POLL: How did your Lemonade Layer Cake (April '02) turn out?

[MKSquared]

With all of the threads going on, I've lost track of how all of the cakes turned out. I'm wondering what's in the majority - successes or failures?

Did your turn out well? Post your secrets!

Did yours not live up to expectations?

I loved this cake -- mine turned out beautifully 3 times in a week. (I earned a marriage proposal with one of the attempts ... not a serious one, but still!)

[Robyncz]

I think we need another category:

It didn't turn out at all because after reading all the reviews I was too scared and confused to even try!!!!!!!!!!

[andyc]

I was scared, too! Especially since I didn't make it until Sunday morning and it was promised for Easter lunch! But in my case it turned out extremely well and got great reviews.

Based on all the problems people have had, I would be interested in seeing a follow-up from CL about this cake, but it was a success for me.

[KimKelly]

I voted for my neighbor who made it for our Easter dinner... We very much enjoyed it. I have to say it was probably not the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but it was darn good. (Better than my cakes turn out!). Her's didn't raise really high etiher, but it was not dense. I really enjoyed it and clipped the recipe to try myself one of these days.

Kim

[Peggy]

After reading all of the negative reviews, I was almost afraid to make it for Easter. However, I just followed the recipe very carefully to make sure I didn't miss something and it turned out beautifully. No problems here. I was one of the lucky ones, I guess!!:o

Peggy

[memartha]

I'm glad to see this poll, too, because I just mentioned to our Dinner Group that the cake seemed good but people have been having mixed results with it.... I'm thinking about giving it a try but so far have not had the occasion to make a cake.

[SandyM]

I voted "Pretty Good" - but I honestly hovered between that, and "Beautifully". It tasted so good - I couldn't have improved on that one bit. The texture was perfect, the frosting was wonderful (I used less than called for), and I'd definitely repeat it.

The downfall was how it looked - the layers didn't rise a whole lot, and I'm not a great cake-decorator. It didn't come out of the pans easily, and when I finally got them out of the pans, one layer stuck to the wire racks, so I had to do some creative cover-up maneuvers with the frosting.

I'm also glad I didn't read the reviews before trying it, because I'm certain it would have scared me off! We all loved this cake (garnished with fresh raspberries), and I'm definitely going to try it again. Perhaps I'll take a cake-decorating class first though! :D

On a side note, has there been another recipe in recent months that has brought on so many varied results? :confused:

[JackieO]

Although I voted "beautifully."

I was one of the first on the board to receive the April issue and I tried the cake the weekend before Easter -- before many of the bad experiences were discussed. I even forgot to add the lemon juice to the frosting at the appropriate time -- just mixed it in later and it was fine. I honestly didn't have any problem with it, although I am seriously impaired as a cake decorator. It had a decidedly homemade look to it, but everyone who ate it liked it and I thought it was a nice, light spring-time cake.

[Jewel]

Tttthhhhppppphhhhhhttttt! :p:p:p:p

Although I admit that my powdered buttermilk fiasco may have had a lot to do with my finished product, I still believe this cake to be a lot of work for a not-so-terrific result. However, I WILL try this cake again but I'll use real lowfat buttermilk and I'll make another frosting that isn't so sweet and not so gloppy. ;)

[lorilei]

I voted "beautifully" -- because the cake really WAS a nice looking cake once I got done with it.

I admitted on another thread that I had to make MORE frosting than what was called for -- but that was partly because I piped decorations around the edges.

I also used mint leaves, a bit of yellow sugar and lemon zest to decorate the top of the cake. It made a lovely presentation and I received a great deal of compliments on it at Easter dinner.

As for the cake itself -- yes, it was a dense, moist cake. Maybe the layers didn't rise to divine heighths, but mine rose to between 1.5-2 inches high, and once I put the layers together it was an average height for a cake.

I thought this cake was super easy for being a layer cake, and that was one of the advantages in my book. It was a nice. lemony, spring-y thing...


So tell me: what were the BIG complaints?

[AzAnne]

Originally posted by Robyncz
I think we need another category:

It didn't turn out at all because after reading all the reviews I was too scared and confused to even try!!!!!!!!!!

