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Golden Sunburst Leo Cake Recipe – Easy Decoration

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A bright and bold lemon cake with layers of tender crumb, tangy lemon curd, and silky golden buttercream, decorated with a stunning sunburst piping effect that looks like a lion’s mane. Perfect for Leo birthdays or any celebration that needs a little extra sunshine.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • Zest of 3 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (for syrup)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (for syrup)
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice (for curd, about 4 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (for curd)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (for curd)
  • 4 large egg yolks (for curd)
  • 1 large egg (for curd)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (for curd)
  • Pinch of salt (for curd)
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • Pinch of salt (for frosting)
  • Yellow gel food coloring (e.g., Wilton Lemon Yellow)
  • Gold luster dust (optional, for decoration)
  • 1 cup toasted coconut flakes (unsweetened)
  • Edible gold stars or sprinkles
  • Optional: fresh edible flowers (like marigolds or pansies)

Instructions

  1. Make the lemon curd first: In a medium saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (coats the back of a spoon), about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter cubes one at a time until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to a week).
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease parchment, and dust with flour.
  3. Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla and lemon zest. On low speed, add flour mixture in three additions alternating with buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Fold in fresh lemon juice. Batter may look slightly curdled.
  4. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans (about 1 ½ cups per pan). Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Make the lemon syrup: In a small saucepan, combine ⅓ cup lemon juice and ⅓ cup sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Brush syrup onto warm cake layers.
  6. Make the golden buttercream: In a large bowl, beat softened butter until smooth (2 minutes). Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed. Add lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium-high for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add yellow gel food coloring a drop at a time until desired golden shade is reached.
  7. Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread about ⅓ cup lemon curd on top, leaving a ½-inch border. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the curd. Repeat with second layer, then top with third layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream all over. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  8. After crumb coat is set, apply final layer of buttercream. Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M star tip with remaining buttercream. Starting at bottom edge, pipe vertical lines from bottom to top, slightly overlapping. At the top, angle tip outward to create a sunburst effect. Work around the entire cake.
  9. Press toasted coconut flakes gently into buttercream along bottom edge. Sprinkle edible gold stars on top and around base. Optionally, mix gold luster dust with vodka or lemon extract and paint onto tips of buttercream rays. Add fresh edible flowers if desired.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are essential for best texture. Don’t overmix the batter. Brush cake layers with lemon syrup while warm for extra moisture. Chill cake between frosting steps for easier handling. Practice sunburst piping on a plate first. Lemon curd can be made up to a week in advance.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon cake, birthday cake, Leo cake, sunburst cake, golden cake, lemon curd, buttercream, celebration cake

Find it online: https://merrymorsel.com/golden-sunburst-leo-cake-recipe-easy-decoration/