Honey Lemon Layer Cake – How I Made Meghan Markle’s Cake Even Better!
I made Meghan Markle’s honey lemon layer cake from her new Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan” and while her version was nice enough, it left a little to be desired on both texture and flavor so I made some tweaks to turn it into the absolute stunner it deserved to be!
Light & tender cake layers infused with lemon zest, honey, and olive oil. Filled with luscious raspberry preserves and a silky mascarpone Chantilly cream. This version elevates the original with a more vibrant lemon punch and a beautifully soft texture!
Save this recipe for later!
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it whenever you like!
If you haven’t gotten around to binge-watching yet, the pilot episode, “Hello, Honey!” features a stunning three-layer lemon, honey & olive oil cake she makes for her close friend, Daniel Martin. It’s decorated as a chic naked cake and filled with homemade raspberry preserves and buttercream. The royal then adds some fresh raspberries and lemon verbena leaves as her cherries on top.
Now, the Duchess of Sussex does disclaim in the first episode that “baking is not [her] favorite thing, but she will do it for her favorite people.” So am I holding the shortcomings of this cake against her? Absolutely not – especially since the concept was amazing and once the right adjustments were made it was downright delicious!
This is a wonderful spring cake and a particularly perfect cake if you’re hosting a spring garden party! However, if you’re a lemon purist looking for a dessert that absolutely screams lemon in every bite you’re better off trying this easy lemon bundt cake, these airfryer lemon cheesecakes or this lemon blueberry crumb cheesecake!
What I Liked About Meghan’s Honey Lemon Layer Cake
- It calls for minimal equipment. You can easily make the cake by hand and theres no need for a stand or even hand mixer. In fact a mixer is likely to cause more gluten to develop, resulting in a tougher cake so keep that paddle attachment stowed away.
- It’s oil based. Oil based cakes tend to be much more moist. In addition, the cake will stay soft when refrigerated as opposed to butter cakes that come off as tough and dry when cold.
- The addition of raspberry preserves. At first I thought it would have been out of place or add too much chaos to the flavor profile of the cake but boy was I wrong! It complements the lemon, honey and olive oil perfectly.
What I didn’t like about the Duchess’ Honey Lemon Layer Cake
- It didn’t have any lemon flavor. Meghan added the lemon zest directly into the wet ingredients. In my opinion, not rubbing the zest is a cardinal sin. Citrus flavor lives in the zest. More flavor is released as the zest is agitated. I opt for rubbing the zest into the sugar. I ditch the lemon juice since it makes the cake sour.
- The honey lemon simple syrup made the cake sour. I usually don’t use tons of lemon juice in cakes, if any because all it can cross that boundary of “tart” and go straight to sour. I completely omitted the lemon juice from the simple syrup glaze and simply used lemon zest, honey & water.
- The baking temperature was too high. Meghan baked her cake layers at 350°F. The higher temperature caused the cake layers to dome which isn’t optimal for a layer cakes since you’ll either have to cut these off for a stable stacked cake or deal with a wobbly uneven cake. I reduced my baking temperature to 325 °F. This gives the cakes a more even rise and level top!
- She uses imperial measurements which can be counterproductive to consistent results since a cup of flour can be more or less depending on the person measuring. When I tested Meghan’s version of the cake I used a kitchen scale and noted the metric equivalent and made adjustments based off those.
- She uses a buttercream frosting which I think is way too heavy for the light and bright flavors in this cake so I swapped it for a Chantilly whipped cream stabilized with mascarpone! A cream cheese frosting would also complement this cake nicely!
Key Ingredient Breakdown & Substitutions for the Cake
Lemons. Meghan opts for fresh lemon zest which is perfect. I do disagree with how it was incorporated and not rubbing the zest in likely had everything to do with why the cake lacked lemon flavor. I also used zest from an extra lemon for a total of 3 lemons used for the cake layers.
Flour. In the episode Meghan doesn’t specify what kind of flour she used but Tudum (Netflix’s behind-the-scenes companion website) confirms that her recipe uses all-purpose flour. I opted for cake flour for a softer cake.
Sugar. Granulated white sugar was used in the episode and I didn’t change this. I would not swap for maple or brown sugar since those richer flavors will over power the delicate flavors in this cake.
Olive oil. When watching the episode my first thought was that it would overpower the honey and mask some of the lemon zest but I was pleasantly surprised! The olive oil flavor was present but subtle and perfectly complements the honey, lemon & raspberries. I didn’t change this, using extra virgin olive oil but you could use a neutral flavored oil like grapeseed or vegetable oil if you wanted.
Liquid. In her recipe, the Duchess opts for milk. I tried her recipe with both whole and skim milk and didn’t have much difference in how moist the cake was. I swapped milk for full-fat sour cream in my version. Since sour cream has more fat than whole milk it made the cake incredibly moist. The slight tang also complements the lemon flavor.
Eggs. Meghan uses whole eggs in her recipe. I did the same. I don’t think separating and whipping the egg whites in this recipe would make a huge difference in this recipe and would be an unnecessary extra step.
Honey. She uses it in both the honey lemon cake layers and the simple syrup – or “the glaze” as Meghan calls it. For the cake, the honey was completely lost so I omitted it completely and used the simple syrup to add that layer of flavor to the cake.
I didn’t like the addition of lemon juice in the simple syrup as it made the syrup and the cake sour and overpowered the honey flavor. I completely omitted lemon juice and just opted for honey, water and lemon zest.
Raspberry preserves. Adds a beautiful fresh element to the cake. Make sure you use preserves and not jam or jelly. Like Meghan mentions in the episode jam has more sugar than preserves which can mask the fruit’s natural flavor.
Frosting. The frosting is made off-screen but the royal does mention that she uses a buttercream. According to Tudum the buttercream is an American buttercream – powdered sugar and unsalted butter. I found this too heavy for the cake so I opted for a light Chantilly cream.
Tips for Making this Honey Lemon Layer Cake
Use a piping bag for layering your cake. The Duchess opts to forego piping bags referring to them as “fancy equipment” and stating you can do the same thing with a zip-top bag but this isn’t completely true. A Ziploc bag can be used in a pinch it doesn’t offer the same control as a piping bag. In addition I used a piping tip for more of an aesthetic look.
Level the cake batter in the pan before baking. If the cake batter is uneven, your cake layer will also be uneven. You can use a spatula to level it out or tap the cake pan on your counter a couple times to level everything out.
Use an oven thermometer. One of the downfalls of Meghan Markle’s cake was the doming which forced you to use a bread knife to cut off the mounded top of each cake. This doming is caused by the higher baking temperature. In addition to having hotspots, your oven can run hotter or cooler than the presented reading so using an oven thermometer takes out the guesswork so you can have predictable and consistent results every time!
How to Make Meghan Markle’s Honey Lemon Layer Cake 2.0
Step 1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
Step 2. Add the lemon zest and sugar to a large bowl and rub the zest into the sugar for about 2 minutes. The sugar should resemble kinetic sand when done.
This is a crucial step and will release all the lemon flavor held in the zest. The more friction applied, the more flavor is released.
Step 3. Add the rest of the dry ingredients – the sifted cake flour, baking powder & salt to the sugar/zest mixture and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute everything.
Step 4. In a separate bowl combine all your room temperature wet ingredients – the olive oil, sour cream and eggs. Whisk to break up the eggs and mix til smooth.
Step 5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until the batter is smooth.
Step 6. Prepare your 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray and divide batter equally among 3 pans. You can also add a parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan for added ease of removal.
Step 7. Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top of the cake spring back when touched or when a skewer comes out with only a few crumbs. Waiting until a toothpick comes out clean can result in a dry cake.
Step 8. While the cakes bake, make the honey glaze. Add the hot water, honey and lemon zest to a heat-proof bowl and mix to incorporate. Set aside until the cakes are ready.
Step 9. After baking let the cake cool slightly then, while still warm, poke with a toothpick or cocktail pick. Spoon the honey-lemon syrup over the top of the cake and down the edges while the cake is still warm. Repeat this with all three cake layers. Allow the cakes to continue to cool. If leaving overnight to assemble the next day, over the layers with plastic wrap.
How to Make the Mascarpone Chantilly (Whipped) Cream
I recommend making the whipped cream right before assembling your cake since it starts to “set” slightly about 10 minutes after being made which can result in piping that isn’t as smooth since the cream is a little stiffer. If you do make it ahead of time though simply return it to you mixer and whip for 10-20 seconds.
Step 1. Add the cold heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar & vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed with whisk attachment until it forms soft peaks. The peak formed at the end of whisk should flop over like a Santa hat when inverted. Slowly bring your mixer up to high speed to avoid the heavy cream splashing out.
Step 2. Add all of the mascarpone cheese and whip on medium speed to medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the whipped cream is smooth. This step should take less than a minute.
Step 3. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag affixed with a piping tip if using.
How to Assemble Meghan Markle’s Honey Lemon Cake
Step 1. Place your cooled cake layer on a cake stand or plate and pipe a border of whipped cream on top of the cake along the edge. Make sure the whipped cream border doesn’t hang over the edge as this border will make the cake unstable. If you have any cake layers that are noticeably taller than the others, use this as the base since using them in the middle or top can cause your cake to topple or collapse on itself.
Step 2. Pipe another circle in the center of the cake and then a single dollop in the center. It should resemble a target. Fill the gaps in with your raspberry preserves.
Step 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 with a second cake layer.
Step 4. Add your last cake layer on top. I like to invert this one so the perfectly flat bottom is now the top of the cake. This makes it easier for you to spread an even layer of the whipped cream that looks crisp!
Step 5. Using an offset spatula spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on the top of your cake.
To get a clean edge, use a paddle motion to spread it over the edge slightly. Then, holding the offset spatula at a 45° angle pointed towards the floor, drag the excess frosting down the side of the top cake layer. Repeat this around the edge of the top layer.
Step 6. Skip this step if you want to forego the piped rosettes on top. Using a rosette tip, pipe some rosettes in a a crescent pattern on top of the cake. For best results, vary the size and pattern.
For a full rosette, pretend you are piping a mini spiral. This’ll be 2D so only pipe one layer for the rosettes.
For little rosebuds simply pipe dots. Vary the size by applying more pressure to the piping bag or holding it place for longer amounts of time.
Step 7. Place your fresh raspberries wherever you like on top of the cake and add your leaves next to them. Meghan uses lemon verbena leaves but I didn’t exactly have those laying around so I used small mint leaves.
Slice and enjoy! Because of the whipped cream, this cake does need to be refrigerated if it won’t be served immediately. Since this is an oil-based cake it will be soft even if served cold!
Get this recipe in your email!
I’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it whenever you like!
Equipment
- piping tips optional
- stand mixer for whipped cream
Ingredients
For the Lemon Olive Oil Cake Layers
- 390 grams cake flour 13¾ oz or about 2¾ cups
- 370 grams granulated sugar 13¼ oz or 1½ cups
- 300 grams full-fat sour cream, room temperature 10½ oz or about 1¼ cups
- 160 grams olive oil 5½ oz or about ⅔ ounces
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 large lemons, zest only
- 1 ½ TBSP baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the Honey-Lemon Simple Syrup
- ½ cup honey 6¼ oz or 176g
- ¼ cup hot water 2oz or 58g
- 1 large lemon, zest only
For the Mascarpone Chantilly Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold 496 grams or 16 oz
- 1 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar 113 grams or 4 oz
- 340 grams mascarpone cheese 12 oz
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Filling & Toppings
- ¾ cup raspberry preserves 6 oz
- fresh raspberries optional for topping
- mint (or lemon verbena) leaves optional for topping
Instructions
How to Make the Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Add the lemon zest and sugar to a large mixing bowl and rub the zest into the sugar for about 2 minutes. The sugar will resemble kinetic sand when you’re done.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients – the sifted cake flour, baking powder & salt to the sugar/zest mixture and stir with a spoon to evenly distribute everything.
- In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients adding all the olive oil, sour cream and eggs. Whisk to break up the eggs and mix til smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and divide the batter equally among the 3 pans. You can also add a parchment circle to the bottom of the pan for added ease of removal.
- Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top of the cake spring back when touched or when a skewer comes out with only a few crumbs.
- While the cakes bake, make the honey glaze. Add the hot water, honey and lemon zest to a heat-proof bowl and mix to incorporate. Set aside until the cakes are ready.
- When the cakes are done allow them to cool slightly then, while still warm, poke with a toothpick or cocktail pick. Spoon the honey-lemon syrup over the top of the cake and down the edges while the cake is still warm. Repeat this with all three cake layers. Allow the cakes to continue to cool. If leaving overnight to assemble the next day, over the layers with plastic wrap.
How to Make the Mascarpone Chantilly Whipped Cream
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar & vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed until it forms soft peaks. The peak formed at the end of whisk should flop over like a Santa hat when inverted.
- Add all of the mascarpone cheese and whip until stiff peaks form and the whipped cream is smooth. This step should take less than a minute.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag affixed with a piping tip if using.
Assembling the Honey Lemon Cake
- Place your cooled cake layer on a cake stand or plate and pipe a border of whipped cream on top of the cake along the edge. Make sure the whipped cream border doesn't hang over the edge as this border will make the cake unstable. If you have any cake layers that are noticeably taller than the others, use this as the base since using them in the middle or top can cause your cake to topple or collapse on itself.
- Pipe another circle in the center of the cake and then a single dollop in the center. It should resemble a target. Fill the gaps in with your raspberry preserves.
- Repeat steps 1 & 2 with a second cake layer.
- Add your last cake layer on top. I like to invert this one so the perfectly flat bottom is now the top of the cake. This makes it easier for you to spread an even layer of the whipped cream that looks crisp!
- Using an offset spatula spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on the top of your cake. To get a clean edge, use a paddle motion to spread it over the edge slightly. Then, holding the offset spatula at a 45° angle pointed towards the floor, drag the excess frosting down the side of the top cake layer. Repeat this around the edge of the top layer.
- Skip this step if you want to forego the piped rosettes on top. Using a rosette tip, pipe some rosettes in a a crescent pattern on top of the cake. For the prettiest results, vary the size and pattern.
- Place your fresh raspberries wherever you like on top of the cake and add your herb leaves next to them.
- Slice and enjoy! Because of the whipped cream, this cake does need to be refrigerated if it won’t be served immediately but since this is an oil-based cake it will be soft even if served cold!
Notes
- Make the whipped cream right before assembling your cake since it starts to “set” slightly about 10 minutes after being made which can result in piping that isn’t as smooth since the cream is a little stiffer. If you do make it ahead of time though simply return it to you mixer and whip for 10-20 seconds.
- If you have any cake layers that are noticeably taller than the others, use this as the base since using them in the middle or top can cause your cake to topple or collapse on itself.
- When piping the rosettes for a full rosette, pretend you are piping a mini spiral. This’ll be 2-D so only pipe one layer for the rosettes.
For little rosebuds simply pipe dots. Vary the size by applying more pressure to the piping bag or holding it place for longer amounts of time.
I made this for Easter and it was really good and looked beautiful! My questions are… the cake was not as fluffy as I think it should have been. I did not measure in grams. Could that have something to do with it being a bit coarse in texture? Also I live in Colorado and it sank a bit in the middle. Should I reduce the sugar or the temperature to fix this? It didn’t look as pretty when cut due to the sinking.
I will make it again but think I need to tweak perhaps. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Elaine – Although i add estimated imperial measurement I definitely suggest measuring in grams since it’s more precise. Even a small amount of extra flour can cause a dense cake.
Unfortunately not all recipes translate without adjustments for high-altitude baking. Since the cake sunk I am assuming that the cell structure is what needs a little support (common with high altitude cakes) maybe try adding about 3⁄4 teaspoon of xanthan gum to help with stability of the cake.
This source also recommends increasing the temperature so it decreases time in the oven where the cake could dry out and also sets the structure.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! I came to the internet to find this & you had it ready to go. I made it for Easter & it was a hit!
Making this today for tomorrow’s Easter Dinner.
I just took them out and they didn’t rise. My hope is after I assemble they will be fine, it’s for family so not a big deal, but just wondering should they have risen?
Hi Missy, yes. They layers should rise but the rise is even with minimal doming. Lack of any rise could be for a variety of reasons like incorrect baking temp, expired baking powder or opening the oven too frequently. I hope it works out! Send me a photo once you cut it! If the texture isn’t as expected seeing the crumb could help me troubleshoot where things went wrong. You can DM me on instagram @thestushkitchen!
Hello,
Could I make this 2 layers, instead of three? Would it work with the measurements?
Thanks!
If you make it 2 layers i suggest using a bigger pan (like 10-inches). Using 8 inch pas would lengthen the baking time which could cause the cakes to dry out depending on how thick the layers arw.
Hello, thanks for the recipe! I’ve only got one 8-inch cake pan and was wondering if it would work baking the cake at one shot and slicing it into three layers, or would it make sense to bake the three layers one by one after another (would the batter keep that long)?
I’d opt to bake the layers 1 by 1. The batter should be fine during that time. If you have six inch pans or 10-inch you can use those. I wouldn’t bake it in a single pan for various reasons. First, it will take longer to cook through to the center which would ry out the rest of the cake. second, unless you have a really deep pan i don’t think it would fit.
Also, if you have a sheet pan you could use that and then cut it in equal sizes to layer it. If you do that though, opt for a crumb coat for a semi-naked cake to protect the cut edges from drying out.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I never leave comments but needed to come here to say that this cake was so yummy! I look forward to making it again.
so happy you enjoyed it💕
Hi I’m making this for Good Friday. Can I assemble all Thursday evening and put in the fridge? I’m worried about the freshness
The texture of the cake shouldn’t be affected with just one night in the refrigerator so I think you should be good. Make sure you store in an airtight cake dome though. If you don’t have a cake dome that fits, instead of a naked cake I’d at least do a semi naked cake (basically just a crumb coat) – it’ll help lock the moisture in.
Bring the cake out ~30 minutes before serving.
This cake receive rave reviews from the fam. Wouldn’t change a thing. It was so delish. The lemon/honey/raspberry combo was spot on and the Mascarpone/Whipped Cream frosting was to die for. Will definitely make again.
So happy you and your family enjoyed it! 💕
Hi, I want to make this cake for a small gathering and only have 6 inch pans. Can you tell me what temp and how long you think I should put them in the oven for? Thank you!
Hi Laura! I’d bake at 325F still but your 6-inch cakes will likely need a little less time. I’d check on them at the 18-minute mark. At this point the most of the rise should have already passed so there shouldn’t be too much of a risk of sinking.
Pull them out one they spring back lightly when pressed with a fingertip or when a toothpick comes out with a couple crumbs. Don’t wait til the toothpick is clean
Hello, can I substitute the sour cream for plain greek yogurt? Thank you!
I did not test this recipe with greek yogurt but in other recipes it has flattened any sharp/citrus flavors. If you have it available I’d opt for buttermilk instead
Hi there, I’m planning on making this cake for my daughter’s bday. How many days in advance can I make the layers and store them in the Fridge.
I advise against storing cake layers in the fridge. I would use the freezer instead -it locks in moisture. I tend to freeze my cakes while they’re still warn to lock in that moisture! Having said that for optimal flavor i wouldn’t bake more than 2 weeks out. When you freeze, wrap the layers individually in plastic wrap tightly but not too tight where it distorts the shape. Ad the simple syrup when you assemble the cake after thawing.
Hi! Thank you for sharing! I am looking to make this cake for Easter Dinner. If I make the cake the day of and add the frosting a couple of hours before dinner, will the frosting hold up or will it start to become runny like whip cream after it’s been sitting for a while?
The mascarpone stabilizes the frosting so it’ll hold up! It won’t be like regular whipped cream at all 🙂
Ok thank you!!
How hot does the water need to be for the honey lemon simple syrup????
Similar to tea. The heat is help get some more flavor out of the zest.
