Description
Experience a luxurious citrus treat with this Lemon Velvet Cake, featuring a signature tight crumb and incredibly tender texture. By combining buttermilk with a unique hot lemon water technique, this cake achieves a vibrant flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth finish that pairs perfectly with tangy cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cake flour
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup hot lemon water
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (for frosting)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (for frosting)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, oil, shortening, and eggs until light and fluffy, then mix in the vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
- Slowly alternate adding the dry flour mixture and the buttermilk into the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Stir together the vinegar and hot lemon water, then fold it into the batter along with the yellow food coloring.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the centers are set.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy, then gradually add powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract until smooth.
Notes
For the most consistent results, weigh your flour with a kitchen scale to ensure the velvet texture isn’t compromised by over-packing the measuring cup. If you prefer a more natural look, you can omit the yellow food coloring entirely; the lemon zest and eggs will still provide a lovely, soft golden hue to the crumb.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American