Lemon Velvet Cake

I'm sure you've all heard about this thing that we're supposed to be seeing soon.  Sometimes it's called the sun.  You know, the bright thing in the sky that makes your world brighter? Sometimes it teases us a little here and we see it for a day and then it hides again.

Anyway, something else you might have heard of.  Red Velvet Cake.  Sound familiar? Well this recipe was developed from a Red Velvet Cake recipe and turned into a lemon version.  When you begin to see that elusive sun you might want to make this.  To celebrate.

I happened to have some Meyer Lemons on hand so I made this cake with those, but the original recipe calls for regular lemons. It was delicious.  We used a different frosting recipe from the one on the original post because my husband wanted the contrast in flavors from the lemon cake so we just used a vanilla frosting.

OK, let me tell you a little about this frosting.  If you have ever watched "The Pioneer Woman" on the Food Network then I'm sure you've heard about this recipe.  It's a very unusual frosting because first of all, it has flour in it.  Don't let that scare you away.  Second of all, it does NOT have confectioners sugar in it!  I know, right? Be brave and trust me.  This recipe will change your life.  It has the texture of a thick whipped cream or a very light buttercream frosting.  Even though there is butter in it I don't think it's classified as a buttercream frosting.  Apparently it used to be the original Red Velvet frosting before people got fancy and started using a cream cheese frosting for that type of cake.  Anyways, if you're in the market for a new, totally delicious vanilla frosting.  You gotta try this one!

Overall the cake and frosting were a success.  The cake isn't over the top lemon-y but you can definitely taste the lemon. My husband was right, the contrasting flavors are wonderful.  Especially if you're not really in the mood for something very lemon flavored. Great Spring/Summer cake!

Lemon Velvet Cake

Recipe from RockRecipes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon extract (I used lemon juice)
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• zest of two small or one large lemon, finely grated and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325º
2. Spray two 9 inch round cake pans and flour.  Cut out two pieces of parchment paper to line the bottom of each cake pan.
3. In a large bowl combine and sift both flours, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Set aside
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the oil and shortening and mix on high until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and lemon extract. 
5. With the mixer on low add the eggs one at a time and combine after each addition. 
6. Fold in the lemon zest.
7. Alternatively add the flour and the buttermilk, folding in by hand. Begin with the flour and end with the flour.  Three additions of flour and two additions of buttermilk, folding in after each addition. 
8. Don't over mix, as soon as the batter is smooth, pour it into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Test it with a toothpick to make sure it's done. 
9. Let cool in the cake pans for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to a cooling rack. 
10. Let cool completely before frosting. 

That's The Best Frosting I've Ever Had

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In a small saucepan combine the flour and the milk, use a whisk to stir while heating. You want the mixture to become very thick, like brownie batter. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.
2. While the flour mixture is cooling, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until the sugar is no longer grainy.
3. Once the flour mixture is cool, add it into the butter/sugar and mix well.
4. If it begins to look like it's separating it means you haven't mixed it enough. Keep mixing and it will soon become light and fluffy.