Lemon Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream
Keep things fresh and bright with this single-layer Lemon Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream. Enhanced with homemade lemon syrup, lemon sugar, and a rich buttercream frosting, this cake is the perfect dessert for small celebrations or for you and a friend!
Servings: 8 Slices (1 Cake)
Calories: 734kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Simple Syrup
- ½ Cup Water
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Lemon sliced into thin circles
Lemon Cake
- 1 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs large
- ¼ teaspoon Lemon Extract or vanilla extract
- 4 Lemons zested
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp Kefir
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
Mascarpone Buttercream
- 3 Egg Whites
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅔ Cup Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
- ⅔ Cup Mascarpone Room Temperature
Garnish
- Blueberries
- Food Safe Organic Florals
Instructions
Lemon Simple Syrup
- Pour your measured water and sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium½ Cup Water, ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- Cook, stirring the mixture, until your sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add lemon slices and continue heating for 30 seconds before removing from heat1 Lemon
- Allow syrup to infuse for half and hour as the simple syrup cools completely
- Strain syrup into airtight container and store in the fridge or until you're ready to use.
Lemon Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sift all your dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl, give it a whisk and set aside.1 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, ⅛ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Add the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.½ cup Unsalted Butter
- Add the eggs one at a time, then scrape the bowl making sure ingredients are mixed well before adding extract and lemon zest.2 Eggs, ¼ teaspoon Lemon Extract, 4 Lemons, ¾ Cup Sugar
- Add ½ the dry ingredients, then add the combined lemon juice and kefir to the batter. Finally add the last half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon Kefir, ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- Pour batter into a greased 6-inch cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Make sure to check that the cake is fully baked with a toothpick before removing from the oven and allow to cool completely before assembling.
Mascarpone Buttercream
- Add your sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Make sure that your bowl is not touching the hot water! Your goal is to simply whisk the egg whites and sugar together over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then attach your bowl back to the standing mixer. The temperature should read 165 F before it's ready to be removed from the heat.3 Egg Whites, 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Whisk mixture starting at a low speed and gradually increase until soft peaks form and the mixture has cooled. Switch to using your paddle attachment, then start adding your butter and mascarpone bit by bit.⅔ Cup Mascarpone, ⅔ Cup Unsalted Butter
- When you’ve reached the point where the buttercream is glossy and smooth, stop the mixer and set it aside for assembling.
Assembly
- Once you've prepared all the cake components - it's time to assemble your cake! First off, poke many small holes into your lemon cake with a toothpick before drizzling some of your lemon simple syrup over the top of the cake. This ensures that it is incredibly moist and bursting with lemon flavor!
- Add as much of your mascarpone buttercream on top of the cake and spread evenly. Utilizing a spoon or an offset spatula, create swirls and swoops to your liking into the buttercream! I used a small spoon to create the swirls you see below.
- Add the decoration of your liking on top! I added a couple of different layers of toppings, starting with some blueberries, then organic flowers and greenery to add for a pleasing aesthetic.Blueberries, Food Safe Organic Florals
Notes
Frequently asked questions
- What can you substitute for mascarpone? Regular cream cheese works in place of the mascarpone, but the finished buttercream will be slightly more tangy and acidic.
- What pan should you use to bake lemon cake? A 6-inch cake pan is perfect if you’re looking for a simple presentation and to serve a small crowd. Alternatively, you can turn this recipe into a lemon loaf by baking it in a loaf pan or use a bundt pan when you’re craving lemon bundt cake. For a shorter cake, you can bake the batter in an 8-inch cake pan. Different cake pans will warrant different baking times. The bigger your pan, the less time it will take to bake.
- Can you make this a double or triple-layer cake? Absolutely! Simply double or triple the recipe if you need to serve more people or make the cake grander. Bake the batter in 6-inch or 8-inch round cake pans or bundt pans.
- How long does it last? The cake and individual slices will store well for 4 days in the fridge. Just wrap the cake in plastic or keep the slices in airtight containers.
Nutrition
Calories: 734kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 1183IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2mg
