Hi Bold Bakers! WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Our dreamy Vertical Lemon Cake is the most flavorful, gorgeous way to celebrate spring! Cut into this exquisite confection to discover layers of cake, lemon curd, and whipped mascarpone frosting. It’s a creative dessert that will wow your guests with its unique construction, bright color, and sweet-tart flavor! Already have an account?
Tender lemon sponge cake is covered with homemade lemon curd and mascarpone whipped cream and rolled into a spiral. Although the rolled cake looks intricate, with its layers going up and down instead of side to side, putting it together is much easier than you’d think!
Spring is a wonderful time for fresh, pretty desserts, and this delectable treat is the perfect show-stopper for Easter dinner. If you’re cooking for a big crowd, add Chocolate Easter Eggs and Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and you’ll have a spectacular dessert buffet!
Table of Contents
What is Vertical Lemon Cake?
A Vertical Lemon Cake is a visually stunning and delicious dessert crafted by rolling a sheet cake that has been covered with luscious lemon curd and mascarpone whipped cream. The rolled cake is then elegantly placed swirl-side down on a cake stand and generously frosted with additional mascarpone whipped cream. From-scratch lemon curd and mascarpone frosting give this dessert an unbeatable homemade taste. Early versions of sponge cake emerged in early seventeenth-century England. By the 18th century, sponge cakes, with separately beaten whites and yolks for leavening, began to emerge. After that came creations such as the Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, Battenberg Cake, Swiss Roll Cake, and innovative Vertical Cake.
Tools You Need
Stand mixer with a whisk attachment (optional) or handheld electric mixer Mixing bowls Measuring cups Measuring spoons Glass measuring jug Kitchen scale (optional) Metal spoon Parchment paper 13×18-inch jelly roll pan Wire cooling rack Clean tea towel Ruler Small saucepan Fine mesh sieve Offset spatula Serrated knife
Key Ingredients and Why
Cake Flour Cake flour is very finely milled from soft winter wheat. It has a protein content of 6 to 8%, giving this lemon cake a refined, tight, and tender crumb. If you don’t have cake flour, use our simple DIY Cake Flour Substitute, or you can use all-purpose. Generally, the cake will have a slightly heavier texture when all-purpose flour is used, but it will still taste great. Granulated Sugar In the lemon curd, sugar balances out the tart lemon flavor. In the whipped mascarpone, sugar sweetens the frosting and stabilizes the mixture. Importantly, sugar sweetens the cake, and because sugar is hygroscopic, it attracts moisture from the liquid ingredients and holds it in after baking. Eggs In the lemon curd, the egg thickens the mixture and provides rich flavor and a vibrant yellow color. Eggs are used as a binding agent in cakes. Additionally, they provide tenderness, aeration, emulsification, and structure. Importantly, unless specified, eggs should always be at room temperature. Lemons Lemon gives a refreshing citrusy flavor to the cake and the curd filling. Another key point is that this recipe uses lemon zest and lemon juice, so use organic lemons if possible. Butter Butter gives the lemon curd rich body and thickness, luxurious flavor, and a glossy sheen. Make sure your butter is softened correctly. Specifically, you’ll know it’s soft enough when you push the butter with your finger and it makes an indent, but it doesn’t easily squish right through. Salt A touch of salt is necessary in even sweet recipes to help support all of the other flavors. Without it, recipes can taste flat. Mascarpone Cheese Mascarpone cheese is an Italian spreadable cheese. Specifically compared to cream cheese, it’s less firm and with a much milder, milkier flavor. If you can’t find mascarpone for the whipped cream, you can easily make mascarpone cheese at home with my recipe. Additionally, you can also substitute crème fraîche or simply use plain whipped cream. Heavy Whipping Cream Significantly, heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (no less than 30% fat) is what we use to whip cream. Check the label on your cream to ensure you have cream with the correct fat content. If it is any less, you will have difficulty whipping the cream to the correct consistency.