Ditto to Robyncz comment. I was planning make it last weekend, but after all the remarks I chickened out :o

[Molli526]

I voted pretty good just because it wasn't light and fluffy like descibed. It was slightly dense. After reading the reviews, I think a lot of people had that happen. My frosting turned out fine though. Maybe there was something in the air last Saturday :p
I will definitely try this again. The flavor was great. I also think part of my problem was that I set my expectations so high, that in reality, there was no way I was going to meet them. DH- who is not even a lemon fan- gave it an 8/10 right away. Maybe I was just being too critical :o

[RunnerKim]

As I posted on another thread - mine came out beautifully. I was very pleased with it and wouldn't hesitate to make it for a special occaison/company. I made it Sunday and ate it that night (and am still eating it). I made the lemon curd that I subbed for between the layers. I really think this made a big difference - added some lemony flavor and cut the sweetness of the frosting. I baked the layers. Nothing special there. I did use 1% buttermilk. I probably did not beat for 5 minutes, didn't see that until after I'd moved on to the next step. But I did add the eggs/whites one at a time. I hand mixed in the flour/buttermilk alternately. The layers were moist and spongy but definitely not heavy. I was happy with the texture and flavor. I made up the frosting and let it chill for the hour or so. I did a half recipe since I was using the curd and I had just a little bit left over. Put it all together and it looked pretty good. One of the best cakes I've ever made -- but I've not made very many. Frosting is not my forte.

Kim

[Little Bit]

Mine turned out fine, but I made mine as a sheet cake and I didn't follow the directions as given in the magazine. I beat my butter quite well, added the sugar, beat it some more, added the seasonings and eggs, beat it some more, then added the dry ingredients and buttermilk to blend.
The directions in the magazine called for you to just sorta dump the first five ingredients together, mix them together ... . With the troubles people were reporting, I decided to give the cake as much extra lift as I could manage.
(I didn't think to beat the egg whites separately, which might have been a reasonable option.)

I thought the cake itself was a bit more dry than we usually prefer, so I'd probably add a bit of extra butter (or maybe some FF sour cream?) to add a bit of extra moisture next time.

My icing wasn't a problem, gloppy or not, since I made mine a sheet cake. I also added a bit of lemon oil and about an extra cup of powdered sugar. (I wish they'd given the amount of powdered sugar needed by weight,not volume.) The icing is such a hit with us that I'll definitely be repeating this recipe, with a few modifications for moisture.

Editing this to add, that mine rose quite nicely.

[SQ]

Originally posted by SandyM
I ...one layer stuck to the wire racks...

I'll share my trick w/you. I usually spray my wire racks w/Pam (or similar product) to prevent sticking. I also flip it quickly over onto another Pam-coated rack so it's right-side up, where it's usually less sticky.

[GayeC]

Mine tasted good but the layers were just a bit short and heavy. I expected them to be tall and fluffy, like the picture in the magazine. I will try it again but will probably modify it. The flavor was very good though.

Gaye

[MKSquared]

I wonder .... how many people used a hand mixer to make the cake, and how many used a stand mixer?? Maybe this had something to do with it?

[Ms. Chevious]

Well, I just got my April issue and of course had to flip to this recipe right away to see what all the hype was about! In looking at the picture though, I have to say it does look to be shorter than a regular layer cake. It seems lots of people complained about their layers being really short - the picture looked like it had short layers to me so maybe that's the way its supposed to be? Did anyone try adding baking powder or baking soda to give it more rise?

The icing also looks a bit on the thin side - not as thick as a regular cream cheese icing, but maybe that's just the pic.

Anyway - I would have also voted for the "too scared to try it based on all the reviews!" category!

[Molli526]

I used my stand mixer.

[Melman]

I had success with the cake. I used a stand mixer and mixed the first ingredients for the five minutes it says in the recipe.

[Grace]

Well it appears that more people post about their flops than about their successes, thus leaving the impression that the recipe is a clunker. But according to the poll, there are 30 good responses versus 7 negatives. That tells me that the recipe is a good one, overall. I plan to try it once I get some lemonade concentrate.....

[Janet K]

Or maybe a lot of people didn't vote...

Personally mine was somewhere between "pretty good" and "not so great". The taste was great, but the texture was not right.

So I couldn't honestly put it in either category.

I probably would try to make it again though if I knew the texture could be improved... :)

[kimmer99]

I made it today for my grandma's birthday (she's 89!) - it came out pretty good. I would have voted beautiful but for the fact that I altered the icing (see below).

