Luscious Lemon Cake

This delicious Lemonade Layer Cake is a recipe makeover from Cooking Light magazine in 2006. I make it several times a year, especially in the spring when anything lemony really hits the spot. I usually decorate it with some edible flowers, such as pansies, to make it pretty.

Update: Cooking Light improved this reader favorite and "Most Pinned dessert ever" in October 2013. Haven't tried it yet, but here's the new and improved version.
- Terry

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1⅓ 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
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ cups fat-free buttermilk
Cooking spray

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese

3½ cups powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

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.