American Kitchen Classic Lemon Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

CAKE AND SYRUP
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (plus more for pans)
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted (plus more for pans)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
FROSTING
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 egg yolks
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Premake the lemon curd - Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, zest, and salt in a 4-qt. saucepan. Add yolks, and whisk until smooth; stir in juice.
Stirring often, bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and transfer to a bowl; chill the lemon curd.
When ready to bake - Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour two 9\" cake pans, and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together milk and vanilla in a bowl; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and zest on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high and beat until batter is smooth, about 5 seconds.
Divide batter between prepared pans, and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel any large air bubbles.
Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks, and let cool.
Using a serrated knife, halve each cake horizontally to produce four layers; set aside.
Bring remaining sugar and juice to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat, and set syrup aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and 1/4 of the chilled lemon curd on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add half the remaining curd, beating until smooth, and then add remaining curd and vanilla. Increase speed to high; beat frosting until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
When ready to assemble - Place one cake layer on a cake stand, drizzle with 2 tablespoons syrup, and spread with 3/4 cup frosting; top with another cake, drizzle with 2 tablespoons syrup, and spread with 3/4 cup frosting.
Place another cake over the frosting, drizzle with 2 tablespoons syrup, and spread with 3/4 cup frosting; top with remaining cake, and drizzle with remaining syrup.
Cover top and sides with remaining frosting; chill cake to firm frosting. Serve at room temperature.