Strawberry Lemon Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Lemon Cake Layers

01 - 340 g all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoon cornstarch
03 - ¾ teaspoon baking powder
04 - ¾ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ¾ teaspoon salt
06 - 300 g granulated sugar
07 - Zest of one large organic lemon or two small
08 - 180 g butter, room temperature
09 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 240 g sour cream, room temperature
11 - 60 g vegetable oil (e.g. canola oil)
12 - 2 tablespoon lemon juice
13 - 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Buttercream

14 - 400 g butter, room temperature
15 - 660 g powdered sugar
16 - 2 tablespoon freeze dried strawberry powder
17 - 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 - 2-3 tablespoon whole milk, room temperature

→ Decoration

19 - Fresh strawberries
20 - Lemon slices

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F conventional oven. Prepare three 20 cm/8-inch round baking pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and greasing the sides.
02 - Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. This removes any lumps and aerates the dry ingredients. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand. This important step releases the lemon oils and infuses the sugar with intense citrus flavor.
04 - Add the room temperature butter to the lemon sugar mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
05 - Add the eggs two at a time to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined after each addition. Don't overmix at this stage.
06 - Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until just combined. Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, mixing until just incorporated. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the batter a few times to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated and no flour pockets remain.
08 - Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. The cakes will remain light in color and won't brown much. Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then gently remove them from the pans and allow to cool completely on the rack.
09 - Sift the powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder together in a bowl to remove any lumps. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
10 - Add the sifted powdered sugar/strawberry powder mixture to the whipped butter in two parts, along with the vanilla extract and milk. Beat until fully incorporated after each addition. For a brighter pink color, you can optionally add a tiny amount of red food coloring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on low speed for 2 minutes to remove any air bubbles.
11 - Place the first cake layer on your serving dish or cake board. Add about 2 large scoops of buttercream and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Top with the second cake layer and repeat the process. Add the final cake layer on top.
12 - Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set. After chilling, apply the remaining buttercream to the top and sides of the cake, smoothing with an offset spatula. For a decorative effect, you can create a wavy pattern on the sides using the spatula.
13 - Top the cake with fresh strawberries and lemon slices arranged in an attractive pattern. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.

# Notes:

01 - This recipe was updated in April to use sour cream instead of buttermilk and to make three layers instead of two.
02 - For best results, make sure all refrigerated ingredients are at room temperature before beginning.
03 - The cake layers should remain light in color even when fully baked - don't wait for them to brown.

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