The Best Way to Fill Your Cake with Lemon Curd

Is anyone else itching to make a lemon cake? I absolutely love citrus cakes–especially lemon. There are so many different combinations you can make with lemon that all taste so amazing. I’ve nailed down the perfect lemon curd recipe that I use for my cakes and I’ve figured out the best way to fill your cake with lemon curd. So I put together a few tips for you to help you out when you make and assemble your own!

I think I love lemon so much because the flavor reminds me of my mom. One of her absolute favorite treats is lemon bars. So of course I have a Lemon Bar Cake in honor of her, but I’ve had a lot more fun testing out other lemon combinations for my cake recipes as well. I’ll spotlight a couple of my cakes in the tips I list below that use my special lemon curd recipe too. I hope you enjoy this because these are some of my favorites!

The Best Way to Fill Your Cake with Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd Tip #1: Make the lemon curd a few days in advance.

lemon curd recipe for cakes. www.cakebycourtney.com

Lemon curd can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Once made, I recommend it being refrigerated for at least 4 hours to help it set before you add it to your cake. With that being said, it’s better to make it at least a day in advance so it’s ready to go for your cake assembly.

When storing it in the fridge, it’s best to place the plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. This will keep the curd nice and fresh and the consistency you want for when you spread it onto your cake layers.

Lemon Curd Tip #2: Only put a small amount in between each cake layer.

When adding the lemon curd to your cake layers, it’s super important not to put too much curd. If you put too much it will start to lose stability. Stick to a ¼-⅓ cup for each layer. Don’t worry about the flavor not coming through. You can always serve extra lemon curd on the side with each slice of cake. You can see more about how to do this in my Lemon Pretzel Cake recipe.

Lemon Curd Tip #3: Once your mixture is made, push it through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl.

how to fill your cake with lemon curd. www.cakebycourtney.com

The very last step when making your lemon curd is to push it through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl where it will then be stored in the refrigerator. You can use a rubber spatula to help push the mixture through the fine-mesh sieve. Doing this last step just makes sure the lemon curd will be as smooth as possible. Making sure all the lumps are out just before you pop it in the fridge is exactly what it needs in order for it to be the perfect consistency for your cakes!

Lemon Curd Tip #4: Pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of each cake layer.

tips and tricks for lemon curd. www.cakebycourtney.com

When actually assembling your cake, it’s best to pipe a rim of buttercream frosting around the edge of each cake layer. This will act as a barrier as you add your filling and spread around your lemon curd. The nice thick rim of frosting will help all your filling stay in place, especially since you will have to spread the lemon curd around after drizzling some onto each cake layer with a spoon.

What You Need to Make Your Lemon Curd

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (9 g) grated lemon zest one large lemon
½ cup lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3 large eggs
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons (56.5 g) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Click here for the full lemon curd recipe.

The Best Way to Fill Your Cake with Lemon Curd

This truly is the best way to fill your cake with lemon curd. I hope you enjoy trying it on your cakes and I can’t wait to see how it turns out! You can follow me on Instagram @cakebycourtney and feel free to post a picture and tag me, so I can see how it went for you!

More lemon cakes you’ll love: