the creamy whipped frosting.
- Size: This is a 6-inch 3 layer cake. 6 inch cakes are massively popular right now because they’re a more manageable size. If you have a small family or gathering, there’s not as much leftover plus the smaller size makes for easier assembling, decorating, and serving. If you don’t have 6 inch cake pans, they’re a wonderful size to consider. I use and love (affiliate link) these 6 inch pans. And if you visit my 6 inch cake recipes page, you’ll find dozens of recipes to try!
- Ease: Even though the round layer cake is a smaller size than a traditional 9-inch cake, there are a few steps requiring your focus including making the lemon curd, carefully whipping the frosting, and applying a crumb coat.
Three Parts to Sunshine Citrus Cake & Why This Recipe Works
This recipe combines citrus cake layers, a lemon curd-infused whipped frosting filling, and plain whipped frosting around the exterior.
- Lemon Curd: Have you ever made lemon curd before? If you’ve prepared lemon bars or lemon meringue pie, you’ve tasted something like it. Lemon curd is a deliciously tangy, creamy, and sweet topping you make on the stovetop that you can pair with scones, quick breads, crepes, and so much more. Homemade lemon curd tastes approximately 1,000x better than store-bought and you only need 5 ingredients to make it. (And all of those ingredients are also needed in the cake! How convenient!) Prepare the lemon curd first because it must cool and thicken. Do you want to use other citrus in the curd? See recipe note below. The pictured cake has orange zest in the curd.
- Citrus Cake Layers: The cake recipe comes from my perfect lemon cupcakes and lemon blueberry cupcakes. The batters are nearly identical except today we’re using a little more flour, plus a combination of citrus and infusing citrus zest into the creamed butter/sugar mixture. Most cupcake recipes yielding 12-15 cupcakes make the perfect amount of batter for a 3 layer 6 inch cake. One dozen cupcakes usually takes about 3-4 cups of cake batter, which divides perfectly between 3 6 inch cake layers.
- Whipped Frosting: Have you tried this not-so-sweet whipped frosting yet? Now is your chance. We’re mixing some of the frosting with lemon curd, which will be the cake’s filling.
For Anyone Interested in the Recipe Testing!
I started with my lemon layer cake recipe. This is an older recipe published on my website and over the past year, I modified it by using smaller cake pans (for thicker layers), more leavener (for fluffier, taller cakes), and whole milk instead of buttermilk (less acidity). You can see those changes in the recipe now. But once I started substituting some lemon zest/juice for other citrus, the flavor disappeared. I find that cake is best as lemon. Period.
I continued testing white cake batters with cake flour and egg whites. (Ingredients I love using in my fluffy white cake.) Results were disappointing. I do NOT want you to use cake flour in this recipe because somehow– and I learned this from multiple rounds of testing– cake flour cannot hold up to the fresh juice unless you add more chemical leavener than you think you need (which can affect the taste) or use less liquid (which produces a thicker batter and denser cake). Using only egg whites dried out the cake and overall, I couldn’t get enough citrus flavor into such a large cake. I guess I have high citrus standards!
Lemon cupcake batter and 6 inch cake pans to the rescue. What a triumph.
Step-by-Step Photos
Make the lemon curd and then let it cool and thicken completely:
I like this cake flavored with a variety of citrus. You will have between 3.5 – 4 cups of batter and it will be slightly thick with some small lumps:
Prepare your 6 inch cake pans by lightly greasing them, lining each with parchment paper rounds, and then lightly greasing the parchment paper. I just use nonstick spray.
After the cakes bake and cool, prepare your whipped frosting with just 4 ingredients—cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. You will have about 3.5 cups of frosting. Stir 3 Tablespoons of your lemon curd into just under half of your frosting:
The lemon curd portion of your whipped frosting is the cake’s filling. If you have leftover lemon curd frosting, use it on the exterior of the cake. Apply a crumb coat, which is a thin layer of frosting that “catches” any crumbs, and then refrigerate the cake. Chilling the filled crumb-coated cake establishes its structure. Without time in the refrigerator, your filled and frosted cake will fall apart.
Add the remaining frosting on your chilled crumb-coated cake and if you have any leftover, feel free to pipe some on top. You can even tint the frosting yellow, green, or orange with gel food coloring. The cake pictured above does not have those details, but you can see the piping here with a Wilton 1M tip:
Helpful Tools for Citrus Cake
These are products I use and love and the links below are affiliate links. Most (but not all) of these tools are optional, so you can still make the recipe without them.
- Double Boiler: Cook the lemon curd over indirect heat using a double boiler on the stove. Lemon curd may have a metallic aftertaste if you cook it in a metal double boiler. It’s a result of the eggs and lemon reacting with the pan, but is easily avoidable! Use a non-metal double boiler (this one has a porcelain insert) or the glass bowl option I mention in the recipe notes (but make sure it’s heatproof glass, like Pyrex).
- Silicone Whisk: You can get away without many of the items in this list, but I do strongly recommend a silicone whisk for the curd. Metal whisks can leave an aftertaste.
- 6×2 Inch Cake Pans: I use and love these 6 inch round cake pans. If you do not have 6 inch pans and still want to make this recipe, turn the cake into cupcakes. See detailed notes below.
- Citrus Zester or Grater: A good portion of flavor comes from the citrus zest in the lemon curd and in the cake batter, so this tool is a necessity. I use and love this citrus zester. A cheese grater on a fine grating setting or a microplane work too.
- Citrus Juicer: Of course you can just squeeze out the juice by hand, but if you love baking or cooking with citrus or enjoy fresh-squeezed juice, a citrus juicer is convenient!
- Cake Turntable: A cake turntable makes it easy to frost the sides of a cake when applying the crumb coat and final layer of frosting. You can watch me use it in the video below. The green one I use is no longer available.
- Bench Scraper: I like to run a bench scraper around the sides of the cake to smooth out the frosting. This works for any size cake. If you’ve never used one before to decorate a cake, you can watch me use it in the video below. They’re very handy!
- Icing Spatula(s): Use a small icing spatula for spreading the frosting between the layers and on top of the cake. I also use a larger flat icing spatula before using the bench scraper. Icing spatulas are optional, but if you decorate cakes and cupcakes often, they’re great tools.
- Small Cake Stand: I bought the pictured yellow cake stand from Home Goods a few years ago. Look for a cake stand that’s about 8 inches in diameter so it can fit the 6 inch size with a little room to spare.
That was a lot of information to prep you! If you made it down this far, you’re completely ready to begin this recipe. I hope you love this drop of sunshine.
See Your Sunshine Citrus Cakes!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
Print
Sunshine Citrus Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour (plus lemon curd cooling)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sunshine citrus cake cures the cold weather blues with bright flavor, a light and springy cake crumb, and creamy whipped frosting. Be sure to set aside enough time to prepare the lemon curd in advance.
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (86g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Cake
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons citrus zest (combination of lemon, orange, and lime or other, see note)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80ml) freshly squeezed citrus juice (combination of lemon, orange, and lime or other, see note)
Whipped Frosting
- 6 ounces (170g) block full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature (not cream cheese spread)
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (very cold!)
- optional: sliced citrus fruits or citrus twists to garnish
Instructions
- Make the lemon curd: Fill the bottom pot of your double boiler with 1-2 inches of water. (Or use the DIY double boiler method listed in the notes.) Place on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat to keep the water at a simmer. Place egg yolks, egg, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a silicone whisk (avoid metal because it leaves an aftertaste), whisk until completely blended and then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick and is the consistency of hollandaise sauce or a really thick soup, about 10 minutes or when an instant read thermometer reaches 160°F (71°C). If curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk. Remove pan from heat. Cut the butter into 6 separate pieces and then whisk into the curd until butter has melted and combined. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd. This prevents a skin from forming on top. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Place in refrigerator to speed up cooling. Once cool, the plastic wrap can be removed. Refrigerate the curd for up to about 10 days or for longer storage, you can freeze the cooled curd for up to 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying. Makes 1 heaping cup.
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 6-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then add the citrus zest. Beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add half of the flour mixture (just eyeball it), half of the milk, and half of the citrus juice. Beat on low speed until mostly combined, and then add the remaining flour mixture, milk, and citrus juice. Beat on low speed until combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick with some small lumps. You will have between 3.5 – 4 cups of batter.
- Divide and pour batter evenly into cake pans. If batter appears to have bubbles, give the pans a light tap on the counter to pop them. Bake cakes for 18-21 minutes or until baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans and set them on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the whipped frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, and then beat on medium speed until combined and completely smooth (absolutely no lumps), at least 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to smooth out. Switch to a whisk attachment (if you haven’t already been using it). Turn the mixer to low speed and with the mixer running, carefully pour in the cream in a slow and steady stream. After all of the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until thick and stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Do not walk away during this time and do not be concerned if your frosting takes longer to whip. You’re looking for a thick, airy consistency with stiff peaks. If your frosting appears soupy now or at any point you are working with it, it needs more whipping to introduce more air. If your frosting appears chunky or curdled, it’s over-whipped. To fix, stir 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream into the frosting by hand to smooth out again. You will have about 3.5 cups of frosting.
