Lemon Velvet Sheet Cake Recipes

LEMON-GLAZED SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Beat butter with sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition and scraping down sides as needed. Beat in lemon juice. Beat in flour in three additions, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Glaze: Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Whisk in yolks, then 1 2/3 cups water, lemon juice, and butter. Bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat, whisking constantly, and cook, still whisking, 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, whisking occasionally.
• Poke 20 holes in cake with a skewer; pour glaze over top. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Decorate with candied zest. (Leftovers can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days.)

LEMON SHEET CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, butter and flour the paper.
• In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the milk and lemon juice. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each. Scrape down bottom and sides of the mixer to ensure the mixture is well combined.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the bowl in three additions. Mix until just combined, then use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air pockets. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely on a rack before frosting.
• Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and stream in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Whip the frosting until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, adding additional lemon juice as necessary until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and serve. Store leftover cake at room temperature, covered for up to 2 days.

LEMON LAYER SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 13-by-18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and mix. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and lemon zest and mix well. Sift the flour 3 times with the baking powder (this is to lighten the cakes). Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Add half of the milk to the butter mixture and mix. Add another third of the flour mixture and mix. Add the remaining milk and mix. Add the remaining flour and mix until smooth. Fold in the egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheets, filling them about 1/2 full. Bake until firm to the touch 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan.
• To make the frosting, place egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl and warm over hot water to dissolve the sugar (this is a Swiss meringue). Remove from the heat and whip with the whip attachment until cool and stiff. Add the butter, a little at a time, then add flavorings.
• Sandwich the 2 layers of cake together with 1/2 of the butter cream between them. Frost the top with the remaining half and use an icing comb to make wavy lines all over the surface. Chill for 2 hours. Then trim the edges and cut into bars.

LEMON VELVET CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with shortening (do not use cooking spray).
• Make, bake and cool cake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Refrigerate layers 45 minutes for easier handling.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and 1 tablespoon lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Beat in whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until stiff peaks form.
• Slice each cake layer in half horizontally to make a total of 4 layers. (To cut, mark side of cake with toothpicks and cut with long, thin knife.) Fill each layer with 1/2 cup whipped cream mixture. Frost side and top of cake with remaining whipped cream mixture. Garnish with additional lemon twist. Store covered in refrigerator.