Lemon Chantilly Cake
This Lemon Chantilly Cake has soft lemon cake layers with a fluffy vanilla cream cheese frosting for a light, summery dessert that is worthy of turning on your oven! It stays moist up to 4 days, so it’s a perfect make ahead for your next summer dinner party.
ingredients you’ll need:
- Cake Flour, or all purpose flour
- Lemons
- Granulated Cane Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Fine Sea Salt
- Unsalted Butter, softened, cubed
- Olive Oil
- Eggs, room temperature
- Whole Milk, room temperature
- Vanilla Extract
tip for making the cream cheese frosting:
Beating your frosting for longer periods of times (even up to 15 minutes) can help create a velvety, fluffy texture that just melts in your mouth! However, keep a close eye on your stand mixer and bowl to make sure it doesn’t over heat and begin loosening the texture of your frosting.
If you feel your frosting is too soft, place it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to firm up and beat 1-2 more minutes.
how to store cake:
Store the cake slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. When ready to enjoy, let rest at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes to help soften the frosting.
How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd:
As of the last year, I’ve been LOVING taking a little extra time to make homemade lemon curd to add in-between each layer for that extra citrus kick!! I would recommend adding a thin layer of frosting, then a 1/4″ to 1/2″ border along each cake layer edge to keep the lemon curd from spilling out.
ingredients you’ll need:
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, about 2 lemons
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 (1 stick) COLD butter, cubed
how to make the lemon curd:
- combine the sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan. rub together with your fingers for 30 seconds to release lemon essence.
- whisk in the egg yolk until smooth, then pour the lemon juice in a thin gradual stream as you whisk.
- place the saucepan over Medium-Low heat, the stir constantly until it bubbles and easily coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- remove from heat to stir in the butter until completely melted and smooth.
- pour into shallow bowl, then cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent it from hardening on top. place in the fridge to cool completely.
This lemon curd recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6-7 days!
*Recipe has been slightly modified from original video as of July 1st, 2025! The modifications include reducing the amount of frosting and helping any rising troubles. I want this recipe to be as foolproof as possible for you all, so I hope these small adjustments help!
My Homemade Raspberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe:
- 4 cups frozen raspberries
- 2 cups chopped rhubarb
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar – can be reduced if desired.
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- in a large saucepan, combine the raspberries, rhubarb, sugar, and fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine, then place over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent any burning.
- Reduce heat to LOW to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- In a small bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch together to make a slurry. Stir into the jam. It should thicken up like jam almost immediately. If not, let simmer another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a clean glass jar. Let cool to room temperature for 1 hour, then give it a stir and add the lid to store in the fridge up to 10 days.
I made my friends’ engagement cake (pictured above) and here are some details I found helpful!
- For the cakes, I made three batches of the cake recipe below. After slicing each cake 9″ layer in half lengthwise, I used 4 of those layers for the bottom portion. Then, I took the other 3 layers and sliced into 7″ layers. You will have 2 layers leftover which you can make mini cakes with, copycat dot cakes, or enjoy on their own with coffee!
- For the inside frosting, I doubled the batch of cream cheese frosting, drizzling in melted 2 tablespoons of melted white chocolate as the buttercream was beating at the very end after it became fluffy. I spread a thin layer of frosting between each layer, then a 1″ border along the edges that was at least 1/2″ inside the cake. You don’t want the border to be too close to the cake edges or the jam can seep out. It will naturally spread out as the cake layers add weight on top of each other.
- I used the remaining white chocolate buttercream to add a thin crumb layer on the exterior of each cake. Then, I placed in the fridge overnight before frosting the next day. However, just make sure you give them at least 1 hour in the fridge before continuing. For extra stability, add wooden skewers in the center of each cake stack.
- Lastly, I made this Swiss meringue buttercream recipe here. Exact same measurements minus the strawberry powder. It should be stiff peaks but will still be looser than normal the cream cheese buttercream. Starting with a very generous amount of frosting on top of the cake, smooth that out with an offset spatula so it falls along the sides. Use the offset spatula to smooth out the sides. Repeat on both cake stacks.
- After their final frosting, add both cake stacks in the fridge for 1 hour BEFORE stacking. This is going to help stabilize the frosting so you have a smooth transfer. I like to use two very flat, semi-large spatulas to transfer the smaller stack on top of the larger cake. Place back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Transfer remaining swiss meringue buttercream to piping bag(s) to sit in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes to help firm up with the cakes then decorate as playful as you dream up!
Cook with me!
