Deliciously refreshing lemon upside down cake recipe, fluffy lemon sponge with a layer of sharp lemon curd to give a great combination. A great family-sized cake recipe, perfect for afternoon tea or a party.
When you're looking for a simple and tasty cake, this lemon upside-down cake wins every time! The recipe is incredibly easy to make, and it's a case of simply mixing all the ingredients together and baking.
We often make this cake for the weekend when we have family over for dinner. You can make it the day before or in the morning, and cut it into slices.
Served warm with a drizzle of homemade custard is lovely! Eating at room temperature with a blob of freshly whipped lemon cream and a cup of tea is wonderful! Serve as part of an afternoon tea. You could cut this cake into dainty slices and present them on a pretty cake stand. Or simply eat a slice just as it is.
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At the end of the recipe, we've given some other suggestions to switch the flavors, and also information on making this in a different size pan and halving the recipe. So be sure to read those tips too!
The appearance of this cake is lovely. When it's turned upside down on the board, you see a wonderful glossy lemon glaze from the lemon curd we've used. It looks so inviting and tasty.
This cake has a wonderful refreshing flavor. The lemons we've used are freshly squeezed, and also the added zest will give a nice zingy flavor. The balance of sugar and lemon is perfect, however, we know tastebuds will vary, so if you like really sharp lemon flavor, (you know, the kind that makes your eyes screw up!), then add 1 more lemon zest and juice.
This cake is quite sweet because of the lemon curd, which in itself is a sweet type of jam. You can by all means reduce the sugar quantity in the cake so it isn't so sweet, but if you have a sweet tooth, then leave the amounts as stated in the recipe.
Check out our handy Oven Temperature Conversion Guide!
Making your own lemon curd is really easy and doesn't take long at all. So if you can't find lemon curd in the supermarket, it's worth making a batch or two, and keeping some in the fridge for spreading on your toast at breakfast time! Our recipe is always so popular so be sure to check it out.
The texture of this cake is as fluffy as a feather! The crumb is tender, moist and soft, and it certainly is very easy to eat more than 1 slice!
So let's take a look at the recipe, we've used regular pantry ingredients so you can make this whole cake from scratch!
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Serves
16 slices
Ingredients
8 Tablespoons Lemon Curd
2 & ¾ cups or 350 g All Purpose / Plain Flour
2 Heaped Teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
12 oz or 350 g softened butter
6 large eggs
1 & ¾ cups or 350 g Regular Sugar
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
This cake is quite sweet. If you don’t want a sweet cake, you can reduce the sugar quantity down to 1 & ½ cups or 300 g
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325F, 170C Fan. Grease and line an 11 inch (28cm) square baking pan with parchment paper. We like using a large family-sized oven-proof lasagna dish to make this cake.
Note: You need to use parchment as you will be turning the cake out and you don’t want the lemon curd to stick to the pan.
2. Spread the lemon curd evenly over the parchment in the base of the pan. If it is a bit stiff, pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen and make it spreadable.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and zest.
5. Add the SIFTED flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold gently so as not to lose too much air.
6. Transfer cake batter to the baking pan and spread evenly.
Make sure you spread to the corners too!
7. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes until golden on top and the center is cooked through.
8. Once baked, turn the cake out onto a serving board. I find the easiest way is to place the board on top of the baking pan and turn the whole thing upside down. Then remove the pan. Peel away the parchment paper and discard.
NOTE: be sure to use a tea bowl or oven gloves as it will be very hot!
9. Slice into 16 sizes.
14. Serve warm with some lovely warm custard or a blob of freshly whipped lemon cream.
Variations
- Steamed or Slow Cooked Cake - You can also steam this cake (around 55 minutes) or make in the slow cooker, set on high for 2 hours. *for steaming, this is a large cake, so halve the recipe in order for it to fit in a container suitable for your steamer.
- Change the flavor - You can use any jam you like, for example, use our orange curd recipe and add orange zest and juice, or a spread of blueberry jam together with the zest and juice of lemons in the cake batter
- Add fruit - Feel free to add 1 cup of soft berries of your choice to the batter. We suggest you add the batter to the pan first, then sprinkle the berries all over the top and just gently push them down using a spatula.
See this Delicious Steamed Lemon Cake version on Lovefoodies!
Equipment
We've used an 11-inch square pan. This will also fit in a 9x13inch pan.
You can easily halve the recipe to make a smaller cake. Use a 6inch square pan and bake at the same temperature. Check for doneness after 35-40 minutes.
Storage
This cake will keep at room temperature in an air-tight container for around 3 days. you can also freeze this cake.
Top tip
To get a light and fluffy cake, really make sure you cream the butter and sugar until it turns a pale, almost white color and has a fluffy texture.