I used my stand mixer for the cake - beating the first 5 ingredients at level 4 and the eggs too then using the "stir" setting to add the flour and buttermilk. I didn't have no-fat buttermilk so I used lowfat. The cake did rise but not that much - however, I never really seem to bake cakes that rise a lot, so for me I thought it was pretty good.

For the icing, I cut down the amount of powedered sugar I used. So many people thought it was too sweet and grandma can't really eat things that are very sweet. This made the icing almost glazy - slightly translucent which is why I rated it pretty good in the poll as opposed to beautiful. Oh - I barely used 3 cups of sugar and I thought the cake wasn't too sweet with this.

My kids aren't big lemon fans, so I probably won't make it again for them but if I'm ever having a large group of people over for a bbq or for say, Mother's Day - I'd do it. I liked it and might sneak another piece later:D

[Peggy]

Originally posted by MKSquared
I wonder .... how many people used a hand mixer to make the cake, and how many used a stand mixer?? Maybe this had something to do with it?

I used a stand mixer and it came out beautifully.

Peggy

[MaryH]

And mine was with a hand mixer (only cause I don't like to lug out the KitchenAid unless its really a LOT of batter or I'm whipping up egg whites) and it came out fine. As mentioned on the other threads, mine was very damp and I made the mistake of trying to invert the first one on my hand. But all in all it was very good. We had it for Easter and my nephews and their friends (who are all between 16 and 21) said it was very good - then again in my experience teenage boys will eat just about anything with sugar, so ... :D :cool: )

[Kristine]

Mine turned out great! I did make some modifications though....first of all, I baked it in a bundt pan for 40 minutes rather than doing layers. So instead of the cream cheese frosting, I made more of a glaze (I just mixed powdered sugar, lemon juice, and a little lemon rind until it was the right consistency)--and I basically just covered the entire cake with this. I also used lowfat buttermilk, as my grocery store didn't have any fat free kinds.

Everyone LOVED the cake, and it was great the next day too!

[Jan Belle]

SQ thanks for the tip on spraying my wire racks with Pam! That's a tip that I'll use in the future. I made the Lemonade Cake for an Easter Dinner Party. It was a great hit but I also took the liberty to serve it with fresh strawberries and/or raspberries. I also garnished each slice with fresh mint leaves. The next time I prepare this cake I think I'll also make the raspberry sauce from the White Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe. It's impossible for me to decorate a cake even with the aid of a frosting comb so I do all I can with garnishes.

Could this recipe be baked in either an 81/2 x 11 pan or 9x13 pan.

Finally, I used my Kitchen Aid hand mixer and had no problems with preparing the cake.

[val e girl]

I made this one for Easter and everyone loved it, even the kids!
I used a stand mixer and did the five minute mix, but the layers did not rise much. The cake itself was dense, but tasty and moist; it was the frosting that weirded out on me. It was kind of "gummy" and thick---so I skipped the refrigerate for an hour step and frosted it once the layers were cool. It looked really pretty (I garnished with lemon zest). I wonder if the texture problem was with the brand of light cream cheese I used--- I usually buy Kraft brand but they were out at the store so I used a "house" brand (which I noticed didn't taste the same either). Anyway, I will make this again.

[funnybone]

I haven't made the cake yet, but plan on doing so, despite some negative reviews. I have all the ingredients on hand, and I think tomorrow will be the day! I'll post my findings on the poll once I try it.

[funnybone]

One question for those who used the KA mixer - did you use the whisk or the paddle? I think the whisk would incorporate more air into the cake. I saw Gale Gand mention once how she only uses the paddle for cookies - the whisk for everything else.

[Natasha]

Originally posted by Grace
Well it appears that more people post about their flops than about their successes, thus leaving the impression that the recipe is a clunker. But according to the poll, there are 30 good responses versus 7 negatives. That tells me that the recipe is a good one, overall. I plan to try it once I get some lemonade concentrate.....

My thoughts exactly, Grace (re: how it seems that more posted about the flops than the successes). :) Anyway, hope you like this cake when you try it! I can't wait to make it again.

Natasha

[SandyM]

I used my KA stand mixer, and I used the paddle.

Thinking this through, I might try this in a loaf pan, with some sort of lemony drizzle (as opposed to frosting).

