Lemon Curd Cake
, Updated Nov 22, 2025
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Lemon Curd Cake – deliciously tangy, buttery and moist lemon loaf cake using lemon curd in the batter. Super easy to make all in one bowl!
Check out my Air Fryer Lemon Drizzle Cake
One can never have too many lemon cake recipes and this easy Lemon Curd Cake is easily one of the best (if I say so myself). I often buy a jar of lemon curd to use in my pavlovas and usually end up using only a few spoonfuls. This lemon loaf is a great way to use any leftover lemon curd!
The curd adds lots of wonderful tangy lemon flavor while at the same time enriching the sponge. It tastes delicious on its own or with some glaze as I have done here. An absolutely a gorgeous loaf cake to enjoy with a cup of tea and and perfect for catching up with a friend over slice (or two).
This is a sturdier and more dense-textured cake than my Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake with a slightly more buttery – yet still lemony – flavor. This easy all-in-one cake needs just a bowl and an electric hand mixer. For best results use digital scales to measure the ingredients.
How to make Lemon Curd Cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
- Measure the sugar into a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and then add the lemon zest (a Microplane zester is essential!), softened butter and eggs. Beat together with an electric hand mixer for about a minute until light and fluffy.
- Add the lemon curd and beat it in, scraping the bowl halfway through.
- Add the flour and mix into the batter until it is completely smooth.
- Spoon the batter into a lined loaf tin and level. Bake for about an hour or until the cake is well risen and firm to the touch. A toothpick or tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- Mix the ingredients for the glaze together in a bowl and spread over the cooled cake. Decorate with lemon slices or leave plain. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- How to store: this lemon curd loaf keeps well in a cake container at room temperature for a few days. Bonus? The citrus flavor becomes more intense after a day or two! Do not store in the refrigerator as the cold air will dry out the cake.
- Can you freeze lemon curd cake? Yes, you can freeze the cake, minus the glaze, as a whole loaf or in slices for up to three months, covered in a layer of plastic wrap and foil. You can thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
- If you don’t have self-rising flour (a.k.a self-raising flour) you can use all-purpose flour instead. Sift together two cups (260g) of AP flour (plain flour) with 4 level teaspoons of baking powder and pinch of salt.
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Easy Lemon Curd Cake
Video
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar superfine / caster
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup (225g) softened unsalted butter or margarine
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- ⅓ cups (80g) lemon curd
- 2 cups + 1 ½ tbsp (260g) self-rising flour or see notes
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1 cup (100g) sugar powdered / icing
- 2 tbsp lemon curd
- 1 lemon juice only
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180° or 325°F / 160°C if using fan forced setting. Line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with baking paper letting the ends of the paper hang over the edge of the tin. Alternatively use a loaf tin liner.
- Beat the sugar, zest, butter and eggs together until light and fluffy.1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar , 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 cup (225g) softened unsalted butter , 3 large eggs
- Add the lemon curd and beat it in until combined. Use a spatula to scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl.⅓ cups (80g) lemon curd
- Add the flour and beat until batter is completely smooth.2 cups + 1 ½ tbsp (260g) self-rising flour
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and level. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden, well risen and springy to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Use the paper to lift the cake out of the tin and leave the cake to cool on a wire rack.
- Mix together the ingredients of the glaze in a bowl, adding as much icing sugar as needed to create a fairly thick glaze which drops slowly off a spoon.1 cup (100g) sugar, 2 tbsp lemon curd, 1 lemon
- Spread the glaze over the cooled cake. Decorate with lemon zest, candied peel or fresh flowers.
Notes
- I used a small (450g) loaf tin without any problems however some readers experienced issues with this size. I would advise using a 2lb /900g loaf tin to avoid any issues.
- You can use store-bought or homemade lemon curd in this recipe. I used Bonne Mamman branded curd.
- Use softened unsalted butter or Stork (margarine). The butter should be soft enough for your finger to leave an imprint if prodded.
- Remaining ingredients, namely the eggs, also need to be room temperature.
- Use a microplane to zest the lemons.
- Make sure the self raising flour is fresh.
- Check the cake five minutes before the baking time indicated in the recipe. Some ovens run hot, others are not hot enough.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
I wish I had read the comments before baking! Mix escaped across a very clean oven. Cake is sunken and taking its time to cook through. I’m sure it will be great served as a pud with custard – if only I hadn’t weighed out glaze ingredients.
Sorry to hear this, have tested it extensively and never failed for me. Check the muffin option also https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/lemon-muffins/
Very disappointing, there was too much mixture for a 2lb loaf tin. After 40 mins, had risen but brown on top. Covered with tin foil to bake completely. Had sunk in middle. I then had to try to cut off top brown layer. Will not make again.
It tastes good, but like a lot of other people are saying it totally sank in the middle, I’ve never had that happen before so I was pretty bummed about that. All of my ingredients were fresh and the batter was pretty thick so I didn’t think it would sink like that. I turned it upside down and glazed it that way instead so that it didn’t look so lumpy.
Hi Sera – it is so odd because I tested this so many times and it has never sunk. May I suggest you give the lemon curd muffins a go? They come out perfect https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/lemon-muffins/
Cake sank in the middle but tasted delicious.
Hi Margo, sorry it sank! The lemon curd can be a bit unpredictable. Perhaps it would be worth cooking at a slightly lower temperature for a bit longer until the tester comes out clean.
Sunk completely. Never had that happen before!
Hi Kathryn, it appears different types of lemon curd can alter the end result. I have baked this recipe time and again using Bonne Maman lemon curd and it always turns out. My sincere apologies you had a problem.
I thought this wouldn’t rise as it was not folding in flour and no bicarb. Was I wrong!! Beautiful light fluffy cake made extra delicious with the lemon curd icing. Will definitely be a family favourite and so easy to make!
Think it needs fare more lemon curd, or perhaps lemon juice. Lacking in flavour and cooking time seemed a bit long. Might try it again with my changes.
You can always adjust the lemon drizzle to make it more lemony
I halved the ingredients and it worked perfectly.
Just made the lemon cake and it sunk really badly didn’t open the oven until the hour was up my first failure really disappointed thought the lemon curd would be different.
Sorry to hear that Carolyn. If the lemon curd cake didn’t work for you I have several lemon loaf /lemon drizzle cake recipe options
Mine did exactly the same, sunk in tbe middle, any hints on why this happened?
Sorry Julie it continues to perplex me. Hasn’t happened to whenever I bake this cake. I can only assume the curd is the one “unknown” in this as it may be different consistency from bake to bake
Delicious! Moist and lemony. I added more caster sugar as the glaze looked more like a drizzle initially. Made double quantities for 2 x 2lb loaves and the mixture filled 3 of them so I froze the extra one.