Lemon Layer Cake

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
• 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 grease two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
• 3 line with waxed paper; grease paper.
• 4 in a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 5 in a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and eggs with electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• 6 beat in lemon rind and juice.
• 7 add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating between each addition just until well mixed.
• 8 pour into prepared pans.
• 9 bake for 35 minutes, or until centers spring back when lightly pressed with finger tip.
• 10 cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; loosen around edges with knife; turn out onto wire racks; cool completely.
• 11 for frosting: beat butter in a medium bowl with electric mixer until soft.
• 12 stir in lemon rind; beat confectioners sugar alternately with lemon juice until smooth and spreadable.
• 13 (makes enough frosting for one two-layer cake).