Lemon Layer Cake

This is the last of my recipe testing for the wedding, but I still have techniques to work on and a blackberry cake to remake.  I do have an unrelated recipe or two to try.  I probably won't be ignoring real food in my posts after this set, though.  I can save the cakes for whenever I don't have any meal-related recipes to post.

I decided to give My Cake School another try.  It isn't her fault that the blackberry cake was too dense; I messed with the recipe.  Everyone really liked the cream cheese frosting recipe I got there.  She does rely on flavored extracts a lot.  I'd rather not spend that much on one-off ingredients and again searched for an alternative.  I decided on extra lemon zest and upping the lemon juice by 50%.  I did not decrease the milk by the same tablespoon, and that's probably why the cakes cracked.  I'd still rather have some mild cracking on a fluffy cake than too little moisture.

The box of cake flour ran out a couple of tablespoons short of a half-recipe.  I don't remember when I opened it, but it may have done seven half-sized cakes.  That means I can do the wedding arrangement on only two boxes.  At some point, I'm going to have to add up the butter, eggs, and sugar.

1-1/2 sticks (12 Tb) butter, softened
1-1/2 C sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 C cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C milk
1/4 C lemon juice*
1/4 C vegetable oil
zest of 2 lemons*
1 Tb lemon extract*

*If omitting the lemon extract, add 2 Tb lemon juice and the zest of one more lemon.

1.  Grease two 8" cake pans.  Line with waxed paper, then grease the paper.  Preheat oven to 350º

2.  In one bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.  In a separate bowl, stir together milk, oil, lemon juice, and lemon extract.

3.  In stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.  Add the sugar and whip until fluffy.  Scrape the bowl at least once.

4.  Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting for the mixture to be smooth and scraping the bowl before the next addition.

5.  Starting with the flour, alternate incorporating the dry and wet ingredients in five stages (dry/wet/dry/wet/dry) on the low speed.  Wait until each one is mixed before adding the next.  Scrape the bowl and mix on low one more time to make sure everything is smooth.

6.  Pour into prepared pans and spread the tops even.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just starting to turn golden and a toothpick has crumbs but no stickiness.  Cool in the pan for ten minutes.  Turn out onto a cooling rack and peel off the wax paper.  Allow to cool completely before frosting or freezing.

Makes two 8" layers

Difficulty rating  :)