Lemon Velvet Cake

I am so very far behind. Painfully. So far behind that I probably will not get caught up this weekend, but I will give it the ol' Girl Scout try. Starting with the Lemon Velvet Cake recipe that I found on Pinterest and tried back in the fall. Beginning last year, I fell in love with lemons, and I've been trying a number of lemon recipes. This cake is just my latest try. And it was good... If you like the sweet-tart taste of fresh lemon products then you must give this soft delicious cake a try as well. You won't be disappointed.

1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract (I prefer vanilla bean paste)
2 tsp pure lemon extract or fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
zest of two small or one large lemons, grated and finely chopped

Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 9x13 cake pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. 

Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy.

Beat the eggs in one at a time. Fold in the lemon zest. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending the additions with the dry ingredients.

Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the prepared pan(s).

Bake at 325 degrees Farenheit for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

While cake cools, prepare the frosting.

Frosting

8 cups powdered sugar

2 cups unsalted butter
5 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced lemon zest (optional)
(I no longer use the milk from the original recipe)

Mix together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and butter until it becomes sort of crumbly.

Add the lemon extract and a little of the milk. Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding only enough milk to bring the frosting to a creamy spreadable consistency. Fill and frost the cake. Garnish with candied lemon zest if desired.