Lemon Cake

January and February are the birthday months in my family, with each kid’s birthday exactly two weeks apart. Like many families, we have numerous birthday traditions, including choosing a special “birthday cereal” in the morning, a fox cake that my little brother asks for almost every single year, and going around the dinner table listing characteristics we admire in the birthday boy or girl. The season ends rather dismally in March; by that time, we have eaten way too much sugar, would be perfectly happy not to hear the song “Happy Birthday” ever again, and must finally face the terrible fact that the winter holidays are officially over. Yet after de-sugaring for a month or so, we find ourselves wishing the season would hurry up and arrive again, if only for the sake of eating some delicious, homemade cake.

However, despite popular belief, cake eating should not be limited to the holidays only. In fact, baking a cake may be the perfect way to practice one’s icing skills for the next celebration. Made with fresh lemons and cream cheese frosting, this lemon cake is great for birthdays and ordinary days alike!

Equipment:

• 2 eight-inch cake pans
• Electric or stand mixer
• Mixing bowls

Ingredients for the lemon cake:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
• 7 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for the lemon cake:

• Preheat the oven 350℉. Grease or oil the cake pans well. 
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it has a creamy consistency. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat until smooth and a bit fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, scraping the edges of the bowl between each addition. 
• Stir the buttermilk and lemon juice together. 
• With the mixer at low speed, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment occasionally to ensure that the batter is combined completely. 
• Bake the cakes for 35-60 minutes or until they are golden, springy to the touch, and are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Allow the cakes to cool for 15 minutes in the pans on a cooling rack. Then remove the cakes from the pans, invert them, and let them cool completely. If you are not going to ice the cakes immediately, cover them in cling wrap and store them in the freezer. This will make them easier to decorate later.

Instructions for the frosting:

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together. Once they have a creamy consistency, add the lemon zest and beat until the mixture is fluffy. 
• With the mixer at low speed, alternate between adding the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice. Scrape the sides and the paddle attachment occasionally. Add the vanilla. Once combined, raise the speed to medium-low and beat until smooth and slightly fluffy. 
• Place one layer of cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread about one cup of frosting across the top, all the way to the edges. Put the other layer of cake on top. Cover the outside of the cake with frosting, being careful not to smear icing all of the cake stand if possible. Decorate the cake as you choose.

Notes:

• If your cakes come out of the oven domed, carefully cut the tops off with a serrated knife.
• Make sure that the cream cheese and butter are room temperature so that they mix together well. 
• Roll the lemons on the counter before juicing them to squeeze more juice out.
• Only zest the yellow part of the lemon; the white layer underneath is bitter. 

Works Cited:

Kanell, John. “Lemon Cake.” Preppy Kitchen, 24 June 2022, https://preppykitchen.com/lemon-cake/

Photo Credits: Jericho Church