Ingredients
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
Cooking spray
Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Cake:
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.
Ok, to start out the first 5 ingredients are the most important, they set the tone for the cake. Butter and sugar beat together with the elements that flavor the cake. Really let it got for a full five minutes, wait for the butter to really whip up, become lighter in color and take on air. After adding each ingredient let the badder mix well before proceeding and then mix well at the end.
Cake badder can be fickle so don't let it sit around too much, have your pans ready. The recipe calls for cooking spry, usually I recommend coating the pans in melted butter then rolling then in sugar, but not this cake, it works well with the spray. Also the tapping of the pans to work out air is important too, don't skip it.
This cake is a fun template to change it into whatever you want. Use oranges and make an OJ cake, do a lemon lime cake, or use a different concentrate in the icing, say raspberry, and have a pink lemonade cake. Berries in between the layers and on topis also a good way to go. Next time I make this cake it will be topped with berries and mint leaves served with some vanilla ice cream. Refreshing way to end a picnic or outdoor lunch on a summers day.