I initially fell in love with the idea of making this honey lemon layer cake watching the ‘With love, Meghan,’ show however I could not see myself making a butter cream with 6 sticks of butter. I came across your “knockoff” version of her cake and I liked your version better using cake flour and sour cream in the batter and a making a Chantilly marscapone whipped cream. I decided to make it for my birthday celebration with my family. It was a huge hit with everyone. It was heavenly eating this cake. Nice and light and airy and refreshing. There are a lot of steps to making this cake but I found the directions to be quite straight- forward and easy to follow. The only comment I will make is that when cooking the cake in the pan I’d suggest layering it with parchment paper as my cake stuck to the pan and broke in the removing process so I had to make 1 layer again.Definitely will be making this again!
so happy you enjoyed it!
This cake looks amazing and I’m planning to make it this weekend for a friends birthday. Should I refrigerate the bowl and whisk before making the chantilly cream?
If you can, yes! This will help protect you against over whipping since that is more likely if your ingredients warm up. Its not absolutely necessary since this whipped cream recipe is less finicky but it definitely won’t hurt!
Hello! I am making these sponges right now as I type 🙂 My question is, I will be freezing them for use in about 10 days when I make my granddaughters birthday cake (2 tier, one with the 3 8″ and one with 3 6″ sponges). Is the simply syrup needed for moisture in this cake? I assume if I use it, I have to use it after I thaw it out and cake is at room temp. I will want to crumb coat though since I will be frosting the entire cake….can I par-freeze to do the crumb coat etc without hurting the texture, if I use the simple syrup? Hope you can decipher my questions lol!
Hi Donna! The simple syrup isn’t needed for moisture in this cake but it’s needed to add an extra layer of flavor (the honey). Since you’ll be freezing your layers before assembling, you’re right – I don’t recommend applying the syrup before freezing. This can cause the cake to feel soggy and even dense once you thaw it out.
In your case, I’d thaw the cakes (completely so that the syrup can soak in), add the simple syrup and then decorate. Be mindful as since your cakes won’t be warm, you may need to use less syrup (heat would have helped some excess water evaporate leaving only the flavor).
It’s completely okay to par-freeze the cake so your crumb coat can set but be careful that you don’t let the entire cake freeze as the freezing and thawing with the syrup already added can cause a soggy/mushy texture like I mentioned before. If you think you’ll have to leave the cake in it’s “crumb coat” stage for an extended period I’d opt for the refrigerator over the freezer. The crumb coat will help protect the cake so it doesn’t dry out anyway.
Hope I answered your question! ☺️💕
Thank you thank you! You answered everything! I will let you know how it turns out!
Donna
Ooops, I actually do have one more question! How does the mascarpone chantilly cream work for icing the entire cake? Wondering if you would recommend a different frosting perhaps? Tks!!
Hi Donna, sorry i missed this follow up question. The chantilly is perfectly fine for icing the entire cake. The mascarpone stabilizes it!
I made this cake for my mom’s birthday and I dare say that this is the most delicious cake I’ve ever had and my family was completely in love with it.
Flavors are perfect balanced, the sponge is light and moist, the icing is beyond description. 10/10.
Thank you for this recipe!
so happy everyone enjoyed it!
This recipe made the most perfect and delicious cake!!! I didn’t have mascarpone but I did have cream cheese so I used that instead and I used my homemade strawberry preserves that I had on hand. I loved the tip about baking at a lower temperature because I didn’t have to level make cakes at all. My favorite part was that the assembled cake wasn’t too sweet!!!! Definitely will make this cake again~ Thank you for sharing your recipe❤️
So happy you loved it Diane! Love that the cream cheese worked out! It has a higher water content so it can make a runny frosting if you’re not careful. Did you do a 1:1 substitution? I’m curious for my own research lol
Hi, how would I store the leftovers? Covered on counter? Refrigerator? What if I want to make a day in advance?
The frosting has dairy so if you assemble it in advance you’ll have to refrigerate it. I recommend assembling before serving for best results since refrigeration unfortunately dries cakes out more quickly. Wrap the cake layers with cling wrap and you can allow those to sit at room temperature until you are ready to assemble.
The next best thing if you don’t want to wait to assemble it is storing it whole in an airtight container like a cake dome if you have one that is large enough.
For leftover’s slice into desired servings and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Depending on how long you want to store – in the refrigerator or the freezer. If it will be refrigerated for more than 2 days i recommend freezing since the refrigerator dries cakes out and the freezer can help to lock in the moisture.
