When Life Hands You Lemons - ---

--go find some butter, flour and sugar - and make this cake!

I owe y'all an apology-- I've been AWOR (absent without reason) for a long while. Somehow blogging started being a "have to" rather than a "want to" and I stopped. Not sure how often I'll update now - life seems hell bent on teaching me lessons (some of which I'll address in other postings). For your edification and enlightenment - I'll share one of the lessons (ready for this??? are you SURE you are ready for this??)

DON'T PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU COULD DO TODAY

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  Feel free to embroider on pillows my bit of original brilliance. I dillied and dallied even could have been some shillying and shallying after mentioning the lemon cake. Time passed (as it is wont to do) and almost forgot what I HAD done to make the cake. It isn't one of my fast and easy recipes but definitely a worth-the-work-taste once 'tis all done. Here we are:
  
  Lemonade Cake
  Cake:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  1 tablespoon lemon zest.
  • 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  3 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate
  • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
  Lemon Glaze:
  ½ cup granulated sugar
  ¼ cup water
  ¼ cup lemonade (or lemon juice)
  One thinly sliced and seeded lemon
  Frosting:
  1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel or Cream Cheese – at room temperature
  2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar (sifted if it appears lumpy)
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  
  
  
  
  
  
  DIRECTIONS
  Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking spray and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. I also use waxed paper or parchment to line cake pans – spray a little cooking spray in the bottom of the cake pan – place paper then spray and flour the paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla and lemonade concentrate. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
  Divide batter evenly between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes.
  NOTE: While cakes are baking, bring ½ cup sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice or lemonade and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 thinly sliced and seeded lemon and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to waxed-paper-lined plate
  When cake layers test done – remove from oven and cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Remove the waxed paper or parchment which was in the pan and now stuck to bottom of cake!
  Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices.
  
  Frosting:
  Put cream cheese and butter in bowl of mixer and mix on medium speed until completely blended. Add lemon zest and slowly add the powdered sugar until frosting is well blended, add the vanilla extract. Frost the completely cooled cake and it should be refrigerated.
• I should have added - put the candied lemon slices on top as decoration -