Pink Lemonade Cake

I’ve been so tired of cakes lately… I can’t seem to make any of them work… they’ve been tasting like cotton balls soaked in muddy water.

Lets not go into details about the attempts of decorating either….. I am convinced my 5 year old could make it look better …

I kept hearing little phrases of sympathy…. “it’s ok Mama… it will taste better than it looks”… “ Mama…. Looks don’t matter, it all gets smooshed up when we chew it.”

Thanks guys…

Since I am a glutton for punishment and when I saw this cake I knew I had to try again…

I am glad I did… This little cake is perfect for the spring and just full of bright flavor… Blah blah blah ... it sounds all cliché but the more I cook the more I understand seasons and what goes when and where….

Gathering our cake ingredients

Add the lemonade concentrate to the milk  

Mix and set aside

Grease and flour two 9” cake pans

Add the baking powder and salt to flour

Butter in mixing bowl

Beat 1 minute till creamed well

Add sugar ¼ cup at a time

Add 1/8 teaspoon of red food coloring

That’s purty…

Add eggs one at a time mixing well

Add half of flour, mix

Add half of milk, mix and repeat with rest of flour and milk

Add lemon flavoring

Pour half the batter into one pan

In the remaining batter add ¼ teaspoon of red food coloring

Mix well

Pour into pan and bake till middle springs back when touched, about 25 to 30 minutes

Let cool and now lets make the frosting

Beat soften butter

Add marshmallow crème and lemonade

Mix well and add powdered sugar

Perfect

Cakes cooled and ready for assembly

Slice both cake rounds horizontal

Place one slice cake round on platter.. dollop  small amount of icing in middle..

You only want a little to stick the rounds together… the first time I made this cake I added a fair amount of icing and it was like trying to get a octopus dressed… it slid around so bad I pretty much almost lost it…

Something about food not working out for me that sends me over the edge… it is the one thing I can control most of the time and when it refuses to let me have my way I turn into a blubbering idiot..

Top with the lighter colored cake round repeat with icing and finish with the remaining rounds

Now ice the rest of the cake… I covered mine and let it set in the fridge for several hours

Keep little fingers out of cake…

Serve.

 Print Recipe

Recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup butter

4 Eggs

3 1/3 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ Teaspoon salt

2 Cups sugar

Red food coloring

1 1/3 Cups milk

¼ Cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 Teaspoon pure lemon extract

1 Recipe Lemonade Butter Frosting

Directions

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two 9x2-inches round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; grease paper. Flour pans, tapping to remove excess; set aside. In medium bowl stir together 3-1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In an extra-large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes more. Add 1/8 tsp. red food coloring; beat to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In bowl stir together milk, lemonade concentrate, and extract (mixture will look curdled). Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low after each addition just until combined. Remove half (4 cups) the batter; spread in one pan. In remaining batter, stir 1/4 tsp. red food coloring. Spread in second pan.

Bake about 35 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Meanwhile, prepare Lemonade Butter Frosting.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans; peel off waxed paper. Cool completely on wire racks. Trim off domed tops of layers so cake will stand flat. Cut each layer horizontally in half, making four layers. Brush crumbs from layers.

Place one dark pink layer, cut-side down, on a plate. Spread 1 cup frosting just to edges. Top with a light pink layer, followed by second dark pink layer, spreading frosting on each just to edges. Stack final light pink layer, cut-side down. Spread frosting on top and sides as desired.

 

Lemonade Butter cream Frosting

Yield: 4-1/2 cups

ingredients

1  1/2 Cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1  16 ounces jars marshmallow crème

1/8 Cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1 Teaspoons pure lemon extract

 

Directions

 

In very large mixing bowl beat softened butter with mixer on medium for 30 seconds, until light and fluffy. Add marshmallow creme and lemonade concentrate. Beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl. Add powdered sugar and extract; beat until light and fluffy. Frost Pink Lemonade Cake. To store frosting, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before frosting cake. Makes 3 cups.