Haven’t made yet but is there a recipe for the preserves? Did you purchase store bought?
I didn’t make my own preserves since i wanted to keep things simple for this cake! I just got my favorite brand from the store. Make sure you reach for preserves and not jam 🙂
If you want to make your own, its pretty much the same thing as making a compote since not all preserves need to have pectin. If you’re interested i have a recipe up for a blueberry compote that you could easily swap in raspberry for
I was inspired by With Love, Megan show and so I am so happy I found this recipe! The cake turned out so delicious, my husband said 10/10! The sponges are moist, the cream is heavenly! I ended up with more cream than I needed, so I made extra desserts. Thank you for sharing, it’s a wonderful cake!
So happy you and your family enjoyed it! 💕
Made this version of Megan’s cake for a family dinner and everyone loved it. The chantilly cream was super easy and the cake was so soft!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
The mascarpone chantilly cream measurements are off, I ended up with an unusable soup I couldn’t use. Wanted to love this!
Hi Patty! Sorry the mascarpone chantilly cream didn’t work out for you. It sounds like it wasn’t whipped for long enough before adding the mascarpone. You should have soft peaks before you add your mascarpone so the cream should NOT be liquid still. It should to a peak that slightly flops over. After you add the mascarpone make sure you whip until its stiff- this part should be quick.
If you’re in a warmer climate it’ll help to chill your bowl and make sure you start with cold heavy cream and mascarpone as well!
please convert all grams to oz, cups etc. Online conversions only estimate : ( Looks delicious!
Done! Disclaimer – I do recommend using grams especially for making the cake. If you opt for cups just make sure you spoon the flour into your measuring cups to avoid packing any extra flour in there which would affect the texture!
I did a lot of things wrong but it still worked out! I only had high grade flour (for bread) but I replaced 1 tablespoon with cornflour and sifted it. I also didn’t have sour cream so I used crème fraiche and a splash of milk. Finally, I only had a few small lemons so I didn’t use the full amount of zest that was called for, but wow still lemony! This is a solid recipe if it can stand up to alterations and substitutes. Thanks for sharing!
Using creme fraiche was definitely a great call! This recipe is one of the more forgiving cake recipes I’ve tested out. Glad you enjoyed it!!
Though I haven’t tried this cake as yet, just wanted to let you know 1 cup in U.S. measures 8 ounces and in your recipe under Marscarpone Chantilly cream you say 113 grams or 4 ounces. In U.S. 4 ounces is 1/2 cup and so I am confused.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
Hi Lesa! Do you mean for the confectioner’s sugar? 4 ounces only accurately translates to a half cup for wet ingredients. For dry ingredients, due to the difference in density, a half a cup will most times weigh less than a half a cup of liquid. So in this case, 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar only ended up weighing the same as half a cup of liquid.
Hope that makes sense! ☺️💕
I cannot say enough about this Honey Lemon Layer Cake… it is absolutely divine! From the first bite, I was completely captivated by its delicate balance of flavors. The natural sweetness of honey paired with the bright, citrusy zing of lemon created the perfect harmony—neither overpowering the other but working together to create a truly elegant dessert.
The cake itself was moist, tender, and light, with just the right amount of density to hold up to the luscious layers of frosting. And speaking of frosting… it was pure heaven! Light, smooth, and airy, it melted in my mouth with every bite. I don’t care for heavy frostings, and this one was absolute perfection!
What truly set this cake apart was how well-balanced it tasted. It wasn’t overly sweet, making it the perfect treat for any occasion—whether as an afternoon indulgence with tea or a stunning dessert centerpiece for a special gathering.
If you love cakes that are both decadent and refreshing, this Honey Lemon Layer Cake is an absolute must-try! I’ll be dreaming about it until my next slice.
P.S. This cake reminds me of a charming, rustic bakery creation… a summer celebration… a chic countryside wedding… you get where I’m going with this?
Hi! Thank you for sharing! I am looking to make this cake for Easter Dinner. If I make the cake the day of and add the frosting a couple of hours before dinner, will the frosting hold up or will it start to become runny like whip cream after it’s been sitting for a while?