I first made this lemon cake for my pre-birthday picnic in June and everyone loved it. I have now made it three more times upon request. That just tells how delicious the cake really is. It is my go-to summer cake recipe and I usually just make it off-heart. However, I have now gotten several Instagram DM’s asking me to share the recipe. Thus, I have created both a written and video recipe that is easy to follow
I personally enjoy baking, so when someone makes a request for a cake, I joyfully oblige. I love the taste of lemon in desserts, especially in the summer months as they are in season. Italy has some of the best and most delicious citrus fruits, rich in colour and so tasty. Making this cake was quite easy. Just a blitz of wet ingredients combined with sieved dried ingredients and viola a delicious outcome. That is a decadent lemon sponge cake.
You might also like this Strawberry Shortcake with Coulis.
I took the cake up a notch by layering it with cream cheese icing and fresh strawberries. Another delicious summer fruit perfect to cut down the sharp “zestiness” of the lemons. You can use whatever fruits that you fancy, but honestly, I think lemon and strawberries are an undefeated match.
Here’s the recipe:
Lemon cake with cream cheese and strawberries
Equipment
- Silicone cake mold
- Blender
Ingredients
- 150 g butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 lemon
- 250 g Strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
For cream cheese icing:
- 60 g cold butter (chopped in bits)
- 250 g cold cream cheese
- 1 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease a round (6 inches) pan with butter and set aside.
- Peel half of the lemon zest and place into a blender, add the eggs, milk, sugar, lemon juice and butter, then blitz.
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in the blended liquid mixture and mix together into a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan, place into the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool.
- In the meantime prepare the frosting by whipping the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Add the icing sugar in 3 parts continually whisking until smooth and creamy but not runny.
- Also, prepare the fruits, cut most of the strawberries in half, a couple into quarters and leave one or two whole. Cut the lemons into half and slice into half-moons. Set the fruits aside.
- Now the cake should be cool. Slice into three layers, you cake do this with a slicer, leveller or just a knife. Lay the first layer unto a flat dish with a small scope of cream cheese at the bottom to help keep the cake in place.
- Spread 1/4 of cream cheese frosting on top then place some halved strawberries all around the edges of the cake and place a few rough pieces in the middle with a little more frosting.
- Place the second layer of cake on top and spread a generous amount of the cream and follow with the last layer of cake.
- Place the remaining frosting on top and spread all over the whole cake (sides and top), it doesn't have to be perfect.
- Now start placing the remaining strawberries on top, across the middle of a cake (making sort of a line across).
- Finish by adding the slices of lemon to both sides of the strawberries. Slice and enjoy!
