Spring Birthday Lemon Curd (Printable)

Tender vanilla sheet cake with tangy lemon curd and whipped cream frosting, ideal for festive spring gatherings.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
10 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Lemon Curd Filling

11 - 4 large egg yolks
12 - ½ cup granulated sugar
13 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
14 - Zest of 2 lemons
15 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed

→ Whipped Cream Frosting

16 - 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
17 - ½ cup powdered sugar
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

19 - Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
20 - Edible flowers or lemon zest curls

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest until fully combined.
05 - Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.
07 - While the cake cools, combine egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in cubed butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold.
08 - Whip chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
09 - Once the cake is completely cool, carefully slice it horizontally to create two layers. Remove the top layer and spread the chilled lemon curd evenly over the bottom layer. Replace the top layer.
10 - Spread the whipped cream frosting evenly over the assembled cake. Decorate with fresh berries, edible flowers, or lemon zest curls as desired.
11 - Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 1 hour before serving to ensure clean slices.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The homemade lemon curd is tangy enough to cut through richness, making every bite feel bright instead of heavy.
  • It's forgiving enough that even if your cake layers aren't perfectly even, the frosting and filling hide a multitude of kitchen sins.
  • You can make components ahead, so the actual assembly becomes almost meditative on celebration day.
02 -
  • The lemon curd will break if your heat is too high or you stop stirring—treat it like you're coaching something fragile through a difficult moment, and it'll reward you.
  • Whipped cream frosting weeps if you serve the cake at room temperature, so keep this cake cold and slice with a hot, wet knife for clean edges that make people think you went to culinary school.
03 -
  • If your cake layers are uneven, don't panic—that's exactly what the lemon curd is for, it acts like glue and hides the evidence of your knife work.
  • Brush each cake layer with a simple lemon syrup (equal parts lemon juice and sugar, heated until combined and cooled) before adding the curd for extra lemon flavor that makes people ask what you did differently.
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