Spring! Sprang! Sprung! Now that it’s Spring (?), at least for now, dive into this dreamy, moist-af Lemon Velvet Cake with Bright Buttercream Frosting. Take a slice (or ten) to Riverside Park and bask in the glorious sunshine. 

Lemon Velvet Dream – a taste of heaven!

Lemon Velvet Cake
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups cake flour (or more all purpose flour)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups white sugar (scant)
⅔ cup melted butter
⅓ cup softened butter
3 tsp extract (At least one teaspoon of vanilla extract, but the other two teaspoons could be almond or lemon extract; if not using lemon extract, be sure to add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice)
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups of buttermilk (whole milk with 3 TB lemon juice can also be substituted)
Zest of two small, or one large, lemons

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ cups unsalted, soft butter
1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract (if using vanilla, add 2-3 TB lemon juice)
Zest of one lemon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 ℉.
Grease and flour two nine inch, round cake pans (cheap, single use pans can be found at University Housewares (113th and Broadway). Line the bottom of the pans with a round of parchment paper.
In a medium together, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butters, extract, and lemon juice (if using).
Add eggs to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
Beat in flour and buttermilk in parts, mixing well after each addition (i added the flour in three parts, and the buttermilk in two parts so that I began and ended with the flour mixture).
Pour/spread cake batter into prepared pans, making sure that the top of the batter is even across the top.
Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in pan for ten minutes, before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
While cakes are cooling, make the frosting. Beat together all of the ingredients until frosting is light and fluffy. Frost accordingly.

Image Via Bwog Staff.