Shelly's Recipe

Summertime Lemon-Lime Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Category: Cakes

Makes 12 to 16 servings

3 cups plus 6 tablespoons cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime

Lemon-Lime Curd (see recipe)

Frosting (see recipe)

Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans and line with wax paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In separate bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream and vanilla.

In three stages, with mixer on low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in lemon and lime zest.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, until tester inserted into center comes out clean.

While cake bakes, make Lemon-Lime Curd and chill.

When cake layers are done, remove from oven, loosen edges and let cool in pans 10 minutes. Then remove cake layers to racks to cool completely.

Spread lemon-lime curd between layers and frost top and sides with frosting. Serve pieces with remaining curd.

Lemon-lime curd:

1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated lime zest

In medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine egg, egg yolks, sugar and lemon and lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 160 degrees and mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in butter and lemon and lime zests until butter is melted. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Frosting:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime
4 to 5 tablespoons milk

In bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Blend in lemon and lime juice. Thin with enough milk to desired spreading consistency.