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Easy Lemon Upside Down Cake
Deliciously refreshing lemon upside down cake recipe, fluffy lemon sponge with a layer of sharp lemon curd to give a great combination. A great family sized cake recipe, perfect for afternoon tea or a party.
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons Lemon Curd
- 2 & ¾ cups or 350 g All Purpose / Plain Flour
- 2 Heaped Teaspoon Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- 12 oz or 350 g softened butter
- 6 large eggs
- 1 & ¾ cups or 350 g Regular Sugar
- Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F, 170C Fan. Grease and line an 11 inch (28cm) square baking pan with parchment paper. We like using a large family-sized oven-proof lasagna dish to make this cake. Note: You need to use parchment as you will be turning the cake out and you don’t want the lemon curd to stick to the pan.
- Spread the lemon curd evenly over the parchment in the base of the pan. If it is a bit stiff, pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen and make it spreadable.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, lemon juice, and zest.
- Add the SIFTED flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold gently so as not to lose too much air.
- Transfer cake batter to the baking pan and spread evenly. Make sure you spread to the corners too!
- Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes until golden on top and the center is cooked through.
- Once baked, turn the cake out onto a serving board. I find the easiest way is to place the board on top of the baking pan and turn the whole thing upside down. Then remove the pan. NOTE: be sure to use a tea bowl or oven gloves as it will be very hot! Peel away the parchment paper and discard.
- Slice into 16 sizes.
- Serve warm with some custard lovely warm custard or a blob of freshly whipped lemon cream.
Notes
This cake is quite sweet. If you don’t want a sweet cake, you can reduce the sugar quantity down to 1&½ cups of 300 g
We've used an 11-inch square pan. This will also fit in a 9x13inch pan.
You can easily halve the recipe to make a smaller cake. Use a 6inch square pan and bake at the same temperature. Check for doneness after 35-40 minutes.
Recommended Products
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Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, 6 Qt 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer -
MEYKISS Cake Tester, Stainless Steel Cake Tester Probe Skewer Kitchen Baking Tools, Set of 2 -
Cuisinart AMB-9SCKCH 9-Inch Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware Square Cake Pan, Champagne -
Le Creuset PG0800-232 Heritage Stoneware Square Dish, 3-Quart, Flame -
Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick 8-Inch Square Cake Pans, Set of 2
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 28gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Delicious Desserts Recipes Using Lemons
Here's a great selection of dessert recipes using lemons so pucker up and enjoy!
A delicious tangy lemon tart, made from scratch using buttery pastry and filled with a creamy rich fresh lemon filling
Easy lemon mousse recipe, a delicious creamy chilled dessert made with 3 basic ingredients, takes minutes to make and great for eating on it’s own or to use as a topping on cakes and trifles too!
Strawberry and Lemon Angel Food Cake. Strawberry and lemon angel food cake is a light and fluffy sponge type cake, sandwiched with lemon whipped cream and fresh strawberries. An easy recipe for a no fat cake. The best homemade angel cake recipe, perfect for dessert
Silky Pear and Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce, a wonderful Italian chilled dessert, using fresh pears & lemons to make a refreshing flavor combination.
Easy Strawberry and Lemon Trifle, quick simple dessert recipe with layers of fresh strawberries, lemon whipped cream, vanilla pudding and lady’s fingers. Great for parties and holidays
Creamy Blueberry and Lemon Ice Cream is a delicious creamy ice cream using fresh blueberries and a hint of lemon for a refreshing flavor. Instructions for ice cream maker and no churn ice cream
Lemon Whipped Cream, a very quick and easy recipe using fresh whipped cream to give you a sweet and tangy lemon flavor. Great with cakes or in a trifle
Lemon Impossible Pie! Incredibly easy to make and the flavor is amazing!
Lemon Meringue Pie. A nice easy recipe with a perfect balance of lemon with sweet meringue. Always popular at family get togethers!
Lemon Cheesecake Squares. A very easy, no bake recipe with a wonderful lemon flavor.
Lemon Frangipane. This is a really nice coffee time cake to make. Goes great with a nice cuppa! Or you can have as a dessert, warm or cold with a squirt of whipped cream or like me, a blob of vanilla ice cream! It's really yummy! Delicious!
Easy Lemon Dumplings This is delicious! Quick and easy and great served warm with a blob of ice cream or whipped cream
Lovely Homemade Lemon Curd. Great to have on toast, add to cake frosting sweet pies... the uses are endless!
Blueberry and Lemon Trifle. This is just sublime! Layers of fresh Lemon Cake, Creamy Custard and Whipped Cream and of course a generous sprinkling of blueberries throughout. Please enjoy!