- Make lemon curd frosting filling: Spoon 1 cup of frosting (about 240ml) into a separate bowl. Stir in 3 heaping Tablespoons of cooled lemon curd. This will be your filling for the cake. Enjoy remaining lemon curd drizzled on the cake slices or as a topping on other baked goods.
- Assemble & crumb coat the cake: First, make sure you have enough room for the cake inside your refrigerator because it must chill at the end of this step and briefly in the next step as well. If the cake layers aren’t flat on top, carefully and slowly level them off using a large serrated knife. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with 1/2 of the lemon curd frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with remaining lemon curd frosting (if you have extras, just use it on the exterior of the cake). Top with the third cake layer. Spread a very thin layer of regular whipped frosting on top and all around the sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. A bench scraper and small icing spatula are handy for this. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Add remaining frosting on chilled crumb-coated cake using a small icing spatula or a larger flat icing spatula. Use a bench scraper, if desired, to smooth out the sides. Refrigerate the decorated cake uncovered for at least 30 minutes to help set the frosting. After that, if you used a cake turntable, you can carefully transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate using a couple flat spatulas.
- After 30 minutes in the refrigerator, the decorated cake is fine to slice and serve or sit out at room temperature for a few hours. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: To make the lemon curd ahead of time or to freeze it, see end of step 1. The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Making the frosting ahead of time can be tricky because it doesn’t sit well in the bowl overtime. Instead, make the frosting and use it immediately on the cake. After you finish decorating the cake in step 9, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes as instructed. You can extend this time up to 1 full day. After 2 hours, though, I recommend lightly covering the cake. (Note that covering this frosting can get messy and I haven’t found a workaround for that.) Let cold cake sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.
- Freezing Instructions: Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. To freeze the frosted cake, refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set the frosting, and then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw your cake at room temperature.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 6-Inch Round Cake Pans | Double Boiler | Silicone Whisk | Citrus Zester or Microplane | Citrus Juicer | Cake Turntable | Bench Scraper | Small Icing Spatula | Large Flat Icing Spatula
- Eggs & Citrus in the Lemon Curd: I typically prepare lemon curd using 4 egg yolks, however I find the final consistency thicker when using 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg– that is reflected in the recipe above. You can make the lemon curd as written, but if you’d like to switch citrus flavors, I recommend a 1:1 substitution with lime juice and zest. If you want to make grapefruit or orange curd, I recommend only substituting half of the lemon juice/zest. Make sure you use fresh-squeezed citrus.
- DIY Double Boiler for Curd: If you do not own a double boiler, you can simply place a small heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water– you will cook the curd in the top pot/bowl.
- Best Citrus to Use in Cake: This cake is best with just lemon, just lime, or a combination of both or either of those with another citrus such as orange, blood orange, or grapefruit. I don’t recommend skipping the lemon or lime because other citrus flavors don’t come through very much on their own. I like using an equal combination of lemon, lime, and orange.
- Cream Cheese in Frosting: Do not use cream cheese spread and do not use the entire 8 ounce block– you only need 6 ounces. Make sure it is full fat. I have best luck with Philadelphia brand cream cheese in this frosting.
- Amount of Cake Batter & Other Size Cakes or Cupcakes: This recipe yields between 3.5 – 4 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. Because of its light yet moist texture, this cake is best as a layer cake or as cupcakes. I have not tested this as a 1 layer 9-inch cake. For a 3 layer 8-inch cake, I recommend making this lemon layer cake instead and scaling up the frosting by using one 8-ounce (225g) block cream cheese, 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) heavy cream. Keep the lemon curd amount the same since this recipe makes plenty. Feel free to use a combination of citrus in that cake, but be warned that no flavor comes through quite like lemon. I strongly encourage you to keep that cake as a lemon flavored cake. For 1 dozen cupcakes, fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 18-22 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when they’re done. After cupcakes cool, carve a hole in the center (like I do for these chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes) and fill with 1 heaping teaspoon lemon curd. Top with whipped frosting. Feel free to mix some lemon curd into the frosting, too.
