Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

I'm not a big lemon person. 

That being said, I always try to have a bowl of citrus on my table. It's great for making drinks, squeezing fresh juice on anything, and it brings some great color into the kitchen. 

Last week, a coworker of mine brought me some lemons. What do you do when life a coworker hands you lemons?

You make cake. 

This cake is made with two of my favorite ingredients as of late: buttermilk and cake flour. The buttermilk keeps the cake moist, and the cake flour keeps the cake light and fluffy. 

I baked this cake in a cookie sheet so it would feed a large crowd, but you can cook it in a 9x13 if you want it to be thicker. 

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Yields: 24-30 servings (fewer servings if you make it in a 9x13)

Cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour (or 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour + 5 tbsp cornstarch)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

12 tbsp butter (1 1/2 sticks) 

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs + 1 egg yolk

1 tbsp lemon zest

Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Grease and flour a cookie sheet. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, then add the lemon zest. 
5. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the wet ingredients, to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15-22 minutes, until set. 
6. Mix together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and buttermilk to make the glaze (it will be thick). Pour on the hot cake and spread it on the cake. Immediately sprinkle the sugar on top of the glaze. Slice with a plastic spatula or knife and enjoy!