Lemon Cream Layered Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 Sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• Lemon zest from 2 large lemons
• 3 cups Hudson Cream Unbleached Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed  lemon juice, divided
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease, flour and line three 9-inch round baking/cake pans.
• Beat together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add lemon zest.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add dry ingredients, 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk, vanilla and mix well.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans, and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Test at 25 minutes.
• Make the frosting: beat together the cream cheese and the butter. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix in the vanilla and the 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.
• Assemble the cake: Once the cakes have cooled COMPLETELY layer them with the cream
  cheese frosting. Keep cake refrigerated until 1 hour before serving.
  

Recipe was the winner of the 2019 Easter Recipe Contest, submitted by Corla Enslow.