3-Layer 8″ Lemon Cake (with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream)
Description
Oh my goodness this cake! Dense, moist, easy to make ahead and freeze, and perfectly lemony with a tart cream cheese lemon buttercream frosting. Thanks so much to Ruth for trying this dreamy treat from Sally first and letting me know how delicious it was – and thanks to her granddaughter for the flowers-as-decorations idea! – enjoy!
Ingredients
For 3, 8-inch layers;
3 c. (354 g) flour – this is the sifted weight, so sift the flour first and weigh out 354 grams
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. EACH baking soda AND salt
1 c. (227 g) butter, room temperature AND 1 3/4 c. (350 g) sugar
3 eggs AND 2 t. vanilla
1 c. (240 g) whole milk, room temperature
1 T. lemon zest AND 1/3 c. (80 g) freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the lemon cream cheese buttercream;
1 c. (227 g) butter, room temperature
1 package (250 g) cream cheese, room temperature
4 1/2 c. (540 g) icing sugar, sifted AND 1/4 t. salt
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice AND 1 t. vanilla
Garnish ideas – sprinkles, lemon slices, candied lemon rind, fresh flowers, whipped cream
Instructions
For the lemon cake layers; preheat the oven to 350, butter 3, 8-inch round cake pans, line each with a circle of parchment and butter the parchment – set these aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set this aside too.
Using your electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes until very smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides at least once. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, scrape down the sides again and beat again for a full minute. Turn the speed to low and carefully add in the flour mix and mix until combined, then with the mixer still on low, pour in the milk, scrape in the lemon zest, and pour in the lemon juice. Scrape down the sides one last time, making sure there are no lumps stuck at the bottom, and mix again until just combined – the batter will be thick.
Divide the batter evenly among your prepared pans – I weighed mine – and bake for about 23 minutes until an instant thermometer placed in the center of each, comes out to 200 degrees. Leave the cakes to cool completely in their pans, on a rack, before packaging well and freezing, or frosting and assembling.
For the buttercream; using your electric mixer again, beat the butter on it’s own for a couple of minutes until smooth, scrape down the bowl, and beat again for 1 minute more. Add in the cream cheese and repeat – beat, scrape, beat. Add in all of the icing sugar and salt and mix on low until it starts to combine, then leaving the mixer on low, pour in the lemon juice and vanilla. Scrape down the sides, mix on low until you’re sure no sugar will go flying, then increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Make the call on the thickness, you may need more icing sugar or a titch more lemon juice, but I found these amounts to be perfect.
To assemble; if the cakes were frozen, leave them on the counter for a half hour or so before you begin frosting. Slice a thin layer off the tops of each to help them lay perfectly flat, lay down a layer, add about 1 cup of frosting and evenly cover the top, then another cake layer, then another cup of frosting. Once assembled, use the remaining frosting to evenly and smoothly cover the entire cake. Decorate as you wish and refrigerate for a good half hour before slicing to help the slices hold their shape. This cake is a keeper!
