Unbelievably Good Strawberry Lemon Cake Recipe
1 1/4 Cups Butter (softened)
2 1/4 Cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
2 Tbsp Lemon zest
3 Cups Cake flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
16 oz. Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
3 Cups Powdered sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon concentrate
Few fresh stawberries (as garnish)
Beat 3/4 cup of the butter at a medium high speed until creamy. Slowly add in 1 3/4 cups of regular sugar, mixing well. Add in the eggs, one at a time and beating well after adding each egg. Add in the lemon juice and the lemon zest, mixing well. Combine the flour with baking soda and salt, add this dry mixture to butter mixture, adding alternately with buttermilk, making sure to begin and end with dry mixture. Mix on low speed until just blended. Pour the batter into (3) well oiled and floured 9 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes before removing. Cool cakes on wire racks completely.
Bring the strawberries and remaining 1/2 cup of regular sugar to boil in a saucepan, stirring and mashing strawberries with spoon or masher. Boil mixture for about 4 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup, making sure to stir often. Set aside to cool.
Beat the softened cream cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup of butter at a medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add in powdered sugar and beating until smooth. Add in lemon juice concentrate. Beat well. Spread the cooled strawberry mixture between cake layers to within about a 1/2 inch of edges. Frost with cream cheese frosting between layers and top and sides of cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries.