Lemon Cake

The buttermilk in this luscious lemon cake produces a moist yet fluffy crumb.Time-saver: For cake anytime, make this ahead and freeze it. Wrap completely cooled layers well in plastic wrap; store frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw and frost as desired. ** See my buttercream recipe to use in this recipe. This is from Country Living.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 3  cups cake flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup butter, softened
• 2 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 5  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk

• Filling

•  lemon curd, raspberry jam or   icing

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 parchment-paper-lined 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a mixer set on medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the lemon juice and buttermilk.
3. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick tests clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Unmold the cakes and cool completely.
4. Split cakes into 4 layers using a long serrated knife. Fill with lemon curd, jam, or icing. Apply crumb coat and Almost Homemade Buttercream frosting (see below) and decorate as desired.
5. How to apply the crumb coat and frosting: 1. TRIM the top of the cake with a long serrated knife to make it level. Flip (the bottom becomes the top) to create a flat surface. 2. CUT cake in half; spread one half with icing, lemon curd, or jam 3. TOP with other half, then crumb coat with a thin layer of icing. 4. START on the side and apply a 1/4-inch-thick layer of icing, a little at a time, holding the offset spatula vertically. 5. MOVE a teaspoon through the icing to create S-shape swirls.