Birthday Cake Club: Summer Lemon Berry Cake

Go big with 3 layers of tender butter cake, lemon curd, whipped buttercream and fresh berries.

Hi Bakers!

Let’s start a campaign to make this Lemon Berry Cake the official celebration cake of the summer! I’m talking three lofty, fluffy layers of moist, lemon-soaked cake, whipped buttercream frosting, zesty pockets of lemon curd, and the ripest berries summer can offer. From birthdays to cookouts, save this three-layer, crowd-pleasing confection for when the house is full of guests or heading to a party. 

A fresh strawberry cake always makes my summer dessert highlight reel. It’s honestly so hard to top a ripe and juicy strawberry, am I right? Pair them with buttery pound cake, fluffy chiffon, or clouds of whipped cream for peak summer living.

For this cake, I wanted to take the best parts of a strawberry cake and combine it with another favorite flavor - Lemon. I also added plump blackberries and jammy raspberries for the ultimate Lemon Berry Cake.

The lemon butter cake is soft and tender. It’s made even more moist and flavorful with the help of a lemon syrup. For the filling, I piped alternating rings of super light whipped buttercream and homemade lemon curd. Overstuffing the cake with too many berries makes it difficult to slice, but piling them high on top of the cake always makes for a stunning presentation.

Notes on Naked Cakes:

Love the unfrosted look of a ‘naked’ cake? Here are some things to keep in mind:

Buttercream protects cakes from drying out and helps them retain moisture. Without it, cakes won’t stay as fresh for as long.

For this cake in particular, I baked the layers a couple days in advance. Wrapped well in plastic and stored them at room temperature, they were still soft and tender when I went to assemble the cake. Because of the lemon curd, I suggest storing the finished cake and any potential leftovers in the refrigerator. The fridge also promotes drying, so make sure to wrap the sides and top of the cake with plastic wrap.

If you are concerned about squishing the buttercream, you can chill the cake until the buttercream sets, then wrap well. The lemon syrup will also help keep the cake moist for longer. 

Pan prep is important when making an unfrosted cake. This is not a time you want your cake stuck in the pan. Butter or oil the pans then sprinkle with flour. Add parchment paper to the bottom before adding the cake batter.

With this Lemon Berry Cake and other future naked cakes, give thought when trimming and stacking cakes. Use a piping bag to add the filling for clean, even layers.