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A few years ago, I was at The Pantry in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai, on one of those afternoons when you have nowhere particularly urgent to be. I was catching up with a friend over coffee, and we were talking about everything from work to the places we wanted to travel to next. We had been laughing about how quickly our lives seemed to be filling up with responsibilities and how nice it was to occasionally sit somewhere for a couple of hours with no agenda.
When we spotted a lemon cake on the dessert counter, we decided to order one slice to share. It arrived with a generous layer of lemon cream cheese, and I still remember the first bite. The cake was soft and buttery, the lemon was bright and slightly tart, and the cream cheese frosting was sweet without being overwhelming. We both immediately agreed that we should have ordered two slices.
I remember leaving the café thinking about that cake and wondering if I could recreate it at home.
So, eventually, I did.
After a little testing, I found a version that comes pretty close to the one I remember. The cake is light and moist, with plenty of fresh lemon flavor, while the lemon cream cheese adds that lovely tangy sweetness on top.
It has become one of my favorite cakes to make when I want something a little special with my afternoon tea. And every time I make it, I’m reminded of that lazy Mumbai afternoon, a long conversation with a friend, and the slice of cake that started it all.
Here’s the recipe I keep coming back to.
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 6g baking powder
- 3g baking soda
- 4g salt
- 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 275g sugar
- 12g lemon zest – 2 to 3 lemons
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 250g buttermilk, room temperature
- 60g fresh lemon juice
- 12g vanilla extract
- 4g lemon extract
Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease two 20cm / 8-inch round cake pans & line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, add the buttermilk, lemon juice, & vanilla.
In another bowl, combine the sugar & lemon zest then add butter and beat for 5 minutes till light & fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Add 1/3 of the flour then half of the wet ingredients. Continue alternating, ending with the flour. Mix until combined, do not overmix.
Divide between pans 8. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or toothpick inserted comes out clean 9. Let the cakes cool completely before levelling and cutting in half.
Strawberry Elderflower Jam
- 500g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 350g sugar
- 25g fresh lemon juice – about 1 lemon
- 8g dried elderflowers
- 8g cornstarch
- 100g water
- 30g elderflower cordial
Make the elderflower infusion. Bring water to a simmer. Remove from the heat & stir in the dried elderflowers. Cover & steep for 30–60 minutes. Strain well, pressing lightly on the flowers. You should have roughly 75g of fragrant elderflower tea.
Cook the jam. Combine the elderflower tea & cornstarch in a small bowl & whisk until completely smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture, strawberries, sugar, & lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the strawberries have softened & the mixture is bubbling and thickened, stirring occasionally.
Add the elderflower cordial. Remove the jam from the heat and stir in the elderflower cordial.
Allow the jam to cool completely, then transfer to a clean container and refrigerate.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g; 1/2 stick), softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese (113g), cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar (113g)
- 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)
- Pinch salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons lemon curd (optional; for brightest lemon flavor)
- Lemon zest and lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
In a large bowl using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter at high speed until pale and very fluffy (this should take 2-3 minutes). You want to incorporate as much air as possible into the mixture to make it light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon curd (if using), and salt, and beat at medium to high speed until fully combined and light.
Cut the cooled cake into three halves and add the strawberry elderflower jam. Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the top and sides. It should make a thick layer, and can be swirled in patterns if desired.
Decorate the outer edges of cake with additional lemon zest and lemon slices and strawberry slices if desired. Serve!
