This is a very rich and dense lemony creation. Lemon cake, lemon frosting, and lemon curd. All in one. If you like lemon, this one is for you. It took awhile to create just what I had in my head, but the results and all the sampling was worth it.

I have a place in my heart for citrus curd. I love tart. I like to make extra so I can snack on it throughout the week: in my yogurt, atop ice cream, a spoonful for dessert, or just spread on my favorite gluten-free toast. This version is exactly the right amount of curd (but doubling it for snacking never hurt anyone), since I use about three-fourths of the curd between the cake layers, and the remaining folded into the whipped cream frosting for a mild lemon frosting. If you have access to meyer lemons, make the curd with that. You’ll thank me. If not, it’s still extra lemony delicious.

A note about allergies: I used earth spread butter for the curd and it turned out beautifully. The texture, the flavor profiles, all of it was lemon curd-licious. The frosting is still real whipped cream.

Lemon Cake Layers
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour, stone-ground
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup sweet white rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons guar gum
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 Tablespoon packed lemon zest
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease two 8 or 9-inch circular cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Mix together the rice flours, the starches, salt, baking powder, and the guar gum in a large bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the eggs and slowly add the sugar. Add the milk, oil, zest, and juice and slowly mix until incorporated. Beat until frothy, then slowly add the dry ingredients.

Divvy the batter up into the cake pans and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just crumbs. Cool completely, or freeze if not using right away.

Lemon Curd Filling
8-9 Tablespoons lemon juice (10 if using meyer lemons)
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup sugar
9 Tablespoons butter (earth spread)
1/2 Tablespoon tapioca starch
4 eggs

In a saucepan, whisk together the juice, zest, sugar, butter, and starch over low heat. Stir constantly, making sure to break up any lumps formed by the starch. Stir over low heat until curd starts to thicken, and then mix some more. Do not allow to boil. This process can take up to 20 minutes. The curd should coat the spoon and resemble a pudding. Chill the curd.

Lemony Whipped Cream Frosting
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream

When the butter is completely softened, beat with a mixture. Add the powdered sugar and beat. Pour the cream in and beat until the frosting forms soft peaks. Set aside.

Cake Assembly
Place the cake on your serving platter. Place 3/4 of the curd between the cake layers (leave plenty of room on the sides the curd does not seep out the sides. Fold the remaining curd into the whipped cream frosting. Frost the cake and serve. If you’re not serving right away, keep chilled.