Lemon Sponge Cake
Lemon Sponge Cake
This is my go to lemon sponge cake recipe. I always use it for birthday cakes and wedding cakes, and it works as either a tray bake or a lemon layer cake.
It’s an easy lemon cake recipe that’s beautifully light. Adding sugar syrup keeps it moist and gives it that extra pop of lemon flavor. You could also add poppy seeds to make a lemon poppy seed sponge.
Decorate as you wish! I think it pairs well with a lemon curd filling and Swiss Meringue Buttercream icing. You could try a cream cheese frosting or simply just a good dollop of whipped cream!
Follow my video and step-by-step recipe to make the best citrus sponge cake!
Love lemon sponge cakes? Try my Lemon Drizzle Cake and my Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake recipes.
Ingredients
Method
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Set to one side to cool.
In a saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter. Set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, massage the lemon zest and sugar together.
Sift over the flour, salt and baking powder.
In a separate jug, mix together the eggs, oil, milk and lemon extract. Pour it over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
Pour in the cooled melted butter and whisk to combine.
Bake in 2x 8” square tins (weigh 800g per tin) at 190C for around 25 minutes.
Once baked, cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the sugar syrup.
Remove the cakes from the tin and wrap them in clingfilm. Chill overnight (or for at least 4-6 hours)
Decorate as you wish!
Hi Matt, I’ve been following your recipes for a while and they look and taste great! I want to make a black sesame version of this. Several questions I would like your thoughts on 🙂
1. Is this cake recipe better suited for a sesame cake or the lemon meringue cake recipe?
2. Can I replace veg oil with olive oil?
3. I like my desserts on the less sweet side. Can I decrease the sugar? If so, how much can I reduce without sacrificing the cake’s flavor or structure?
Thanks!
Hi Janice!
1 – I would use it for lemon meringue but it works well as a basic vanilla sponge, just swap out lemon for vanilla.
2 – yes you can but it will have an affect on the taste
3 – try slightly less sugar, around 50g, but it will affect the browning and structure of the cake. If you reduce it too much, the cake becomes dry, tough, and less stable, with a tighter crumb and reduced shelf life. Sugar helps trap moisture, delay gluten setting, and support aeration, so without enough of it the whole structure changes.
Can I bake in a single tin and then cut it as I don’t have pairs of tins? Will it adversely affect the rise? Tks
I think it is too much batter for one tin
Hi! I love this recipe! Just one thing:
In step #5 for the cake recipe, I think you need to add the sugar as in “whisk with the sugar, the eggs, oil, etc”
Thanks!!
Thanks for sharing. Can we use this recipe for 8 inch / 20cm round cake tins? If yes then will the baking time differ? Please advise.
Yes absolutely – just bake until golden and a skewer comes out clean
Well HELLO! I trialled this cake yesterday as a practice run for my daughters birthday. It is simply magnificent. Following the instructions precisely and you have yourself the moistest and most delectable, not too sweet yet zesty and creamy cake! I used Matt’s recipe book for the curd and buttercream, however my question for you Matt, the leftover Swiss meringue buttercream in the fridge is set in the bowl, can i somehow re-use this?
Naomi – Western Australia
Ahh amazing to hear!!