The Best Lemon Cake

This weekend was my mother's birthday and I decided to bake her favorite to celebrate! Lemon is definitely one of my favorites, too. This recipe is incredibly moist and decadent, and the frosting is tangy yet sweet and perfectly compliments the cake. This recipe is a must-try for summer.

THE BEST LEMON CAKE

YIELD: Serves 12 | PREP TIME: 30 minutes | COOK TIME: 30 minutes | COOLING TIME: 1 hour| TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

Ingredients:

CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

½ cup butter

3 tablespoons lemon zest

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

2/3 cup milk

½ cup fresh lemon juice

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz cold cream cheese

¾ cup cold butter, cut into cubes

3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 6-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms of the pans with wax paper. Set aside.

Begin preparing the cake. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a medium bowl, whip the butter, sugar, and zest for 4 minutes on medium-high speed. Add in the oil, and mix until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add and combine one egg yolk at a time along with the vanilla. Mix together the milk and lemon juice. Add the flour mixture in 3 separate batches and alternate with ½ of the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until combined after each addition. Divide the batter between the 3 pans, and place all three pans in the oven and bake for 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Flip each cake onto a wire rack when finished baking, and allow the cakes to cool for at least one hour. While the cakes are cooling, begin preparing the frosting.

Place the cream cheese into a medium bowl and whip for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the butter and whip for another 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. Add the vanilla and zest, and whip for another minute. Frost the cake to your preference.

Serve, and enjoy!

Refrigerate cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.