Keywords: citrus cake
This cake was absolutely delightful in taste – moist and had a nice sponge! If you are not a fan of incredibly rich, sweet icing
like traditional buttercream but just enjoy the hint of sweetness the icing is exactly what you are needing and pairs perfectly with this cake’s citrus flavor. Follow the pro tips – they are so helpful in ensuring you get the right consistency for both the cake and the icing. Quite the party pleaser and such a nice way to welcome in spring!
★★★★★
This recipe honestly made me nervous, but once again, Sally’s clear directions left me with a win. I made a half recipe of frosting for the cupcakes, and that was about right.
★★★★★
this was awesome!! made it as a bday cake for my mum – who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth – and she thought it was excellent. my seven-year-old lil sis was also able to help with the mixing and decorating – the only part i would keep her away from is making the curd.
i didn’t let the cream cheese cool because it turns into soup when i do that (maybe because it’s summer here), and i mixed everything by hand. that worked well for me 🙂
★★★★★
If I wanted to use a full 8oz block of cream cheese, should I adjust the other ingredients for the frosting at all?
Hi Gilliann! You could certainly use all 8 ounces and the frosting will have more cream cheese flavor.
I absolutely loved this recipe! It was so delicious and the citrus flavor was outstanding. The whipped frosting was light and silky, it paired beautifully with the cake. I added lemon curd in between the layers of cake since I love lemon. Great recipe Sally!
★★★★★
This recipe came out at a perfect time – my husband loves citrus flavors – and his birthday was yesterday. We loved the flavor of this cake. I only own one 6 inch cake pan, so it took me a little longer than I expected (but I just ordered 2 more pans). My curd actually never really set well. I have made your curd before and it came out great. Since mine was loose, I used a little less in the filling so it would not be too soupy. I also used a straw in the middle of the cakes to make sure they didn’t slide. I would definitely make this again – as I said flavors were excellent, but I am not sure my textures were right.
★★★★
I was wondering if the cake is suppose to rise to the top of the six inch pans? Mine seemed to only fill up half?
Maybe that has something to do with letting my 4 year old and 1 year old help
Hi Leah! The cakes aren’t meant to rise all the way to the tops of a 2 inch pan. How does the texture seem? If it’s light and fluffy then your cakes are perfect!
The whipped frosting was of particular difficulty for me, so I made another cake with buttercream frosting and had better luck frosting it. The flavors are so bright and delightful! Homemade lemon curd is absolutely delicious as well.
★★★★
In love with this recipe! I’ve never attempted lemon curd I’ll til today, but the family is so happy I did. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Sally, if I don’t have any other option than to make the frosting ahead of time, would it be okay? If that’s still a dealbreaker I’ll try to figure something out. Thank you! Sally is the best!!
Hi Kelly, making this frosting ahead of time can be tricky because it doesn’t sit well in the bowl over time. See recipe notes for our recommended make ahead instructions!
Hi! I have 7 inch pans not 6 inch do you think I could still get away with the three layers using my 7 inch?
Hi Laura, you could but the layers will be quite thin. You may want to bake only 2 layers with your 7-inch pans. Let me know what you try out!
This cake is AMAZING! I don’t usually care much for citrus, so I didn’t have super high expectations, but this cake blew me away. And the frosting is incredible. Definitely can’t wait to make this cake again!
★★★★★
The whipped frosting and lemon curd for this are delicious! The cake is also super refreshing. Easy to follow instructions as well. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, Sally!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I love your recipes.
Can the citrus cake stay in refrigerator or sit on counter?
Hi Sheila, see step 10 and make ahead instructions in the recipe notes for storage details. Happy baking!
I only have 2 6in cake pans. Would you recommend using the full recipe with only two layers and bake longer, or adjust the recipe to 2/3, or bake 2 and save batter in the fridge and bake the third after the first batch is finished?
Hi Allie! We would still make three layers – the last third of batter can be covered at room temperature until a pan is ready to bake it in. Enjoy!
Would it be possible to bake the cake layers one after the other? My guess is it wouldn’t be advisable for the batter to sit so long, but unfortunately, I don’t own 3 equal cake pans. What could I do in a pinch?
Thanks so much!
Hi Sina, that’s absolutely doable and I’ve done it many times before when I’m short on pans. Let the unused batter sit lightly covered at room temperature. Give it a stir and then fill your cake pan when it’s ready again. Tap filled cake pan on the counter to rid any air bubbles.
That’s great advice, thank you so much!
My husband’s birthday is this weekend and this would be the perfect cake 🙂
this looks soooo good! i did something similar to this for my dad’s birthday, except it was dark chocolate frosting with orange infused cake. I’m definitely using this recipe!
