Spring Birthday Sheet Cake (Print-Friendly)

Tender vanilla crumb cake featuring zesty lemon curd and fluffy whipped cream for bright spring celebrations.

# What You'll 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

# How To Make It:

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, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and lemon zest.
04 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
05 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
06 - While the cake cools, make the lemon curd by whisking together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill until cold.
07 - Whip cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
08 - Once the cake is cool, carefully slice it horizontally to create two layers. Remove the top layer and spread the chilled lemon curd evenly over the bottom layer. Replace the top layer.
09 - Spread the whipped cream frosting evenly over the cake. Decorate with fresh berries, edible flowers, or lemon zest as desired.
10 - Chill the cake for at least 1 hour before serving to ensure clean slices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The lemon curd is bright enough to wake up your taste buds but creamy enough not to overwhelm—it sits perfectly between tart and indulgent.
  • Unlike frosted cakes that feel heavy, the whipped cream frosting stays light and airy, letting the lemon flavor shine through without any pretense.
  • A sheet cake means you can actually assemble this in a normal kitchen without special skills or cake decorating equipment.
02 -
  • Lemon curd can break if your heat is too high or if you stop stirring—low and slow is the only way to get a silky, smooth result.
  • A serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts gives you much cleaner cake slices than a regular chef's knife.
03 -
  • If you're short on time, use store-bought lemon curd and let it come to room temperature before spreading—nobody will know, and your sanity is worth more than proving you made it from scratch.
  • A crumb coat of whipped cream applied first, then chilled for 20 minutes before the final frosting layer, gives you a much more polished finished cake with fewer crumbs mixing into the frosting.
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