For the Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting pans
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 3/4 cups sugar (divided)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 TBSP lemon zest
1 TBSP fresh rosemary, minced
6 large egg yolks, room temperature
3 large egg whites, room temperature
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 TBSP lemon zest
2T lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2½ cup confectioners sugar
Instructions:
For
the Cake
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease two 8″ or 9″ round cake pans. Dust pans with flour and tap out excess
any excess.
In a large bowl whisk
together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. In
another bowl whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, lemon
zest, rosemary and egg yolks.
For the meringue: In the
bowl of your stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at
medium speed until foamy. With machine running, stream in the remaining 1/4 cup
sugar. Beat at high speed just until stiff peaks form. Gently transfer to a
bowl and set aside.
Add flour mixture to the
empty stand mixer bowl fitted with whisk attachment. With mixer running at low
speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix for about 10 seconds. Stop
mixer and thoroughly scrape down the bowl. Mix again on medium for 20 more
seconds just until combined.
Using rubber spatula,
gently fold in 1/2 of the meringue just until incorporated. Fold in the rest of
the meringue. Be very gentle to not deflate the air in the meringue. You will
have a few white streaks in the batter. Divide batter evenly between your prepared
cake pans.
Place pans on a half-sheet
pan and bake on the center rack in the oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes, rotating
halfway through. The cake will begin pulling away Bake until cake layers begin
to pull away from sides of pans and will no longer jiggle in the center when it
is finished.
Cool cakes in pans on wire
rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin bladed knife around the sides of the pans to
loosen cakes then invert on a greased wire rack. Allow to cool completely
(about 1 more hour) before frosting.
For
the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine all ingredients in
the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed
until combined and creamy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