Like Natasha, though, I'm looking forward to making it again!

[kimmer99]

Originally posted by funnybone
One question for those who used the KA mixer - did you use the whisk or the paddle?

I used the paddle but you're right - the whisk might be better as far as height of the cake if it incorporates more air.

[val e girl]

funnybone I used the paddle (for the batter and the frosting) and wondered afterward if the whisk would've been a better choice. Keep us posted with your results!

[akairo]

I am one of the flops. I made it for a birthday and no one would eat it. Not even the kids. The icing was ok, but the cake was heavy. There are far better low-fat cake recipes than this.

Tamara

[Peggy]

Tamara,

So sorry the cake didn't turn out to your liking. I remember you said you would be making it Friday and I was wondering how yours turned out. I made it for Easter and it was a hit in my house.

Peggy

[SandyM]

Here's a thought about the "height" issue.

Take a look at the picture in the magazine, or on the home page. The fork is laying down beside the piece of cake.

Imagine the fork standing upright.

That piece of cake is barely taller than the tines of the fork. The picture in the magazine looks bigger, of course, because they take such a close-up shot.

I'm thinking my cake rose just as high as it was supposed to.

Just a thought.

[lorilei]

Not meaning to beat a "dead horse" on this issue (albeit a lemon one)... but the height issue is interesting.

My cake layers rose to at least 1.5 - 2 inches high, so my cake, overall, was a good 4.5 inches tall with filling and frosting. It didn't even occur to me that it was a short cake.

I'm truly boggled by this (seriously, my facial expression is all askew), and think that maybe I ought to make the cake again to see if it turns out just as acceptably the second time around. :S

Since I generally measure things like teaspoons in the palm of my hand, I'm now wondering if I might have hiked the baking powder and/or soda up a bit, which would have caused my cake to rise a bit higher than average.

???

[SandyM]

Big hands, perhaps???? :p

[lorilei]

ha ha ha, Sandy. :)

Let's give a big HAND to you for being so clever :D

[Ms. Chevious]

SandyM! I said the exact same thing about the picture on page 1 of this thread! I agree with you - I went back and looked at it AGAIN and agree with you - how tall are fork tines - like an inch and a half or so? The cake barely gets that high in the picture so I also think its just a shorter than normal cake. Look closely at the scale of the plate and the fork, and it just appears to be a short cake. Maybe people shouldn't be fretting so much about thier short layers.

I haven't tried it yet, still a bit chicken, but I'm guessing its just meant to be a dense cake.

[funnybone]

Mine is cooling as we speak, and so far so good. Actually, considering there isn't a lot of batter in each of the pans, I would not expect it to rise all that much. I did use the whisk on my KA. Since the batter is liquidy, it is better than the paddle for the job.

I will be making the frosting soon, and tonight we will eat it. The taste of the cake is more important than how high it is, IMHO.

[RobinC]

Wow! GMTA! I was also inspecting the picture and looking at the fork in relation to the layers and determined the layers are not all that high. I made this cake as a trial run earlier in the week (the real deal will be for my sister's birthday this weekend), and my layers came out as I expected - about 1 1/2" each. I filled the middle with TJ's lemon curd to get a bit more lemon flavor. I haven't made the frosting yet.

It's kind of interesting to see the responses from people on this cake - especially the ones from people who are afraid to try the cake based on the reviews. When I see a hotly reviewed recipe with lots of conflicting opinions, the recipe jumps up on my "to try" list. I gotta find out what is going on with the recipe for myself. :)

[Little Bit]

Just thought I'd post to say that even though my dad griped about this cake's texture (too heavy), he ate it, steadily.
He ate THREE pieces for his midnight snack last night, so it couldn't have been all THAT bad. :D

Admittedly, his favorite part was the icing.

[Linda in MO]

Was anyone else curious to search for the original cake recipe that the reader submitted? Well, after all the discussion, I thought I'd try to find it and I think that I did. Maybe I'll try to make the original cake, but pair it with CL's frosting. Just thought I'd post it in case anyone else was interested.
http://a1emporium.com/799H.jpg

This cake is lemony inside and out. The combination of frozen lemonade concentrate and fresh lemon zest give this cake a zingy flavor.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Lemonade Layer Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cake

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
For Cake:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) -- room temperature unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate -- thawed
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
For Frosting:
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese -- room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter -- (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar -- sifted
2 teaspoons minced lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil
Lemon zest for garnish

FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-square nonstick Cake Pans with 2-inch-high sides; line bottoms with parchment paper; butter paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl; set aside. Using electric stand mixer and paddle attachment, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally and beating until light. Beat in lemonade concentrate, zest and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, scrapping down sides occasionally. Continue to beat until mixture is smooth. On low speed beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk in 3 batches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, until just blended. Divide batter equally between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.

