Lemon Cake
Ingredients
3 cups (354g) sifted all-purpose flour* (spoon & leveled)
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1 heaping Tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
8 ounces (224g) full-fat brick style cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick.
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 21-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling. The baked cakes are fluffy, but they are not thick– about 1 – 1.5 inches.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until completely smooth and combined. Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin, more lemon juice if frosting is too thick, or add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I always add a pinch of salt!)
Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I like to top mine with homemade whipped cream (I used Wilton 8B piping tip).
Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
How to make this Magic Fluffy Lemon Frosting
First, we make the roux. It’s just like how we start creamy-sauce savoury foods like Mac and Cheese, only it’s sweet and we take it much further until it’s very thick.
1. THICKENING ROUX FOR FROSTING
Milk, sugar, flour – Stir the sugar and flour in a dry saucepan over medium heat – this just toasts the sugar lightly to bring out some flavour. Then slowly pour the warm milk in as you whisk (this avoids lumps).
Cook over medium heat until it thickens in a thick, dolloping-texture custard. The range of thickness possible is actually quite broad – I’ve made it way thicker and it still worked perfectly. In fact, the frosting holds its structure longer, and it pipes with sharper, more defined edges even though it is just as fluffy. Just don’t take it off when it’s still watery.
Scrape roux into a bowl.
Cover roux with cling wrap, pressing onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming (or use paper if you’re plastic-conscious). Now, and very importantly, allow to fully cool otherwise it will melt the butter. It will become like a thick, pasty, thoroughly unappetising jelly. At this stage you may start doubting me. Have faith and remember this is a real, age-old frosting technique – I did not just wake up yesterday and make it up! 😂
Cooling the roux / making ahead – I usually cool on the counter for 20 minutes then refrigerate for 30 minutes or so to speed things up. Don’t let it get fridge-cold because otherwise it won’t mix together well with the room temp butter (because the temperatures are too different). You can also leave it overnight in the fridge but take it out about 1 hour prior to de-chill it and bring to room temperature.
Now, we whip it up like any other frosting.
2. WHIP FROSTING
Beat butter until creamy – just for a couple of minutes. We don’t need it to become aerated because we will be whipping the combined mixture like you do whipped cream. At that stage it will fluff up more.
Add dollops of the roux in, beating as you go. Take 1 minute or so to add all the roux in batches, this will ensure your frosting stays smooth.
Beat, beat, beat – Add the lemon zest, juice and a pinch of salt, then beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, just like you’re whipping up a big bowl of cream. Only beat until it’s got a whipped cream consistency. Once it does, stop beating. Do not beat more than 4 minutes because this may activate the starch in the flour and make the frosting undesirably sticky.
Voila! Your Fluffy Lemon Frosting is done, ready to use!
Lemon Loaf a la ina garten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.
Vegan!
Ingredients
For the Vegan Lemon Cake:
2 â…” cups All Purpose Flour (330g)
1 ½ cups White Granulated Sugar (300g)
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
¾ tsp Salt
1 ½ cups Nut Milk (360ml) or other non-dairy milk
½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 tsp Lemon Extract
2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
4 ½ cups Powdered Sugar (540g)
½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
2 tsp Lemon Extract
3 ½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 8-inch* cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
Sift the all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Then add the soy milk, oil, vinegar, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest. Whisk with a hand whisk briefly until nicely combined and no big lumps remain. Don't overmix, tiny lumps are okay.
Divide the batter between the two cake pans and place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the pans and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare your frosting by placing the powdered sugar, vegan butter and lemon extract and lemon juice* into the bowl of an electric mixer. Start off at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until thick and smooth.
Frost the cooled cakes and decorate with lemon zest.