How to Make Vertical Lemon Cake
Make the lemon curd: First, heat lemon juice, zest, and sugar until simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Next, temper the egg yolks by gradually pouring the lemon mixture over the egg yolks while whisking. Then, return the mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly until it thickens like pudding. Whisk in the butter. At last, pass the curd through a sieve to remove lumps. Finally, let the mixture cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C); butter and line a 13×18-inch jelly roll pan. Whip the egg whites: First, whip egg whites for two minutes until foamy, and then whip on medium-high until soft peaks form. Next, add 1/4 cup (2 oz/57 g) sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue to whip to stiff and glossy peaks. Finally, put the egg whites in a clean bowl and set aside. Finish the cake batter: Beat egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup (4 oz/115 g) of sugar, lemon juice, and zest, and salt on high until fluffy. Next, stir in the flour. Lastly, fold a third of the egg whites into the batter, and then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Bake and roll the cake: Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Then let the cake cool but while it’s still warm, dust it with confectioners’ sugar, cover it with parchment paper, and top with a cooling rack. Next, flip the cake so it’s sitting on the wire rack. Remove the pan and rack; peel off the parchment. Then, starting at a short side, roll up the warm cake. Giving it this “practice roll” while it’s warm helps the cake roll up easily later without cracking. Make the mascarpone whipped cream and assemble: Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla to medium-soft peaks. Stir mascarpone in by hand. Next, spread the curd evenly over the cake. Then, top with a thin layer of mascarpone whipped cream. Cut the cake into three even-width strips. Starting with the short end of one strip, roll up the cake. Line up the next strip where the first strip ends and keep rolling up the cake. Repeat with the last cake strip and then, looking to see which end is flattest, carefully stand the cake on a serving plate. Lastly, frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Can I Make Vertical Lemon Cake in Advance?
Yes, you can make a Vertical Lemon Cake in Advance. Although it’s best served the day it’s assembled, you can make elements of the cake ahead to save time.
To make the sponge cake in advance: The cake can be made up to two days in advance. Bake the cake off, let it cool to room temperature, wrap it well with cling wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. Additionally, for longer storage, you can freeze the cake. First, let the cake cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep frozen for up to 2 months. Importantly, before serving, first allow the cake to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, bring it to room temperature before assembling it. To make the lemon curd in advance: Cool cooked lemon curd to room temperature. Then, store in the fridge for up to seven days.
How to Store Vertical Lemon Cake
Store leftover Vertical Lemon Cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to six hours.
How do I prevent my cake from cracking when I roll it? First, roll your cake while it’s still quite warm and let it cool in a rolled position. Basically, creating this ‘muscle memory’ in the cake means it will roll easily later. Then, if it still cracks, remember you will be covering it all up with frosting, and no one will notice! Last time I made lemon curd, it curdled! What did I do wrong? First, you were probably cooking this over too-high heat. Instead, keep the heat low. Remember, don’t forget to stir constantly! Lastly, once the curd has thickened, immediately strain it. Don’t leave it sitting in the hot pot, or it may overcook. Once I put my cake on the serving platter, how do I ensure it keeps its shape? Gently tie the cake with a bit of butcher twine to hold it together, and refrigerate it for at least one hour to firm it up. Lastly, once it’s cold, untie the cake, frost the top and sides, and then return to the fridge until ready to serve. Can I make Vertical Lemon Cake gluten-free?
Yes, you can make this cake recipe gluten-free.
To do this, simply replace the cake flour with gluten-free cake flour.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
Cake flour can be made using my substitute recipe here. Or simply replace it with the same amount of all-purpose/plain. This vertical cake uses a sponge cake base that contains no butter or oil, and the egg whites and yolks are whipped separately. Significantly, it’s a lighter, drier style of cake that will readily absorb syrups or other flavorful fillings. A genoise cake uses whipped whole eggs and some fat, usually clarified butter. In contrast, a chiffon cake uses separated, separately whipped yolks and whites, like a sponge, but also includes fat like genoise (but usually in the form of oil). All three of these types of cakes can be baked as the base for this cake, yielding slightly different textures. Go ahead and try different bases to find your favorite one! Filling variations are limited only by your imagination! Alternatively, you can use a different curd, such as lime, passionfruit, or even raspberry curd. Additionally, you can also use jam instead of curd or use a buttercream flavor of your choice instead of whipped cream. However, in a pinch, you can also use store-bought lemon curd (shh!!!).
More Lemon Dessert Recipes
No-Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Gemma’s “The Whole Lemon” Tart Recipe Soft Lemon Cookies with Zesty Lemon Glaze Recipe Easy Lemon Bars Perfect Glazed Lemon Pound Cake Mile-High Lemon Meringue with Foolproof Pie Crust Recipe Lemon and Blueberry Single-Serve Cheesecake (No Bake) One-Bowl Lemon Cupcakes
