Salutations!  I brought home some cute little lemons last week mostly for decoration for our kitchen table. I also wanted to make a lemony something or other out of them too, but I just wasn’t sure what. I whirled around some ideas in my head — lemon chicken or lemon pasta maybe — something on the healthy side.  But instead of something leaning towards the healthy side I went with a cake, a fresh lemon layer cake from scratch.

The recipe is sort of over the top with thick lemony frosting piled high between the layers.  And when you cut into it the icing mushes out the sides, yum!  Might I suggest making some room in your life for this ridiculous lemon confection, this cake will make the perfect entrance at the next pot luck you attend.  I try to eat pretty healthy for the most part and encourage my family to do the same, but I also eat cake!  I don’t overdo it or anything, well that’s not entirely true.  Let’s say I rarely overdo it. Grin!

Fresh lemon layer cake

• 1 stick butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon lemon sest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).  In a medium sized bowl mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer and add eggs one at a time.  Mix until light and smooth. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately 1/3 at a time.  Mix until smooth.  Pour batter into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees (Fahrenheit) until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Mine took 27 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.

Icing

• 8 oz package cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 16 oz powder sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the cream cheese in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and powdered sugar alternately 1/3 at a time. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. This icing is sweet and tangy tart!

This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake. I absolutely love Ina Garten and every one of her recipes I’ve tried has been perfectly delicious. I changed her lemon cake recipe around some mostly because I was in the mood for frosting. I do love some frosting!

xoxo Sally

Sharing with Feathered Nest Friday and Everyday Life Photography