PINK LEMONADE CAKE

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups whole milk
zest of two lemons
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice .. about 1 1/2 lemons
3 1/2 cups cake flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pink gel food coloring

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
juice and zest of one lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
dash of salt
yellow gel food coloring

Direction
Preheat oven to 350*. Butter your baking pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Next, add softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream together. In a small bowl, add cake flour, baking powder and salt then whisk to combine. Set aside. In a small bowl, separate your eggs so that you only have egg whites in your bowl. Add your egg whites and milk to your butter mixture and beat to combine.

To your butter mixture, add in your lemon juice and lemon zest followed by your dry ingredients, adding 1/3 of your dry ingredients at a time until all has been incorporated. Add in a few drops of pink gel food coloring and mix until you reach the desired color. Divide your batter evenly into the three baking pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool 10 mins before removing cake from pan and moving cakes to cool completely on a baking rack. Once cooled, make your lemon buttercream frosting by adding softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beating until creamy. Add in sifted powdered sugar, salt, juice and zest of one lemon and 1 to 2 T. of milk along with a drop or two yellow gel food coloring. Beat until fluffy then assemble your Pink Lemonade Cake.

Start by trimming off the tops of the cakes where they have ‘domed’ up a bit. Lay your first cake layer upside down on the plate and cover with a layer of lemon buttercream frosting. Stack the second cake (again upside down) on top of the first and repeat with a layer of frosting. Add the final layer of cake (yes.. upside down) and finish frosting your cake top and sides. Don’t forget food coloring lightens a bit when it cooks. Make sure to add a bit more than you think you need