Lemon Buttermilk Sheetcake

The lemon concentrate I froze from last year has been long gone since July, but I am eagerly awaiting this year's lemon crop in our front yard.  In anticipation of all things lemon, enjoy this recipe for Lemon Buttermilk Sheetcake.  I have made this cake several times - it's a nice balance between tart and sweet.

Taken from the Cook’s Country Cookbook

Cake Ingredients
2.5 cups cake flour (if you don’t have cake flour, see note below)
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
¾ c buttermilk, room temp
¼ c fresh lemon juice and 3 T grated fresh lemon zest (~ 3 lemons)
1 t vanilla
1 ¾ c sugar
12 T butter, softened
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk, room temp

Glaze
3 c confectioner’s sugar
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 T buttermilk

Cake flour substitute
For every cup of cake flour needed, substitute 7/8 c all purpose flour and 2 T of corn starch. For this recipe use 2 cups plus 3 T of all purpose flour and 5 T of corn starch.

Directions
• Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x13 pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt in one bowl. Combine the buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla in another bowl or measuring cup.

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar and lemon zest on medium speed about 1 minute. Transfer ¼ cup of sugar mixture to a small bowl and reserve for later. Add the butter to the remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at atime, and the yolk until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Mix in 1/3 of flour mixture followed by ½ of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth, about 30 seconds.

• Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until the cake is a golden brown, about 28-34 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

• For the glaze – meanwhile, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Spread over warm cake and sprinkle with reserved sugar mixture. Cool completely and serve!