Lemon Cake!

This cake was definitely a wow! I gave Paul a few options for what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday a couple weeks ago, and this one--Triple Layer Lemon Cake--was at the top of his list. (Which was fortunate because it was at the top of mine too.)

It took a while to make, since I also had to make the lemon curd to go in between the layers and the frosting to go on top. But since then, I have made a separate batch of lemon curd to be ready to go for when I make it again. (I could also make the frosting in advance to save a bit of time through the whole process.)

Here's the cake recipe: (I got it out of my Better Homes and Gardens Bridal Edition cookbook)

1 c butter, softened
4 eggs
2 1/3 c flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 c sugar
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
*1 c buttermilk or sour milk

1 c lemon curd (for filling)
**1 recipe Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

*If you don't have buttermilk, here's how to make sour milk: For each cup of sour milk that you need, just put a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and then fill the rest up with milk. Let it stand for about 5 minutes before you use it.

**Frosting: (This frosting really makes the cake--it's just phenomenal.)
Finely shred 1 tsp lemon peel and set aside. In a bowl, combine 6 oz of softened cream cheese, 1/2 c softened butter, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar. After you mix that in well, add about 2-3 more cups of powdered sugar (I think mine was more on the 2 side.) The frosting should be pretty stiff, like what you would buy in cans at the store.

 The Cake:
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp for 30 min. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour 3 round cake pans. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; and set that aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer on medium or high speed until it's smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice; and then mix it again. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each one. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter/sugar bowl, mixing on a low speed after each addition until they're just combined. Pour into the pans.

3. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the layers thoroughly.

4. When you're putting the cake together, put the bottom layer on a cake plate and spread half the lemon curd (1/4 cup) over the top of it. Put another layer on top of that and spread it with the remaining lemon curd. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost the top and sides with the Cream Cheese Frosting, and then cover it and store the cake in the refrigerator.

The recipe says that it will last for up to 3 days, but we ate the last pieces a week after I made it and they were certainly still good.

If you want the recipe for the lemon curd, just comment, and I'll post that too! (I like having it on toast in the morning...)