Pink Lemonade Cake from Scratch
This moist and delicious Pink Lemonade Layer Cake has the perfect amount of tartness, which is balanced with a luscious layer of lemon cream cheese frosting!
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
For the Pink Lemonade Cake Layers
- 2 ½ cups (285g) cake flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon (12g) baking powder
- 1 ½ sticks (169g) unsalted butter, slightly softened We cut into ½ inch slices on wax paper to soften slightly.
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup (190g) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed.
- ½ cup (121g) milk
- 2 teaspoons (7g) lemon extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- pink coloring gel if you want the cake layers to be pink....we used AmeriColor Deep Pink
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter Slightly softened but cool to the touch.
- 16 oz Cream Cheese, softened.
- 2 teaspoons (8g) lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (4g) lemon extract
- Zest from 1 lemon approximately 1 ½ teaspoons (3g)
- 6 to 6 ½ cups (690g - 747g) confectioners' sugar (Start with 6 cups and increase to your liking as needed.)
Instructions
For the Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch round pans
- In the bowl of your mixer add the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine dry ingredients for 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, add the eggs, Pink Lemonade concentrate, lemon extract, zest & milk.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the slices of butter a few pieces at a time to the dry ingredients. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the dry ingredients look crumbly like coarse sand. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add half of the egg mixture. Increase the mixer to medium speed for 1 ½ minutes. The batter will become thick and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the pink gel color.
- Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out.
- Works well for cupcakes
- Makes 7 cups batter
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cut butter into ½ inch slices and add to the bowl of your mixer, beat until smooth.
- Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating until blended.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. (You can add one teaspoon lemon extract for a stronger lemon flavor).
- Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until well blended.
- This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly and remix. Do not microwave to soften.