Lemon Layer Cake

Ingredients

Ingredients To Be Creamed and Mixed:

Dry Ingredients:

Milk:

Lemon Juice:

Egg White Mixture:

Sugar to Add to Egg Whites:

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
  3. Click here for instructions on how to prepare cake pans for baking.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy; about 1 minute.
  5. Gradually add sugar and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture; about 3 to 5 minutes.
  6. Add lemon zest and mix in.
  7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  8. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts to the butter mixture.
  9. Beat on low speed until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
  10. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix in.
  11. Separate the eggs, saving the whites in a separate large bowl. Discard the yolks.
  12. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
  13. Beating on high speed, gradually add ⅓ cup sugar to the egg white mixture.
  14. Beat until the peaks are stiff but not dry.
  15. Using a rubber spatula, fold ¼ of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.
  16. Divide the batter between the cake pans and spread evenly.
  17. Bake 25 minutes.
  18. Cake is done when it springs back from a light touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  19. Cool on a rack for exactly 10 minutes then remove from pans.
  20. Click here to see how to how to remove cakes from pans.
  21. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Comments

Frost with 1 recipe lemon cream cheese frosting or lemon butter frosting.

Click here for instructions on frosting a layer cake.

Instead of discarding the 8 egg yolks, consider using them to make a yellow cake.

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Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker. New York: Scribner (1997).