PART 1: ENGAGEMENT CAKE
PART 2: ENGAGEMENT CAKE
Lemon Chantilly Cake
Ingredients
For the Lemon Chantilly Cake:
- 3 cups Cake Flour, or all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. Lemon Zest about 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice about 2 lemons
- 1 1/4 cups Granulated Cane Sugar
- 3 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Fine Sea Salt
- 8 tbsp. Unsalted Butter softened
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk room temperature
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
For the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
- 6 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp. Fine Salt
- (optional) Zest of Lemon
- (optional) Yellow Food Coloring or 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric for natural coloring
Instructions
- NOTE: If you prefer a milder cake flavor, use a neutral olive oil.
For the Lemon Chantilly Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line two 9″ cake pans with parchment. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Rub together with your fingers for 1 minute to release the lemon essential oils. Add the softened butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix on LOW speed until incorporated then increase to beat on HIGH for 2 minutes.
- Switch to the whisk attachment, then add the eggs to beat for 2 more minutes, until doubled in volume.
- Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously (or beat on HIGH speed) for 2 minutes, until doubled in volume and pale in color. Mix in the milk.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a separate bowl. Mix very well.
- Add the flour mixture to the olive oil mixture. Mix just until combined and smooth. Don't over mix the batter once the flour is added.
- Divide the cake batter between the two prepared baking pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and tops are slightly golden.
- Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan to cool completely.
- Once completely cooled, slice each cake layer in half to create four thin cake layers.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combine the softened butter and softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on HIGH until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and beat 30 seconds more.
- On LOW speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until completely absorbed. Begin adding the vanilla, salt, heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest halfway through.
- Beat on HIGH for 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, as needed.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Frost each layer with appx. 3/4 cup of buttercream. Frost a thin layer of frosting along the side of the cake for the "crumb layer" – aka to capture any crumbs. Chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.
- Continue frosting the cake as normal with remaining buttercream. Store in a cake container on the container up to 3 days or in the fridge up to 5 days. Enjoy!
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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I was skeptical throughout the cake prep process. There are a few steps that are atypical for cake baking, and the batter was lumpy as I poured it into the pans. But it came out delicious! I baked it in an 8×8 square pan for 35 minutes. The frosting is the real star of the show. Overall, a great bake! Trust the process.
Hey! This looks amazing–Do you think I could add blueberries and make this into cupcakes? If so how would the recipe/cook time vary?
Absolutely! I would add maybe 1.5-2 cups blueberries (depending on how big they are). I personally love using frozen wild blueberries when baking. Then, just adjust the baking time so you can keep an eye on them and use the toothpick method to test for doneness
Overall an easy to follow recipe but the results were lackluster. The taste of olive oil overpowers the lemon while the cream cheese frosting does little to balance out the flavor and ends up being a side component rather than a cohesive cake. The mouth feel was quite greasy. Again the recipe was awesome just mediocre results.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I baked the layers and made the frosting the day before my afternoon party, and assembled the morning of. It all worked out perfectly, and I loved that it all came together in one bowl.
The lemon flavor came through nicely, and the cake felt really well balanced with the frosting– not too sweet, but still felt like a treat!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe with us <3
Thank you, Maridel!! This makes my heart so happy, you don’t even understand <3
This worked exactly as written and was absolutely delish!!!! This is a family keeper! Thank you angel!
It looks spectacular. I want to make it for my 8th wedding anniversary. I’m just wondering about the amount of powdered sugar for the filling… 4 cups? Are you sure?
Hi Izabela! The powdered sugar helps build out a nice and fluffy frosting, but you can add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until your desired preference! I recommend letting the frosting beat 6-8 minutes once you’ve folded in at least 2 1/2 cups and then go from there
Possibly the best cake I’ve ever made! Directions were simple and easy to follow. Flavors were perfectly balanced. I made the cake a day ahead of my dinner party and you could not tell at all. We will be making this again and again!
Hiya! Did you leave assembled cake out & covered or in fridge day before? Trying to decide if I assemble now or leave that until tomorrow…
Hi Allison! I like to assemble the day of but you could totally assemble the day before and keep out on the counter away from direct heat (with a cake lid to cover) – also if you do, I recommend not decorating with the lemon slices until just before serving!
This worked exactly as written, thanks! I served it at my book club and everyone loved it.
Hi Lauren: I’m planning to make this beautiful cake for an upcoming summer birthday and want to make it as pretty as yours. I’ve listened to your video regarding the garnish on the frosting; I heard ‘oregano’ and something else that I am unable to discern. Will you please tell me? With respect to the lemon slices, you say to pat them dry. Do you recommend just patting off whatever juice appears from the cutting or should I press some of the juice out of them? Thanks for your help!
Hi Susan! How fun!! I decorated it with thyme (but you could also use oregano – just may be a stronger scent), chamomile flowers, and lemon slices. Definitely pat the lemon slices dry on both sides as much as possible. Also, I recommend slicing them very thin which will also help them to stay in place. If your concern about weather or anything else, you could always add the lemon slices just before your guests come.
