Janie Q’s Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream

Name: Janie Q’s Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Buttercream
Yield: Serves 12 to 16
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; ½ cup whole milk; 1 cup granulated sugar; 7 large egg yolks; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 4 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest; 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed; ½ cup fresh lemon juice; Lemon slices for decoration (optional); ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 recipe Lemon Meringue Buttercream; ½ cup vanilla Simple Syrup; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 2½ teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free; 2½ cups cake flour (not self-rising); 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest; 1½ cups granulated sugar

Preparation info

Serves
12 to 16

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Back in the Day Bakery Made With Love

By Cheryl Day and Griffith Day

Published 2015

About

My mom was the queen of lemon meringue pie. (Her name was really Janie Queen!) I created this cake in her honor; I wanted to convey her happy personality in cake form. It’s a light and delicate cake filled with a fresh bright lemon curd and covered in a luscious lemon meringue buttercream. You will taste a bit of sunshine in every bite.

Ingredients

2½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2½ teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1

Americas
United States
Dessert
Vegetarian

Method

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment and butter that as well. Lightly dust the