Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour three 6 inch cake pans or two 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and the lemon zest in a small bowl and rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers to infuse the sugar. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and oil together until they become homogenous, about 3 minutes. This will not work if your butter is not completely room temperature.
4. Slowly add the granulated sugar to the oil and butter, beating on high until the mixture is light and fluffy and turns a very pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs in one at time, scraping down the bowl in between each addition. Add the lemon extract and the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on high for 3 minutes more to incorporate as much air as possible.
6. In separate bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 4 batches, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it–you don’t want to over mix it.
7. Split the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is a lightly golden brown and springs back when pressed. This will depend on your oven. Take out of the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely.
8. If making dehydrated lemons, use a sharp knife to thinly slice 2 lemons. Preheat the oven to 300°F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the lemon slices a few inches apart on the prepared pans and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until dry to the touch, about 2 hours. Allow the lemon slices to cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. until ready to use.
9. While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of the milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract and salt. Beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add in a Tablespoon of milk at a time until desired consistency.
10. Place first cake on a cake stand, then top with generous amount of frosting. Layer second and third layers, frosting the same amount in between each. Frost edges of cake with remaining frosting. If making a naked cake, use an offset spatula to scrape off any excess frosting. If using the dried lemon slices, gently press the lemon slices along the outside of the cake, layering them slightly over one another.