A luscious lemon cream cheese frosting covers this lemon cake, made with fresh lemon and sour cream. Enjoy this classic light and fresh cake any time of year.

Lemon Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients:

Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pan

Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

Tip:  Use a citrus zester and citrus juicer for fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare one 9 inch Bundt pan or fluted tube pan; generously grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour.
   
   Batter:
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
   
   
3. In a small mixing bowl, stir the sour cream and lemon juice together. Set aside.
   
   
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, lemon zest, and sugar until light and fluffy.
   

Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter and lemon zest in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter and lemon zest about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color.

With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.

5. Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed.
   

Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.

6. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended.  Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the sour cream mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and sour cream mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
   
   Bake:
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes then remove cake from the pan and place the cake on the wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
   
   Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
8. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice; beat together until mixture is smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat until frosting is smooth and creamy. Spread frosting over top of cake.
   
   Tip: Serve cake using a pretty cake plate and cake server for a delightful presentation.
   
   TheBakingPan.com
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