Lemonade Cake

(source)

Hi Friends!

Yesterday my special friend Amy invited the kids and I over to her house for Mother's Day dinner.  It was fabulous.  The weather was perfect, and we ate out on the deck.  After dinner, the kids played lawn jarts while the adults sat around and talked and ate Lemonade Cake.  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful Mother's Day.  All we needed was John to make it perfect (he comes home tomorrow!!!). 

I found the Lemonade Cake recipe on Pinterest.  The recipe is actually from "Cooking Light" magazine.  I followed the recipe exactly (reviewers who made changes complained of various problems), and it turned out delicious;  moist, dense, lemony-goodness.  I plan on putting it in the summer rotation, for sure.

Here's the recipe:

Lemonade Cake:

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
Cooking spray

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.

Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

I garnished the top and sides with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries.  I loved the fruit with the tangy lemon of the cake.

Enjoy!

XO,

Vicki