This lemon curd cake is a simple, but nevertheless delicious, bake. It doesn’t really need any adornments. The lemon flavour shines through, but isn’t overly powerful. To change things up, swap the lemon curd for any fruit curd of your choice. Perfect for coffee mornings or afternoon tea.
When I was visiting home in Cornwall last summer, I made a cake. It was a very nice cake which I made up on the spur of the moment as my mum had a fridge full of lemon curd she’d made and she didn’t quite know what to do with it all.
Two of my aunts who I haven’t seen in a very long time were also staying, so there was a lot of catching up to do. There were also friends to see, so we had a little tea party and this simple lemon curd cake took the star role.
I’ve subsequently made it several times.
Dive Right In
- Why Make Lemon Curd Cake?
- Simple Lemon Curd Cake
- Ingredients
- How To Make Lemon Curd Cake
- Other Recipes For Simple Cakes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
Why Make This Lemon Curd Cake?
Apart from the fact this lemon curd cake is easy to make and delicious to eat, there are several other good reasons as to why you might want to bake it.
- Comfort Food – There’s something comforting about the combination of citrus flavours and soft, moist cake. It can uplift your mood and provide a sense of warmth and contentment, especially on a gloomy day.
- Crowd Pleaser – This lemon curd cake is really popular. The combination of lemon, lemon curd, and yogurt creates a zippy and refreshing flavour profile that is irresistible. A range of people have tried it so far and every single one of them has enjoyed it. Whether you serve it to family, friends or guests at a gathering, it’s likely to be a hit.
- Health Benefits – Whilst it’s still a cake, incorporating yoghurt and wholemeal spelt flour adds a touch of nutritional value. There’s plenty of fibre, calcium and probiotics. Plus, the lemon provides a dose of vitamin C.
- Homemade Goodness – Everyone loves a slice of homemade cake. With this one you can also include your own lemon curd to make it even more appealing.
- Love Food Hate Waste – If you have a half open jar of lemon curd, or any other fruit curd come to that, this cake is a great way to use it up. There’s nothing more depressing than seeing what was once a jar of deliciousness covered in mould.
- Perfect Texture – The yoghurt and lemon curd give this cake a wonderful tender but moist texture. It’s a joy to chew.
- Quick and Easy – Despite its delicious taste, lemon curd cake is relatively quick and easy to prepare. It’s a dream for both novice and experienced bakers, as it’s so simple there’s little to go wrong.
- Versatile – Because of its relative plainness, this lemon curd cake transports really well. This makes it perfect for picnics and potlucks as well as morning coffee or afternoon tea in the garden. Serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream and you also have a rather special dessert.
Simple Lemon Curd Cake
This lemon curd sponge has become my go-to cake when friends call around for tea. As long as I have lemon curd to hand, that is. It’s quick to prepare, has a lovely texture and tastes delicious. What more do you need?
The predominant flavour is, of course, lemon. The lemon and lemon curd give a bright and refreshing citrus taste that provides a delightful contrast to the sweetness of the cake. The yoghurt complements the lemon and weirdly stops the cake from being too sharp.
I love simple cakes like this. There’s nowhere for the sponge to hide as it’s not filled or covered with icing, ganache or anything else. So it has to have a good texture and taste good.
The real beauty of this bake though, is that you don’t have to use lemon curd in it. You can use any fruit curd you happen to have to hand or want to use up. I’ve made the one you can see here with my homemade grapefruit curd. I haven’t yet tried it with my blood orange curd, but I reckon it will be awesome.
Although I tend to think of this cake as a good way of using up a half jar of fruit curd, it’s almost worth making a batch specially. The cake is that good.
Ingredients
There are just three ingredients in this lemon curd cake that make it different to an ordinary sponge type bake. But they’re crucial to both the taste and texture of this gorgeous cake.
Flour
I use wholemeal spelt flour in this lemon curd cake. It’s not only nutritious and full of fibre but it’s easier to digest than modern wheat flours. And for wholemeal flour, it also gives a lovely light result.
You can find out why it’s such a lovely baking flour in this post, what is spelt flour and how to use it.
However, you can use ordinary wholemeal flour, other heritage flours or even plain white. If you’re new to wholemeal flour, try a half and half mix with plain white flour.
Lemon
Lemon enhances the citrus flavour in the lemon curd. You need both the zest and juice.
If making a lime curd cake or an orange curd cake, use limes or oranges instead of the lemon. But for most other curd cakes, stick with the lemon. I used it to make my grapefruit curd cake, as too much grapefruit zest and juice can be somewhat overpowering.
