Spring Birthday Sheet Cake (Printable)

Tender vanilla cake with tangy lemon curd and whipped cream frosting, perfect for spring gatherings.

# What you need:

→ Cake

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
10 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Lemon Curd Filling

11 - 4 large egg yolks
12 - ½ cup granulated sugar
13 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
14 - Zest of 2 lemons
15 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed

→ Whipped Cream Frosting

16 - 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
17 - ½ cup powdered sugar
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

19 - Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
20 - Edible flowers or lemon zest curls

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch sheet pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest until combined.
05 - Add dry ingredient mixture to wet mixture in three portions, alternating with milk. Begin and end with dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack.
07 - While cake cools, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold.
08 - Whip chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
09 - Once cake is completely cool, carefully slice horizontally to create two layers. Remove top layer and spread chilled lemon curd evenly over bottom layer. Replace top layer.
10 - Spread whipped cream frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Decorate with fresh berries, edible flowers, or lemon zest curls as desired.
11 - Refrigerate assembled cake for at least 1 hour before serving to ensure clean slices.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The homemade lemon curd is tangy enough to wake up your taste buds but sweet enough to feel indulgent, hitting that perfect balance that makes people ask for the recipe.
  • You get a sheet cake that's foolproof to bake but looks elegant enough to impress, which means less stress and more time to actually enjoy the moment.
  • It's bright and refreshing without being heavy, so it works just as well at a spring brunch as it does at a summer dinner party.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion—cold eggs and milk won't emulsify properly into the butter and sugar, and you'll end up with a grainy, broken batter that bakes into a dense, uneven cake.
  • When making lemon curd, keep the heat at medium-low and stir constantly because even a few seconds of high heat will scramble the egg yolks and you'll have grainy curd instead of silky filling.
  • The lemon curd must be completely cold before you assemble the cake, or it will melt into the frosting and everything slides around.
03 -
  • Use a hot, wet knife to slice the assembled cake, wiping the blade clean between each cut—this prevents the frosting from dragging and tearing and gives you clean, beautiful slices that look intentional.
  • If you're nervous about splitting the cake horizontally, you can use dental floss or a cake leveler instead of a knife; dental floss cuts cleanly through cake and gives you much more control.
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