Precious Art By Precious People

Cake:

• Cooking spray
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

 Frosting:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. finely grated lemon rind
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• Lemon rind strips (optional)

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare cake, coat 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray. Dust each pan with 1 tbsp. flour. Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and ½ cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with four mixture. Beat in 2 tbsp. lemon rind and 2 tbsp. lemon juice. Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F for 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks; discard wax paper. To prepare frosting, combine powdered sugar, butter, lemon rind and lemon juice in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on a plate, spread half of the frosting over top of cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining half of frosting over top of cake. Garnish, if desired with lemon rind strips. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com