Lemon Curd
Homemade lemon curd is easy to make and far superior to the commercial stuff, in my humble opinion. But actually any lemon curd is fine for this cake. Use what you have or can easily get hold of.
Having stated lemon curd as one of the ingredients, you can use whatever type of fruit curd you like. Make a passionfruit curd cake, an orange curd cake or a lime curd cake. They’ll all be slightly different, but all delicious.
Dark coloured curds such as raspberry curd will give the sponge a browner look, but the taste will be worth it.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt gives flavour, body and rise to this lemon curd cake. It also helps to keep it nice and moist. Use natural yoghurt for preference. If you only have Greek yoghurt, use half water, half yoghurt.
How To Make Simple Lemon Curd Cake
It may look as though there are a lot of steps involved in making this lemon curd cake, but that’s only because I’ve broken them down. It really doesn’t take long to prepare at all.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Cream Butter
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. I use a wooden spoon, but it’s fine to use electric beaters if you prefer.
Top Tip
If your kitchen is cold, like mine usually is in the winter, it’s virtually impossible to get soft butter. So melt it instead. Or at least half melt it, you don’t want it to go completely or it will be impossible to cream.
I put the butter in a pan over a low heat and when nearly half of it has melted, I whip it off the heat and start creaming it with the sugar. It works a treat.
Step 2. Zest Lemon
Give your lemon a good scrub, then dry it with a clean cloth or piece of kitchen paper.
Grate the lemon zest into the bowl and then cream the mixture a bit more. This helps to impart that lemon flavour into the batter. A microplane (affiliated link) is ideal for zesting citrus.
Step 3. Add Curd and Eggs
Beat the lemon curd into the mixture until it’s well incorporated.
Next beat in the eggs, one by one. Again until they’re well mixed in.
Step 4. Add Flour
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. If there’s any bran left in the sieve, just tip it into the bowl. If the lumps are particularly large though, you might want to leave them out.
Stir until just combined.
Step 5. Add Yoghurt
Finally add the yoghurt and the juice from half the lemon. Stir until everything is just mixed and no streaks remain.
Step 6. Bake
Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8″) round cake tin and grease the sides. A loose-bottomed spring form tin (affiliate link) is ideal for this.
Using a silicone spatular, scrape the mixture into the tin and level the top.
Place in the centre of your preheated oven and bake until the top is firm to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, but leave the cake in the tin for ten minutes. This allows it to firm up a little. Release the cake and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7. Serve
Prior to serving, dust the top with a little icing or caster sugar, if liked. To up the anti a little, serve with fresh berries and crème fraîche or whipped cream.
It will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for around four days.
Other Recipes For Simple Cakes
- Apple & thyme cake
- Chocolate almond cake
- Jam almond cake
- Malted hot chocolate cake
- Remarkable rhubarb cake
- Walnut cake (gluten-free)
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this lemon curd cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for baking with fruit curd?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
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If you’d like more recipes using fruit curd, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Simple Lemon Curd Cake. PIN IT.
Simple Lemon Curd Cake
Equipment
- microplane (affiliate link) optional
Ingredients
- 175 g unsalted butter softened
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 1 lemon (organic if you can)
- 2 tbsp lemon curd or fruit curd of your choosing
- 2 eggs
- 200 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.175 g unsalted butter, 175 g golden caster sugar
- Grate in the lemon zest and cream a bit more.1 lemon
- Beat in the lemon curd.2 tbsp lemon curd
- Beat in the eggs, one by one.2 eggs
- Sift in the flour and baking powder, then add in any bran left in the sieve.200 g wholemeal spelt flour, 2 tsp baking powder
- Stir until just combined, then stir in the yoghurt and the juice from half the lemon.2 tbsp natural yoghurt
- Scrape the mixture into a lined and greased 20 cm (8″) round cake tin and level the top.
- Bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for about 40 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Leave in the tin for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Sprinkle with a little icing sugar or caster sugar, if liked.
Jean says
Well, what a lovely idea! I have an opened jar of lemon curd lurking in the fridge and this seems like a brilliant way of using some of it!
Thanks for the recipe.
Choclette says
Sounds like you’ve found a good way to use up your lemon curd. I hope you enjoy the cake. I was going to bake it again today, but didn’t quite get around to it.
sherry says
I love a citrus curd! This sounds delicious.
Choclette says
Citrus curds are so good and luckily quite easy to make.