LEMON CAKE WITHOUT MILK RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º F (180°C). Generously grease a 9×13-inch cake pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the cake out.
• In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 4 minutes until creamed and pale, scraping down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and food coloring (if using); continue beating to combine.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until just combined, about 30 – 45 seconds. Do not overmix. NOTE: The lemon cake batter is thick so use a spatula to spread it into the pan, if necessary.
• Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when poked in the center. . Let the cake cool in the pan on wire racks for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely, right-side up, on a wire rack before removing the parchment paper. The cake must be completely cool before frosting.
• Lemon Buttercream:

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla.
• Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the butter mixture. Mix until just smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake until raised in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are OK), 65 to 75 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved.
• When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake out onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper.
• Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in. Repeat until the entire glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature or, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator (Well wrapped, the cake will last up to a week). Serve at room temperature, in thin slices.