Lemon Drip Cake

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📜 Description

The Lemon Drip Cake is a light, fluffy lemon sponge layered with tangy lemon curd and frosted with smooth lemon buttercream. It’s finished with a striking lemon glaze “drip” down the sides, making it as visually stunning as it is delicious—sweet, tart, and full of citrus sunshine.

🌍 Origin

While drip cakes are a modern pastry trend popularized by cake artists and bakers on social media, lemon cakes themselves have roots in European baking traditions, especially the UK, where lemon drizzle cake is a classic tea-time treat.

🧈 Ingredients (with Quantities)

Lemon Cake Layers:

  • All-purpose flour – 2 ½ cups (300g)
  • Baking powder – 2 ½ tsp
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Unsalted butter (room temp) – ¾ cup (170g)
  • Granulated sugar – 1 ¾ cups (350g)
  • Eggs – 4 large
  • Lemon zest – from 2 lemons
  • Fresh lemon juice – ¼ cup (60ml)
  • Buttermilk – 1 cup (240ml)
  • Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Lemon Curd Filling (or store-bought):

  • Eggs – 3 large
  • Sugar – ½ cup (100g)
  • Lemon juice – ⅓ cup (80ml)
  • Lemon zest – 1 tsp
  • Unsalted butter – 4 tbsp (60g), cubed

Lemon Buttercream:

  • Unsalted butter – 1 cup (226g), softened
  • Powdered sugar – 4 cups (480g)
  • Lemon juice – 2–3 tbsp
  • Lemon zest – 1 tsp
  • Heavy cream – 2 tbsp (as needed for consistency)

Lemon Glaze Drip:

  • Powdered sugar – 1 cup (120g)
  • Lemon juice – 2–3 tbsp
  • Yellow food coloring (optional) – a few drops

🍯 Optional Ingredients

  • Poppy seeds (1 tbsp in batter) – for texture
  • Cream cheese (½ cup in frosting) – for tangier buttercream
  • Edible flowers or candied lemon slices – for decoration
  • A splash of limoncello – in glaze or cake batter for depth

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Bake the Cake Layers

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 6-inch or two 8-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
  4. Mix in lemon zest, juice, and vanilla.
  5. Alternately add flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.
  6. Divide batter between pans. Bake 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let cool completely before frosting.

2. Make Lemon Curd (if homemade)

  1. In a saucepan, whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest over low heat.
  2. Stir constantly until thickened (about 5–7 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat, stir in butter. Cool completely and chill.

3. Make Lemon Buttercream

  1. Beat softened butter until creamy.
  2. Gradually add powdered sugar. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
  3. Adjust consistency with cream as needed. Beat until fluffy (3–5 minutes).

4. Assemble the Cake

  1. Level cake layers. Place one layer on a cake board.
  2. Pipe a border of buttercream and fill the center with lemon curd.
  3. Repeat with remaining layers. Crumb coat and chill for 15–20 minutes.
  4. Frost the outside smoothly with buttercream.

5. Make and Apply the Drip

  1. Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice into a thick but pourable glaze.
  2. Add yellow coloring if desired.
  3. Use a spoon or piping bag to drip glaze around the top edge.
  4. Fill the center top with more glaze and spread gently.

✅ Tips for Success

  • Zest first, then juice your lemons for ease.
  • Cool cakes fully before frosting to prevent melting.
  • Use a squeeze bottle or spoon to control drip placement.
  • Test glaze consistency: it should drip slowly, not runny like syrup.

💡 Serving Recommendations

  • Garnish with lemon zest curls, berries, or mini meringues.
  • Serve with iced tea, Prosecco, or a citrus cocktail.
  • Best enjoyed chilled or slightly cool for clean slices and firm curd.

🍽 Nutrition (Per Slice – Approx. 12 slices)

NutrientAmount
Calories500–600 kcal
Carbohydrates65 g
Protein4 g
Fat28 g
Saturated Fat17 g
Sugar50 g
Sodium150 mg

Varies by portion size and decoration.

Would you like a lemon-blueberry twist, gluten-free version, or a mini cupcake adaptation of this cake? Let me know how you’d like to personalize it!

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