FOR FROSTING: Using electric stand mixer and whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, scrapping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in zest, vanilla and lemon oil until mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE: Turn cakes out onto work surface. Peel off parchment paper. Place one cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

DO-AHEAD TIP: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.

OPTIONAL GARNISH: Peel off long strips of lemon zest using zester. Sprinkle zest around edges of cake.

Source: http://a1emporium.com/index799.html

Cooking.com Tip: Sifting the flour is an important step when making a cake.

[deb]

Linda, I am ALWAYS very very curious about the original recipe in this section. Just not sure how to find it. I think it would be great if CL would publish it....then we could tinker with it. CL are you listening???????? Thanks for posting Linda. I love lemon, so if you try it please, please, please post your results.

[ashleenicole]

I made this tonight...also skeptical after reading the reviews on the other threads. I absolutely LOVED the lemon icing! The cake turned out moist but a little dense (although not as dense as the Coconut Cake from December).

I made it with the paddle attachment on my KA stand mixer (my new baby). I also thought about using the wisk, but didn't. It may have helped the height issue a bit. I used lowfat buttermilk but followed all other instructions as written.

This will definitely be a repeater at my house! :)

[BosunsWife]

Boy this is interesting. I want to make this cake for DH's birthday next weekend. I got the recipe here since I don't have my April issue yet.

I wonder if you used 8" rounds instead of the 9" rounds would raise a bit higher? I might try that.

I really want to make this so I guess I will go ahead and see what my results will be. DH loves lemon and loves frosting so hopefully that will at least make up for the fact that the cake might not be great.

[funnybone]

Linda, I wondered myself about the original recipe and would love to try that one! Thanks for the post.

Well, our results are in. DH had the first piece and I asked him what he thought. He looked at me, paused, and said "it's good" but I knew it was not going to be a repeater for him. I took a bite and realized that although the taste was good, the texture of the cake was "chewy". Maybe its' because I cut it right from the fridge? I don't know. DH did not know it was a CL recipe or that there had been any discussion about it. Also, he did not have a second piece, which is unheard of for him.

I'd rather have a small bite of a delicious, fattening cake, than a whole piece of a lighter cake that's chewy. I find that muffins and quick breads are much better low fat, than other cakes. But that's just MHO.

Tonight I will have another piece - let's see if a day later makes a difference.

[Dewey]

I made it about two weeks ago. It was great. DH scarfed down three pieces. It was very moist, but I didn't think it was chewy. We did let it sit for about 20 minutes out of the fridge before cutting it, that may have made a difference. However, now I'm thinking I have to make it again to see if it was just luck. Unfortunately, DH just went out of town, and won't be back for several weeks, and I know that I don't have enough willpower to keep myself from eating way too much...

[Linda in MO]

deb, I will post a review after I try it. I can't wait! I found the recipe by doing a search on google.com, which by the way, is my favorite search engine and the only one I use.

funnybone, I think you should make the original version now, so you can compare the two and report back! :D

[Jewel]

Wow! Look at that original frosting recipe! Two 8 oz packages of cream cheese AND 1-1/2 cubes of butter?? :eek: It's the same amount of powdered sugar as the CL recipe, so wouldn't that original recipe be WAY gloppy and cheesy??? :confused:

[emilycat]

Just wanted to add my review to this --
I LOVED this cake, I've made it twice in the past week and a half, and my SO said it's the best dessert I've ever made (over the white-chocolate raspberry cheesecake :o! ), and wolfed down 3/4 of the first one I made in about 3 days. We're still working on the second one.
I made it again this past weekend with some adjustments from the first time I made it, and I thought it was even more wonderful.
The first time, I used light butter and pseudo-buttermilk (skim milk with vinegar) because I didn't have any of the real stuff. It was delicious, but funnybone's "chewy" description isn't too far off from what the texture was like.
The second time, I followed it to the letter, and it was much more cake-like; still really moist and relatively dense, but I like it that way.
As for the frosting, I used lemon extract the second time and liked it better that way -- more lemony.
Both times I used just 2 cups of sugar for the frosting; (which I thought was wonderful -- I will use variations of this on so many other cakes!) it was definitely sweet enough that way, and it whacked out 50 calories per slice! Like lori and some others of you said, mine was actually pretty stiff -- it definitely wasn't going anywhere when I put it on the cake!