Hey Lauren 🙂
I just have a question about the recipe. In the recipe itself, it says to put the softened butter into the sugar/lemon zest mixture and beat it on high for 2min. In the video you put the butter into the flour and mix it in with your hands. I just wondered what you think is the best way to do it.
Thanks for your help!
Anna
Hi Anna! I made this adjustment to cream the butter to make sure it’s foolproof for everyone! Creaming the butter will ensure it’s evenly distributed in the batter, preventing it from becoming dense at any point
Can I freeze it?
Once the cake layers cool completely, you can wrap in parchment paper and store in freezer safe bags for up to 2 weeks!
HELLO CAN I USE VEG OIL INSTEAD? I’M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE TASTE OF THE OLIVE OIL OVERPOWERING IT. A FRIEND OF MINE MADE THIS CAKE FOR FATHERS DAY AND SAID IT WAS A HIT.
Hi Ana! I’m so happy your friend loved it!! And yes, you can replace the olive oil with a more neutral oil!
I’ve been baking for years, and this is hands down the best cake I’ve made. Everyone loved it not a crumb left! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
I am a fan of lemon cake so when I saw this receipt I wanted to give it a go. It reminds me of my childhood when my mom would make cake from scratch. I followed your process. The cake came out absolutely perfect. I did have slight trouble with the frosting texture, but I take full accountability because I did not own a stand mixer. Overall, the cake and frosting tasted delicious! News update– I purchased my very first stand mixer today because I now have a passion for baking cakes! Thank you!
what a joyful blog…thanks for sharing and doing this great contribution to life.
Hi Lauren, I made this cake tonight and it was delicious! However, I didn’t have enough frosting for the piping at the top so I’m curious what I did wrong? I followed the recipe exactly as is and used 9” cake pans. Also, how do you get the top of your cake so flat and the sides so even? Do you cut the sides to make all layers uniform?
Hi Nina! You did nothing wrong! The recipe makes for the perfect amount of frosting the cake layers and outside exterior. If you’d like to pip the mounds on top, I suggest making an extra quarter or half batch of frosting – apologies for any confusion! I also do slice the very tops off the cake layers so it’s flat, but not the sides.
Hi there! If I add poppyseeds to the batter do I need to make any recipe adjustments?
I only have 6in round cake pans – how would you advise adjusting bake time? Thanks and can’t wait to make this!
Hi Lisa! Yes, you could totally add a few tablespoons of poppyseeds for a lemon poppyseed cake 🙂 If feeling fancy, you could also do a basil-infused buttercream! For the 6 inch cake pans, definitely divide the batter between 3 of them and bake for the same time, but just keep testing with a toothpick and adding another 5 minutes as you see fit!
Awesome recipe just made it and it was delicious 10/10
I haven’t made this cake yet, but it is so pretty! Does anyone know what flowers are decorating it?
Hi Carla! It’s chamomile, an edible herbal flower
I just made the cake portion and so far so good! I am making the cake for a party in 2 days. Can I make the frosting ahead of time? If so, how do I store it and what would I do with it the day of the party to get it back to a regular frosting state? Thanks for much for any help!
Hi Brooklyn! How exciting!! I recommend making the frosting same day, because you can let the assemble cake sit out at room temperature until you’re ready to serve. This will provide you with the best frosting texture
Wow! I don’t normally leave comments on recipes but I used this base for a 50th birthday cake and it was absolutely incredible!! Everyone adored it. The sponge was perfect, I filled it with mascarpone whipped cream and lemon curd, topped with cream cheese frosting. Can’t thank you enough! <3
I really like this cake!!!! I’ve tried making many cakes but this one was sooooo light and fluffy. I really appreciated how the instructions were written. I didn’t want to make lemon curd so I made a blueberry reduction instead and it worked really well!! I think next time I’ll do the curd and the blueberries. But I highly recommend this recipe.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Hi! This looks delicious! I want to make it this weekend for my son’s birthday. I would love to make the cake early. Just wondering how I should go about doing that , should I wrap the cake in plastic and decorate day of serving or frost the cake and just keep it in the fridge for few days..?
Hi Livia! How sweet!! Yes, you can prep the cake layers the day in advance by letting them completely cool after baking and then wrap in parchment paper, then in Saran Wrap! You can keep on the counter the day prior or in the fridge for up to 3 days before frosting!
Was a little nervous baking this as I am a beginner but this turned out amazing. I used sunflower oil instead of olive oil for a more neutral taste. My family all loved it. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious! I brsuhed limoncello on my cakes before frosting!
My family loved this! Best cake I’ve ever made. Much cheaper to make than the original chantilly cake with berries and I think it’s even better! Thanks for sharing!
Hi! If I wanted to follow your note about substituting some of the olive oil with butter, how do I do so? Do I need to melt the butter first?
You can cream the softened butter with the sugars!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Hi! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for making this cake gluten free? I’d love to try and make it but I have celiacs.
