One bite of this lemon layer cake will have you begging for more! It's packed with lemony flavor from the cake and the fluffy buttercream frosting. The ingredients are simple, and the cake is moist and tender.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper.
Cream together the butter, shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
Add in the eggs and lemon juice and mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
To the wet ingredients, add ½ cup of milk, then ½ of the flour mixture, another ½ cup of milk, the remaining flour, and the remaining milk. Mix just until everything is combined.
Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs.
Cool cakes for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
Prepare the frosting by beating the butter and two cups of powdered sugar together until well combined. Add in the lemon extract and a pinch of salt. Continue beating, adding the remaining powdered sugar and a couple tablespoons of milk at a time until the frosting is fluffy and creamy.
Assemble the cake by spreading a layer of frosting on the first layer, stacking the second layer on top, and then frosting the top and around the sides of the cake. Decorate as desired.
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Notes
Storage: Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.Notes:This lemon cake is moist and packed with lemon flavor.You can substitute the shortening for butter - shortening helps to create a fluffier cake with a softer crumb.Whole milk is best in this recipe to keep the cake moist and flavorful. Buttermilk can be substituted for a slightly heavier and moist cake.The frosting is a lemon buttercream. Lemon cream cheese frosting would also be delicious. This buttercream will work well for piping a border or simple decorations on the cake. You may wish to increase the frosting recipe by 50% if you want to pipe a full border or do more decorating.