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Perfect Golden Leo Birthday Cake Recipe with Easy Lemon Curd and Gold Buttercream

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A bright and regal lemon cake featuring a tender golden crumb, tangy lemon curd center, and shimmering gold buttercream frosting, perfect for birthday celebrations with flair.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • Zest of 2 medium lemons
  • ½ cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (for lemon curd)
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (for lemon curd)
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened (for buttercream)
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tbsp (30-45ml) whole milk or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Edible gold dust or gold luster dust

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest.
  3. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in batches, starting and ending with dry mix. Mix gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
  4. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  5. For lemon curd: In saucepan over low heat, whisk lemon juice, zest, sugar, and egg yolks. Stir constantly as mixture thickens (10-15 minutes), avoiding boiling or scrambling eggs.
  6. Remove from heat, whisk in chilled butter cubes until smooth. Pour into bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching surface, and chill until firm.
  7. For gold buttercream: Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed.
  8. Add vanilla and milk, then whip on high for 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Mix in edible gold dust until shimmering golden hue is achieved. Add more milk if frosting is too stiff.
  9. Assemble cake: Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread generous layer of chilled lemon curd on top. Add second layer and coat entire cake with gold buttercream. Smooth or create decorative swirls.

Notes

Use room temperature eggs and butter for best texture. Stir lemon curd constantly over low heat to avoid curdling. Chill lemon curd before layering. Sift powdered sugar for smooth buttercream. Cool cake layers completely before frosting to prevent melting. Crumb coat for a polished finish. Edible gold dust must be food-grade.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon cake, birthday cake, lemon curd, gold buttercream, lemon dessert, easy lemon cake, celebration cake, golden cake

Find it online: https://prismtaste.com/perfect-golden-leo-birthday-cake-recipe-with-easy-lemon-curd-and-gold-buttercream-tutorial/