Lemon Cake Filling – so easy!
Posted: 05/15/2020
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Creamy and tart, lemon cake filling takes minutes to make. Brighten cakes and desserts with sunny homemade lemon custard.
Do you love the tartness of lemon and the creaminess of pudding? Do you enjoy bright and light desserts? Well, who doesn’t, right? Lemon cake filling, made from scratch in your own kitchen, will be appreciated by everyone. It’s versatile enough to use in a lot of different desserts or to serve in a dessert bowl, without any embellishment.
About this lemon cake filling:
While making lemon cake filling yourself may seem daunting, it’s really not difficult at all. You’ll be able to make this custard-like filling in 15 minutes. You won’t need any special equipment and you won’t need to learn any fancy cooking techniques.
Lemon filling is so good, you’ll want to leave a fair amount of it in the pan for the cook’s enjoyment. Hey, I’m talking about you! Don’t deny the urge to sample what the pan has to offer. That’s your bonus.
How do you make lemon filling from scratch?
Lemon cake filling is a one-pan recipe.
The ingredients are basic:
- lemon juice
- butter
- egg yolk
- sugar
- cornstarch
- salt
- water
You’ll mix the dry ingredients in the pan, blend in the egg yolks, whisk in the water and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Stir in the butter and lemon juice, adding a bit of lemon zest, too, and you’re done! It’s so easy.
What’s the difference between lemon filling and lemon curd?
Lemon filling or custard is usually thickened with cornstarch and can be cooked in a regular saucepan. Lemon curd is richer, with more egg yolks and lots of butter, no water or cornstarch, and is usually made in a double boiler. They can be used pretty interchangeably.
What flavors of cake go well with lemon cake filling?
Lemon cake filling goes well with white cake, yellow cake, or lemon cake. Try it layered in a trifle with pound cake, angel food cake, or lady fingers.
How to use this lemon filling:
Because this lemon filling recipe is very simple, there aren’t a lot of ways to make it uniquely your own creation. However, there are lots of different ways to use it.
Of course, you can use lemon filling as a filling in a layer cake. Or serve it in a bowl with a dollop of whipped cream as a dessert on its own. Make lemon custard tarts with pre-baked pastry shells or mini phyllo cups. Layer it in a trifle with angel food cake or pound cake, with fresh strawberries. Or make regular cupcakes extra special with a hidden jewel of lemon filling.
Storage Tips
Lemon cake filling will keep in the fridge up to a week, tightly covered.
More Lemons
Okay, I realize “lemon” can have a double meaning, as in “this recipe is a real lemon” but that’s not true of these recipes. You’ll love these lemons:
- Lemon Pudding (a wow! recipe with only three ingredients, no cooking necessary)
- Meyer Lemon Parfaits
- Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies (makes 2, perfect for a special occasion)
- No-Bake Lemon Berry Cheesecakes (my mom loves this recipe)
- Meyer Lemon Mug Cake (gluten-free)
- Lemon Clementine Crinkle Cookies
- Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies (you can use regular lemons if you don’t have Meyer lemons)
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
1/2 cups
Creamy and tart, lemon cake filling takes minutes to make. Brighten cakes and desserts with sunny homemade lemon custard.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients ready before you begin. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan. Add egg yolks and mix until egg yolks are completely mixed with dry ingredients. Whisk in water until mixture is smooth.
- Cook over medium low heat until just boiling. Mixture will be quite thick. Immediately remove from heat and stir in butter. Gradually whisk in lemon juice until smooth. Stir in zest.
- Pour into a bowl and cover the surface of the filling with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/4 cup, Calories: 139kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 96mg, Sugar: 17g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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Husband’s take: Ben loves white cake with chocolate frosting, but the guy doesn’t complain if I’m making cake.
Changes I would make: None are necessary!
Difficulty: Easy!
Paige says
Can this be frozen? I have a huge crop of lemons and am trying to use them up so they don’t go to waste. Made 3 bathes of lemon curd but am looking for something to freeze in custard cups and use as a stand alone desert.
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried freezing this so I can’t be sure, sorry!
Andrea B says
I tried this today and followed the recipe to a T. However, it seems way too soft. I cooked it till just before boiling(which the recipe said) and it wasn’t how you described as being quite thick. Is it that this filling needs to be cooked till it thickens or still just before boiling? The taste is nice lemony though!
Rachel Gurk says
It should be thickened by the time you’re done cooking it. It will get a little thicker as it cools, but it should have a pretty thick consistency before you stop cooking it.
Lauren says
I’m excited to try this! I plan on using as a filling in a white layer cake. Do you recommend piping buttercream around the perimeter of the bottom cake layer to contain the lemon filling or will it hold it’s own? Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
It wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially if you aren’t serving it immediately.
Elma says
Just had a request gor my grandsons wedding cake to be lemon . Since i will have to freeze and transport, will this filling be ok to freeze ?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried it, but I think that should work! Might want to do a test run before the wedding, though. ;)
Jessica says
I am making lemon macarons. The lemon curd recipe I have is too soft for a macaron filling. Do you think this would be a good filling for them?
Rachel Gurk says
I think so! The longer you cook it, the thicker it will get, so give it a little extra time. You could also try adding an extra tablespoon or two of cornstarch, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t guarantee perfect results.
Olivia Conrad says
I’m making my mom a white cake with lemon filling for her birthday. Do you think that this will spread in the middle and pair well with the white cake?
Rachel Gurk says
Yes, that would be absolutely perfect! We did that here: https://www.rachelcooks.com/white-cake-with-lemon-filling-and-lemon-cream-cheese-frosting/
KS says
I made this cake filling and thought it had a very nice flavor. The problem I ran into was that it thickened up so much that after it cooled it was not a spreadable filling. It was very jelly like and came apart in clumps. What is the normal texture of this filling when cooled? Any advise for what I could have done wrong?
Rachel Gurk says
Hmm, it does get thicker when cooled, but it shouldn’t be clumpy. Maybe you cooked it too long?
Dana C.D. says
This recipe is delicious and easy to make. I rate it 4/5 stars only because it was not sweet enough, so I’ll add more sugar next time I make it. Was perfect with lemon cream cheese frosting and unsweetened coconut I covered frosted cake with.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m glad you liked the filling! I don’t have a big sweet tooth so that might be why it’s not overly sweet. ;) I love the lemon + coconut combo, yum!
Kimberly says
This happened to me and all I did was add some heavy whipping cream and it was a perfect cake filling and the consistency was great.
Robin says
I want to try this. I have made curd before and did not like the “eggy” aftertaste. Could milk be substituted for the water in this recipe to make it more creamy? Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
Maybe! I haven’t tested it that way but it might work well!
Charlene says
Can this custard be kept at room temperature, since it doesn’t contain any milk?
Rachel Gurk says
Since it has eggs and butter in it, I’d store it in the fridge.
Phyllis Kirn says
Very easy to make and tastes great!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Janet Kaiser says
Please give quantities in metric measurements too so the rest of the world can try your recipe(s). Many thanks
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks for the feedback, Janet! I’m growing my team but it’s still very small so we do the best we can!
denise says
sounds divine!
Rachel Gurk says
It really is!