Lemon Cake

Lemon Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

• Zest of 2 lemons

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar

• Pinch kosher salt

Yields 8-16 servings (dependent on size)

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Note: This recipe is intended for 2 9” round cake pans. You may use other cake pans, but your cook times may vary. Singular 9x9 or 13x9 may take closer to 40 minutes to bake. 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl or standing mixer, start by massaging the lemon zest into the granulated sugar by hand before mixing on medium for one minute. This will allow the natural oil and aroma from the lemon to bloom. Next beat in the butter for two minutes before adding the eggs and beating an additional two minutes. Let the batter take its time. The mixture should be thick, a pale yellow, and reminiscent of buttercream frosting. Slowly mix in the milk and then the lemon juice. The mixture will likely look like it’s curdled, but this will resolve once the dry ingredients are added. Separately combine the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, baking powder, and kosher salt before gradually adding to the wet ingredients. Let the batter mix together for several minutes to aerate. 

For easy clean up, I like to cut parchment paper circles and place them on the bottom of the cake pans. The cakes pop right out when cooled. Amply grease the sides of the cake pans before adding equal portions of the batter to each, and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Place the cakes in their pans on a wire rack to cool before carefully removing them from their pans. I like to place them back on the rack and chill in the fridge before adding the frosting.

In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together for two minutes until smooth and homogeneous. Add the zest of one lemon and beat together for an additional minute. Slowly and gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed (so as not to make a mess) along with a pinch of kosher salt. Mix until a smooth, glossy frosting is formed. You may chill this for 15-20 minutes to firm up before adding to the cake if desired.

If you have a Lazy Susan, feel free to use that here to make the frosting of the cake easier. I like to add a dab of frosting to the center of my plate so the cake is stabilized. I also recommend placing strips of parchment paper around the plate to make frosting mishaps easy to clean up. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of each cake as you go. 

Place the first cake down on the frosting dab, and then add about a quarter of the frosting to the top. Evenly spread the frosting (ideally with an offset spatula) before adding the second cake on top. Make sure they are evenly lined up. Add the remaining frosting on top. Evenly spread the frosting on the top and carefully around the sides until the cake is fully covered.

I like to chill the cake before serving, but this step is optional. Feel free to add a final sprinkle of lemon zest on top, cut, and enjoy!