Go Back
–+ servings
Thumbnail 24

Fluffy Lemon Sponge Cake with Creamy Lemon Frosting

This Lemon Sponge Cake is soft, fluffy, and packed with a creamy, tangy punch. Topped with lemon cream cheese frosting, it’s a zesty treat perfect for summer!
Author: Nick Makrides
4.75 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep 30 minutes
Cool 1 hour 45 minutes
Total 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 899 kcal

Ingredients

Cake

  • 260 g unsalted butter softened
  • 260 g caster sugar
  • 3 - 4 lemons zested and juiced
  • 7 g vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs room temperature (55g each)
  • 150 g Greek yogurt
  • 375 g all-purpose flour plain flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt

Frosting

  • 250 g unsalted butter softened (see notes)
  • 250 g full-fat cream cheese block not spreadable, chilled
  • 7 g vanilla extract
  • 155 g milk powder see notes
  • 310 g powdered sugar sieved
  • 1 lemon zested

Lemon Drizzle

  • 400 g powdered sugar sifted
  • 60 g lemon juice
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced to decorate

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat a fan-forced oven to 150C / 300F (170C / 340F for no fan). Spray two 20cm / 8-inch cake tins with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.
  • Cream sugar and butter - Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat together until pale and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
  • Add eggs - Scrape the bowl down. Add the lemon zest, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt and one egg. Beat until well combined. Repeat until all the egg are added.
  • Add dry ingredients - Add the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix using a spatula until well combined. It will look thick.
  • Bake - Split the mixture between the two cake tins. Use a spatula to even out. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Once baked, allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If your cake layers are domed, level them using a serrated knife to ensure even layers for assembly.

Frosting

  • Cream butter and cream cheese together - Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer. Mix on low speed to begin with, to help break up the cream cheese a little, then increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes to help combine the cream cheese and butter.
  • Add sugar and milk powder - After a couple of minutes, stop your mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula. Add the powdered sugar, milk powder and vanilla. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, then bring the speed back up to high. Continue beating on high speed, about 5 minutes, until your frosting is fluffy and turns pale in color. Scrape down the bowl, add the lemon zest and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. The frosting should be light and fluffy but stiff enough to hold its shape.

Drizzle

  • Run the powdered sugar through a sieve into a large mixing bowl. Add enough lemon juice to form a drizzle once mixed. The lemon drizzle should be thick but pourable, with a consistency that allows it to slowly drip down the sides of the cake without running off completely.

Let’s Decorate!

  • Layer the cake - Add a dab of frosting to your serving plate and spread around using a spatula or spoon. Add the first layer of cake. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip and pipe swirls of frosting on top. Then place the second layer of sponge on top.
  • Add lemon drizzle - add the drizzle on top of the cake. Focus on getting it in the centre and then use a spoon or spatula to spread it to the edges so that it slightly drips off the sides. Let it set a little, about 20 minutes.
  • Pipe swirls - pipe swirls on top and add wedges in the frosting right before serving as the acidity I the lemon could cause the frosting to split.

Video

Notes

Storage - This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
My Frosting is runny
  • You didn’t beat on high speed! It’s really important to make sure you beat this frosting on high speed. The only time you mix on low is when the dry ingredients have been added.
  • If it’s a warm day, like most frosting made mostly of fat, it will soften. Place back in the fridge until semi stiff, about 30 minutes, and beat on high speed until fluffy.
  • You added liquid or berries to your frosting. Any additional liquid added to this frosting like frozen or fresh berries will cause it to soften and split. Opt-in for crushed freeze-dried berries or powdered flavorings.
 
Flour - Self-raising flour has baking powder and salt already mixed in. If you don't have it, you can make your own by combining 375g all-purpose flour with 5 teaspoons of baking powder (in total, already including the 3/4 tsp that’s in the recipe).
Butter - It’s important to use butter that is high in fat and softened. Usually, butter made in New Zealand and France is good quality butter. Using cheap butter can cause your frosting to split. You also want to make sure your butter is softened. If you keep your butter in the fridge you can soften it by adding it to the microwave for 10 seconds at a time, turning over each time until softened. It usually takes about 2 goes.
Cream Cheese - You want to use what is called ‘block style’ cream cheese for this recipe and straight out of the fridge, cold. This is different to ‘spreadable’ cream cheese which is soft even when it’s cold. ‘Block style’ cream cheese helps give this frosting structure. If you’re in the UK, you can use any brand block style cream cheese, I would recommend the Philadelphia brand cream cheese. It’s important that you use cold cream cheese, straight out of the fridge.
Milk Powder - is what people used to use to make milk before fridges were widely used in kitchens. It can be found in the long-life milk isle of your supermarket. Skim or full fat can be used. To learn more about Milk Powder, take a read of the post I wrote up!
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precise measurements and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales
 

Nutrition

Calories:899kcal | Carbohydrates:97g | Protein:12g | Fat:47g | Saturated Fat:29g | Polyunsaturated Fat:2g | Monounsaturated Fat:13g | Trans Fat:1g | Cholesterol:188mg | Sodium:271mg | Potassium:384mg | Fiber:2g | Sugar:68g | Vitamin A:1560IU | Vitamin C:27mg | Calcium:205mg | Iron:2mg
Keyword Cake, Lemon, Sponge Cake
Have you tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram @thescranline!