Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour, or all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest, about 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 lemons
• 1 1/4 cups granulated cane sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. fine salt
• (optional) zest of lemon
• (optional) yellow food coloring, or 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric for natural coloring

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F; butter two 9-inch cake pans and line the bases with parchment.
2. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers for 1 minute, add the softened butter and beat until incorporated, then 2 minutes on high.
3. Add the eggs and beat about 2 minutes, until the mixture doubles in volume.
4. Whisk in the lemon juice, olive oil and vanilla until pale and doubled, then mix in the milk.
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and fold into the wet mixture just until smooth.
6. Divide between the pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, turn out and cool completely; slice each layer in half to make four layers.
8. Beat the frosting butter and cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar, cream, lemon juice, vanilla and salt (plus the lemon zest and coloring if using) until fluffy.
9. Stack the layers with frosting between each and over the top and sides; chill briefly to set before slicing.

Total: 2h 40m

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data