Spring Birthday Sheet Cake (Printable)

Tender vanilla crumb cake with lemon curd filling and whipped cream frosting, adorned with fresh berries.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ 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 and line a 9x13-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
04 - Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three alternating additions with the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
06 - While cake cools, whisk 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 a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until cold.
07 - Whip chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until assembly.
08 - Once cake is cool, carefully slice horizontally to create two layers. Remove top layer and spread chilled lemon curd evenly over bottom layer. Replace top layer.
09 - Spread whipped cream frosting evenly over cake. Decorate with fresh berries, edible flowers, or lemon zest curls as desired.
10 - Refrigerate assembled cake for at least 1 hour before serving to ensure clean slices.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The lemon curd is tangy and bright without being sharp—homemade tastes infinitely better than anything in a jar.
  • You get a tender, not-too-sweet cake that actually lets the filling shine instead of overshadowing it.
  • Whipped cream frosting stays light on the palate, making it possible to eat a generous slice without feeling weighed down.
  • It feeds a crowd and looks far more impressive than the effort actually requires.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion—cold eggs and milk will cause your batter to seize and become grainy, resulting in a dense, unpleasant crumb.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference in the curd; bottled juice will taste noticeably flat and one-dimensional compared to the brightness juice from an actual lemon delivers.
  • If you're nervous about slicing the cake horizontally, freeze it for an hour before attempting—cold cake holds together far better than room-temperature cake.
03 -
  • If your lemon curd looks too thin after cooking, whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of cold water, then return it to low heat for 30 seconds—it'll thicken instantly.
  • Chill your mixing bowl and beaters before whipping cream; even five minutes in the freezer makes a difference in how quickly the cream whips and how stable it becomes.
  • For slice-worthy perfection, use a hot, wet knife and wipe it between cuts—this prevents frosting from sticking and dragging across your beautiful work.
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