Hi Kassandra! Bob’s Red Mill has some great gluten-free baking flours that act super similar to regular all purpose flour, so I would check them out for sure
Just made this and absolutely loved it! Love the kick of olive oil as well. I halved the ingredients because I wanted a bento cake for myself and my husband and it worked out great. On a side note, I love your hexagon cake stand, would love to know where it is from!
Hello, so I will be making this cake tomorrow, and I have some questions. I noticed a comment on youtube saying that quite a lot of frosting remained after the cake was done. I also saw that your recipe has been modified to reduce the amount of frosting. Will this new quantity be just enough for the cake, or will there still be a lot of left over frosting? I also don’t want to use olive oil in the cake, so is it okay to use any other neutral oil, such as sunflower oil, for this recipe?
Hi Nazli! I have adjusted the recipe so that you should have exactly enough frosting for the cake layers and a thin layer on the outside! And if you prefer not to use olive oil, you could use a more nuetral oil like sunflower or avocado oil!
Absolutely love this! It is perfect. <3
My family loved this!
With 2 8” cake pans the batter overflows almost immediately. I would do at least 9”. What a mess!
My family loved this!
Super easy to make!
I’m thinking if trying this but using lime instead of lemon! Like a twist on key lime pie? What do you think? Looks great!
Hi Gianna! That sounds completely worth the try!! 😉
Hi, can I put the cake batter in 6 inch cake pans? If so would I need 3 or 4?
Hi Kate! You probably would need at least 4 6″ cake pans, but you could just bake in batches of however many cake pans you currently have!
Thanks! Also could I use buttermilk instead of milk?
This cake is seriously so good! It has the perfect amount of lemon flavor and the tangy, sweet frosting complements the cake so well! Well worth the work of making your own cake. 🙌🏼
First time in 3 years my cake turned out to be super good , literally baking store level !!! It tasted so good too🍋
I checked two of your Youtube videos to watch the instructions until mid recipe I realized it was different from the recipe here so that was quite a headache..
The recipe was okay, it wasn’t as moist I’d want it to be, maybe this lies more on my skill on baking because I dive in pretty blind without visual instruction (I am still a newbie in baking).
I do have a problem with the buttercream. It was too sweet and I realized how much sugar I needed just until I was about to make it (not familiar with cups measurement).
I have no vanilla extract, will it be okay without it?
It will be just fine! Hope you enjoy, Ellie!
I loved this cake! I would definitely recommend using a scale two separate the batter- I eyeballed it and one half ended up being 2x the size of the other and taking three times as long to cook.
This Lemon Chantilly Cake is TO DIE for!!! My whole family loved this cake sooooo much! The frosting is light, fluffy, lemon-y, sweet, (but surpringly not too sweet)!! I did zest a lemon to go in the frosting but I ended up picking most of the zest out becuase it would clump togther…which was entirely my fault because I couldn’t find my zester and used a fine shredder instead :(. (nothing to do with any fault in the recipe/creator). The cake was super yummy!! I loved the olive oil additon it gives it such a light/decadent flavor! SO GOOD!
thank you so much, Malia!! I’m just thrilled y’all loved it!
Hey! I love lemon and was going to trying and make this recipe for Easter. But I want to use a lemon curd recipe that I love for a little surprise filling. Do you think it would be a little over powering with lemon on lemon? I was thinking about changing it to a blueberry filling, but I just love lemon.
hi star!! I think the lemon curd would be the perfect addition!! blueberry also sounds so delicious!
The cake itself came out great and delicious, however the cream cheese frosting was very runny and not at all how the insta post showed it to be. It came out over whipped and I followed the exact instructions it this recipe. After some research I found that the cream cheese should be added LAST and the powdered sugar and butter should be first, which is unlike the recipe says. Please fix this and make the recipe match with the video.
hi fabiana! I’m sorry to hear you had troubles with the frosting! I always whip the cream cheese and butter together first to ensure it’s smooth. if a buttercream is ever towards the runner side, it could be the butter is too softened and needs 15-30 minutes of chill time in the fridge – or a little more powdered sugar to help stabilize it!
Made this for Easter brunch and everyone loved it! It was truly finger-lickin’ good! Will definitely make this cake again soon
Such a beautiful balanced cake that highlights lemons. I will be dreaming of this cake until I make it again!
This is 100% the favorite cake recipe I ever made. My friends and family also loved it and ask me to make it on repeat. 💛
There is something special about Chantilly Cake, especially with its soft texture and refined flavor
It’s an incredible recipe!! Can you share the recipe for the Swiss merengue butter cream, please? 🙏🏻
hi Isabela!! I have a swiss meringue buttercream recipe in this blog that is my go-to (https://abrightmoment.com/kumquat-citrus-olive-oil-cake-with-swiss-meringue-buttercream/) you may just need to double or triple it to frost the entire cake!