Ingredients

Cake Batter

• 1 cup Oil (canola, vegetable, coconut, or olive)
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 1/3 cups Buttermilk or Whole Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Zest
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Frosting

• 1 cup Salted Butter (softened)
• (1) 8-ounce pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Zest
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste

For Assembling

• 8 ounces Lemon Curd

Instructions

Prepare the Cake

1. Set your oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, eggs, milk or buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat together for 2 minutes.
3. In a separate large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and gently fold until combined.

Bake

1. Coat two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans generously with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake:
   • For three 8-inch pans: 20–26 minutes
   • For two 9-inch pans: 30–36 minutes
4. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely.

Make the Frosting

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together for 4–5 minutes until smooth and airy, scraping the bowl as needed.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest until fully blended.
3. Chill the frosting before using.

Assemble the Cake

1. Remove the cooled cakes from the pans.
2. Spread lemon curd over the top of one cake layer.
3. Add a layer of frosting on top of the curd.
4. Place the second cake layer over it.
5. Spread another layer of lemon curd, then cover the entire cake with frosting.
6. Refrigerate the assembled cake for 20–30 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up.

• Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

• Checking doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, it’s ready. If wet batter remains, continue baking. Avoid overbaking to keep the cake moist.
• Frosting tip: Chilling or briefly freezing the cake layers (30 minutes to 1 hour) before frosting can make assembly easier and help prevent crumbs from mixing into the frosting.