As for the original, I can't imagine that using whole milk in place of buttermilk would make it any better, but why not just use all the eggs? They'd only add 140 calories to the ENTIRE recipe. And I think it would probably do good things for the texture.

I think I've rambled enough on this already-long thread. :)

[Gail]

Emily,

Do "running lushes" stagger? :p (Just noticed change of title) I have this really weird mental picture of you now...

[emilycat]

Hee, hee, Gail. :D

Only when I'm chasing my puppies around after leaving the marinade on the chef for too long. :p

[funnybone]

Originally posted by Linda in MO

funnybone, I think you should make the original version now, so you can compare the two and report back! :D

I may make the original, but I would change some things. I would use 1% milk, rather than whole, and I think the eggs could be subbed as in CL's. As for the frosting, I think I would pass it up. I thought CL's light version was sweet, let alone the original. Jewel is right, 2 pkgs would make it "gloppy".

I would like to make the cake, just to see the texture of it and how it compares to the "chewy" CL version. With CL's version, I could only find low-fat buttermilk (I have never seen fat free around here). I didn't want to make it the first time with the milk/vinegar substitution.

Whoever, makes the original version first (or anything that resembles it), please post results.

[DIANE T]

Well after reading everyones trials and tribulations with this cake, I just had to try it for myself. My mistake, I should know by now that you are all right all the time. I bow to your experience! The frosting was awesome. But we just didn't care for the cake at all. Not a cake like texture, too chewy and really didn't taste very lemony (sp?). Besides the cake which was dessert, I made the turkey sandwich with roasted red pepper pine nut pesto with carmelized onions. This was actually OK but we didn't like the carmelized onions. I think it would be better with grilled. I also think the cheese should have been melted slightly. Just my opinion though. Sorry to carry on, I just don't like it when both the meal and the dessert aren't what I'd hoped.

[RobinC]

I made the cake in question for my sister's birthday dinner last night. I followed the CL recipe and directions - with one minor change. I filled the cake with lemon curd and fresh strawberries. YUMMMMMM! Everyone loved it and most people had seconds.

[Linda in MO]

OK, now I'm even more confused!! I made the full-fat Lemonade Layer Cake that I posted above, but used CL's frosting that came with their version of this cake (using only about 3 c. powdered sugar). The good news is that it tasted wonderful. The bad news is that the texture of this cake was really weird, too. I followed the ingredients and the instructions to a "T", including using unsalted butter, 4 whole eggs, whole milk, etc., etc. The only thing I didn't realize until later was that I was supposed to gradually add the sugar to the butter. I just poured it in with the mixer running. Oh, and I just baked it in a 9x13 pan instead of making a layer cake. The closer you got to the bottom of the cake, the more rubbery it was. And it was quite dense. I guess I'm just used to my cakes being moist, fluffy, and tender. I can't figure this out!! The lemonade concentrate is the only odd ingredient in this cake. Could that be what's causing this? I would make the frosting again, but I won't be making this cake again. Thank goodness I was just serving this to my immediate family, because I would have been a little embarassed to serve this to others. And I had such high hopes for this!!! :( :(

If anyone else makes this, please post your results! It's entirely possible that I did something wrong.

Does anyone have a tried-and-true recipe for lemon cake?

[valchemist]

Linda -

I haven't made the lemonade cake(s) yet but I want to (wanted to??). I have no idea what the problem could be.

but here was a thread from a little while ago on lemon cakes:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20230&highlight=lemon+chiffon

funnybone posted a lemon chiffon cake there that looked great.

here is a thread where someone posted a review:
http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20230&highlight=lemon+chiffon

Val

[Linda in MO]

Thanks Val! There are some yummy-looking recipes on that thread! The lemon chiffon cake looks yummy, but there are 3 sticks of butter in the filling alone!! :eek: :D
I just wish we could figure out the texture problem with the Lemonade Layer Cake(s) since the flavor is so good!

