What is your favorite cake or pie? I know it is like a dessert dilemma. I’m torn because I like them both, so this recipe for this Lemon Sponge Pie has become a favorite pie. Yes, you can have cake and pie together in one dessert with the fresh flavor of old-fashioned lemon pie.
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Also known as a lemon cake pie, this dessert has layers of flavor, a flaky pie crust, a tangy, creamy layer of lemon cream, and finally, a tender layer of lemon sponge cake that is simply luscious. It’s like a dream-come-true dessert.
I love vintage recipes, and this one had been taped in my cookbook for over fifteen years, and I just ignored it. The thought of a cake-pie dessert just never sounded right to me. I figured there would be a big cake layer in a pie shell. I was so wrong!
There are several components to making this lemony dessert, but they are all simple: the baking process is easy, and the ingredients are easy to get at the market. It’s just EASY!!!
Another easy vintage lemon dessert is this no-bake lemon posset. It’s rich, creamy, and ultra decadent.
Why This Dessert Is So Good
- It’s a unique and easy pie recipe perfect for special occasions or an everyday dessert.
- This dessert has just the right amount of lemon flavor; all you need is one lemon.
- You can use a store-bought pie crust, and this dessert will come out just as tasty as making your own
- The ratio of lemon custard to the lemon cake is perfect in every bit.
- This is like a three-in-one dessert – pie, custard, and cake. What’s not to like?
Dessert Ingredients
9-inch pie dough – use this easy recipe for Flaky Pie Crust.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour
- Water
- Salt
- Butter/Shortening –
Lemon Pie Filling ingredients
- Butter – Use unsalted for the best results.
- White Sugar
- Eggs – Use large eggs
- Flour – all-purpose flour
- Milk – I always use whole milk, but 2% will work. I have not tested plant-based milk.
- Lemon – use a large fresh lemon. You will use the juice and the lemon zest.
Raspberry Sauce (Optional, but really good)
- Fresh Raspberries
- White Sugar
- Cornstarch
How To Make A Lemon Pie
The pie shell
Step 1. A 9″ unbaked pie crust is needed for the filling. You can make your dough using my Flaky Crust Recipe; it’s easy and delicious. Not into making pie dough, you can use a 9″ store-bought crust, and this dessert will be just as delicious.
The lemon filling
Step 2. Add the melted butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium speed using a hand mixer until combined. You can also use a stand mixer.
Step 3. Separate egg yolks and reserve the whites in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix at low speed between each addition until combined and smooth.
Step 4. Mix the flour into the batter on low speed to incorporate.
Step 5. Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix on medium speed until combined. Scrape the bowl and remix it so everything is nice and creamy.
Step 6. In a separate bowl, add the three reserved egg whites. Start mixing the whites on low speed, then increase the speed to medium-high speed and beat until stiff peaks form for well-beaten egg whites.
Step 7. Slowly fold egg whites into the egg yolk batter with a rubber spatula until the egg whites are mixed in.
Step 8. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325° f for 50 – 60 minutes with your rack in the bottom half of the oven. The custard might be just slightly jiggly when done, not too jiggly, just slightly. Remove the pie, set it on a wire rack, and cool it completely.
How To Serve This Lemon Pie
The filling often pulls away from the crust, so I like to pipe whipped cream around the edges. Fresh raspberries on top make it look extra festive.
I also make a quick raspberry sauce to drizzle on top. This is optional, but I like the sauce’s sweetness with the tangy lemon flavor. Strawberries would be good, too.
How to make a quick raspberry sauce (optional)
Add the raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar is dissolved, smashing the raspberries as you stir. Cook for 5 minutes, then pour the mixture into a mesh strainer to strain the seeds, pushing down with a spoon to get all the juice. Return the juice to the saucepan over medium heat and add a slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken the raspberry juice. Cook again over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes until thickened.
Let the sauce cool and drizzle over pie slices.
FAQ’s
This is an old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch Pie and is an Amish and Mennonite favorite.
Yes, once the pie has cooled, keep it in the refrigerator.
More lemon recipes to try
- Baked Ricotta with Lemon and Herbs – an easy and creamy appetizer.
- Sweet, Tart and Tangy Lemon Cake – this bundt cake is full of lemon flavor inside and out.
- Chewy Lemon Cookies – these are the best lemon cookies and have a soft lemony glaze on top.
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies – baked with lots of lemon zest, these crispy shortbreads deliver on lemon flavor.
- Lemon Scones are always delicious, and for this recipe, we added blueberries for some wonderful sweetness and color and a sweet icing drizzle.
Don’t forget the pie plate – For this recipe, I used a 9″ pie plate, and the filling for this pie fits in it perfectly.
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Recipe
Amish Lemon Sponge Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup AP flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup solid vegetable shortening cold
- 4-5 tablespoons ice water
Lemon Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs separated
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1-2 Lemon 1/4 cup juice and zested
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
Raspberry Sauce – optional
- 1 pint Raspberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting – optional
- 6 ounces Cream cheese softened
- 6 tablespoons Butter softened
- ¼ cup Fresh raspberries
- 1¼ cups Powdered sugar
Instructions
Pie Dough
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the butter and shortening, cut in with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like small peas.
- With a fork, stir in the ice water one tablespoon at a time until evenly moistened.
- Press the dough into a ball, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill for 15-30 minutes.
- Roll the dough to fit a 9" pie pan.
Making the lemon filling
- Juice and zest the lemon. Depending on the size of the lemon, you may need two to get a 1/4 cup of juice. NOTE: you only need the zest from 1 lemon.
- Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed with a mixer. Add the egg yolks one at a time to the bowl mixing between each addition, then add the flour, mix well.
- Add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest; mix on medium speed until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- With a rubber spatula fold the egg whites into the creamed mixture until no whites show.
- Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Bake at 325 degrees for about 55-60 minutes.
Whipped Cream – optional
- Pour the cold whipping cream into a medium-size bowl and beat with a whisk attachment until still peaks form. Add some powdered sugar if you want a sweetened whipped cream. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe rosettes on top of the pie.
Raspberry sauce – optional
- In a small saucepan add the raspberries and sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar is melted and the raspberries are soft. Smash the raspberries to release the juice. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour the raspberries into a fine-mesh strainer to strain the seeds, pushing down with a spoon to get as much juice.
- Add the juice back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch and water to make a slurry and add the raspberry juice; stir until the mixture thickens.
- Drizzle over the pie slice. Store the remainder in the refrigerator for a few days.
Making the raspberry frosting – optional
- In a medium-sized bowl beat the softened cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the raspberries until combined.
- By half-cup measure add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until a thick frosting forms. Sometimes you may have to add additional powdered sugar to thicken the frosting.
- Add the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large frosting tip, like a 1M or 2D. Pipe rosettes around the edge of the pie and top with raspberries.
Notes
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Nutrition
First Published: Sept. 11, 2011. Last Updated: Feb. 23, 2024, with new images and better readability.
This was my original photo of the lemon pie with raspberry cream cheese frosting piped on the edges. The frosting recipe is in the recipe card.
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About Jere’ Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
This is one of the most unique and delicious recipes I’ve ever made. The lemon custard and cake combination is fantastic but the addition of a flaky pie crust is so good! This is something I will make again and again. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
It’s hard to believe how this dessert bakes up and separates.
The lemon cream had that pleasant tangy flavor and the sponge cake was so fluffy and delicious. I served it with a drizzle of raspberry sauce as recommended and it added a perfect touch of sweetness. Definitely making this again!
This technique looked so interesting, I had to try it. So pleased I did as it was absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for posting this!
So glad you liked this dessert, it is rather unique.