Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 cup Butter – room temp
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 4 Eggs
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
- Zest of 4 Lemons
- 2 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds
For the Italian Buttercream
- 1 cup Sugar and 1/4 cup Sugar – separately
- 1/4 cup Water
- 5 Egg Whites – room temp.
- 2 cups of Butter – room temp.
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- Zest of 2 Lemons
- 3 heaping spoonfuls of Lemon Curd
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Prepare 3 8-inch cake pans and set aside for later.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream together the lemon zest, butter, and sugar. Add the oil and vanilla. Cream together for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add half of the dry ingredients that you sifted together earlier and the poppy seeds. Mix until combined.
- Add the lemon juice and buttermilk. Mix until combined.
- Add the last of the dry ingredients, and mix until it just comes together. Be sure to scrape down the bowl well.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans. Bake at 350-degrees for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Or the top of the cake bounces back when you gently press on it.)
- Allow the cakes to cool completely before you frost them.
For the Lemon Italian Buttercream:
- Boil 1 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of water over medium heat until it reaches 245-degrees.
- Whip egg whites with a mixer on high until soft peaks form. (About 2 minutes) Be sure to use a large bowl.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar into the egg whites and keep whisking.
- Once the sugar/water mixture has reached 245-degrees, slowly pour it into the whipped egg whites. Be very careful as it is hot, and try not to let it pour down the side of the bowl. Try to pour it close to the middle while still mixing the egg whites.
- Continue to whisk on high for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Because you are adding hot water/sugar to the egg whites, the bowl will become warm. We cannot add the butter until the mixture and the bowl have cooled to room temp. So keep the mixer going until the bowl no longer feels hot.
- Once the outside of the bowl is room temperature you can add the butter in large chunks.
- Keep mixing on high until combined.
- Scrape the bowl down, and then mix in the zest of 2 lemons, vanilla extract, and 3 heaping spoonfuls of lemon curd.
- Mix until well combined.
- Frost your cake and enjoy!
Keywords: Cake, Lemon, Poppy Seed, Dessert, Citrus, Buttercream