Hi Sally! I only have two 8-inch cake pans. Would this recipe work for a 2-layer 8 inch cake?
Thanks!
Hi Taylor, that could work, but there still likely isn’t enough batter. The layers will be very thin. You can make a 3 layer 8-inch cake though– see note above.
Sally, this recipe looks so delicious and I absolutely love citrus flavors and fruits. I was wondering if I could make a two layer 9inch cake instead of a three layer 6inch layer cake. Would I adjust the oven time or temp?
Thank you Cindy! I do not recommend 2 9-inch cake pans. See detailed recipe note to either make a 3 layer 8 inch cake or use this recipe for cupcakes. No change to the oven temperature.
I recently passed on one of your recipes to a friend. She noted that the flour amount is given in grams and cups with the note to spoon and level. Is the amount of flour in grams identical to the amount in the spoon and level cup amount?
Hi Jan! When measured properly, the two should be the same.
This cake was AMAZING. The citrus flavors pair so well with the whipped frosting! It was also my first time making lemon curd and I was surprised at how simple it was.
★★★★★
Can’t wait to try the lemon citrus cake (or muffins). I have always wondered whether one can substitute salted butter for unsalted, in recipes?
Thanks for your ongoing fabulous recipes.
Hi Janet! We have a helpful post on the difference between salted and unsalted butter in baking – hope it’s helpful 🙂
Hi Sally, my husband loves anything citrus so this cake has his name written all over it ! Question When you publish new layer cake recipe’s can you include how much batter (in ounces) to put in each pan? On that note how much batter do I put in each pan for this recipe?
What a great idea for going forward! This recipe makes about 3.5 cups (or slightly more) so each cake pan will have just over 1 cup.
I second this request! Having the weight for the batter in each pan makes it so much easier to get even layers.
I fell in love with his recipe because I just love citrus flavors.
Does this recipe fit in a Bundt pan or do I need to make any adjustments? If so, how does it work?
This recipe doesn’t yield enough batter for a regular large Bundt pan. However, I’m sure you could divide it up to make mini cakes with a mini Bundt pan. For a citrus Bundt cake, try this lemon poppy seed Bundt! You could use a variety of citrus in that recipe too.
Thank you for your reply. I’ll check the recipe you suggested and I’ll try the recipe on reference with the minis bundts.
I appreciated it.
I recently made the Lemon Poppy Seed cake Sally referenced below. It is divine. The only change I made was to use 2 TLBS of poppy seeds rather than the full 1/4 cup. I used a full size bundt pan I am sure it would work in the mini bundt pan as well. You would probably get a least a dozen little cakes.
Question: In the recipe you call for a 6 oz. block of cream cheese. Did you mean 8 oz. or 6 oz. ?
Hi Melanie, you need 6 ounces of block cream cheese– not the full 8 ounce block. You could certainly use all 8 ounces and the frosting will have more cream cheese flavor.
Hi Sally,
I started baking during lock down and really rather enjoy it. I love the look of this recipe, however, I am allergic to cheese. Can you suggest an alternative for the frosting.
Many thanks.
Could you do a regular buttercream, such as lemon buttercream? Or even this Swiss meringue buttercream?
6” x ? pans.
Exact size, please
Hi Peggy, you can see this in the recipe– three 6×2 inch cake pans. Though 6×1.5 or 6×3 inch would be fine as well.
Can you use already prepared lemon curd for this recipe?
Absolutely. But I encourage you to try homemade. It tastes wonderful!
Can I use Meyer Lemon only?
Absolutely!
Hello Sally,
I love your recipe and had never made a cake from scratch until I was looking for something to do during the Covid lockdown. Before, I had only made Box cakes that I doctored.
I’m eager to try this new citrus cake. Question: can I use 2, 9” cake pans?
Hi Teresa, isn’t it wonderful to expand your baking skills? So excited to read this! I do not recommend 2 9-inch cake pans. See detailed recipe note to either make a 3 layer 8 inch cake or use this recipe for cupcakes.
Could you provide the vertical measurement once the cake is assembled? I need to buy a cake carrier for this. Thank you.
Hi Amanda, the cake is roughly 7 inches high without garnishes on top.
I am currently vacationing in the Sunshine State of Florida so I had to make this cake! I cheated and used store bought lemon curd and substituted GF flour and had to settle on 2 layers due to not having my cake pans from home but the cake definitely lives up to its name! Thank you!! Delicious!
★★★★★
This recipe is amazing! The lemon curd and the frosting is just divine!
I made it for my husband’s birthday and he said it tasted spot on!!
★★★★★