[doggerham]

Ugh!

I made this for our supper club on Sunday. We all politely took a few bites, and then dumped the thing. It was heavy, dense, sticky, almost wet. The flavor itself was pretty good -- especially with the addition of the lemon curd. When I walked in the door carrying the cake, the hostess immediately apologized because she hadn't read the comments before scheduling it on the menu.

I used the following tips from the board, but none helped. The layers were barely over an inch high, and I think they compressed once frosted. There was so little batter that I almost wanted to run out and buy itty bitty cake pans for this. (I didn't)

I used the KA with the whisk. I beat the living hell out of the batter. I used cake flour hoping to keep it lighter. I did not have any sticking problems, and I did spray my racks first -- a good tip to remember.

Anyway, I made a backup -- the brown sugar poundcake from the series of poundcakes published a few years ago. That one is pretty no fail, and very tasty. I used up the cake flour on that, but wouldn't again, cause for a pound cake, it wasn't really dense enough! How's that for irony?

Amy

[LStockman]

Despite the varying opinions, I am going to try to make this one myself... How many lemons do you need to get the 1T+2t of lemon rind?

[MKSquared]

LStockman originally posted:
Despite the varying opinions, I am going to try to make this one myself... How many lemons do you need to get the 1T+2t of lemon rind?

I've done pretty well with two lemons to get that amount. Make sure your lemons are fresh - if they're just a little bit old, you can definitely taste it.

I'm SO glad you're trying this. I absolutely love this cake. Really. Everyone who tried the cakes I made like them, too. This Lemonade Layer Cake will be in my (small) rotation of cakes. No, mine didn't rise THAT high, but none of my cakes ever do. Mine weren't gummy or sticky at all. When I took them out of the oven they were a beautiful golden brown on top, and cooked all the way through. (I'm sorry, but those of you with runny cakes or gummy insides, I swear that you just didn't cook them long enough.)

[SandyM]

I think it's so interesting that 80% of the people who responded said theirs turned out "Beautifully" or "Pretty Good", yet from what I can tell, probably 80% of the written responses were nothing short of dreadful...........

I loved this cake. I urge those of you for whom it didn't turn out, to try it again.

[Molli526]

I am making this again for my supper club this Sunday. I am so anxious. I will use real buttermilk! I am also going to make it in an 8" pans rather than 9" b/c I would like the height and if I have to toss some of the batter- no problem!

[emilycat]

I just wanted to add some more praise -- I told my SO that I was going to make another dessert next week, and he immediately said, "the lemon cake."
I pointed out that I'd already made it twice in the past two weeks, and he answered, nodding his head and smiling like a goofy 7-year-old, "Lemon cake." :D

I also wanted to point something out to Amy -- you said that you beat the batter quite a bit (although not in quite the same words. :p ). That's probably the reason yours turned out the way it did. It's crucial NOT to overbeat the batter, because that can cause it to be super gummy and dense. Maybe if you have some free time, give it another shot? :)

[Molli526]

Originally posted by emilycat
-- you said that you beat the batter quite a bit (although not in quite the same words. :p ). That's probably the reason yours turned out the way it did. It's crucial NOT to overbeat the batter, because that can cause it to be super gummy and dense.

Ok- now I am confused. In another thread about this cake, someone posted that you can beat the heck out of a cake batter. I thought once you added the flour, you were supposed to mix until everything is blended, being careful not to overbeat.


Is there a baker in the house? :confused:

[doggerham]

I'm with Molli -- there seems to be some conflicting opinion on the use of beating air into the batter. And, I wasn't particularly clear, but what I meant was the creaming the ingredients together section is where I concentrated the beating -- not the adding the flour part. I dunno, I don't have a lot of cake experience, but I can't say I've ever had a failure quite like this. But that's why I chose it -- I was curious as to what my results would be compared to everyone else's.

I would be curious to see what results anyone has with smaller pans. I also am certain it was baked long enough -- I did the toothpick test several times. They layers were a pretty enough color. Even though I agree with the notion that the layers aren't really supposed to be that high (the compare the picture to the fork in the picture test), the picture shows a pretty nice crumb. The only thing that I think might have made my cake particularly dense was that I made the cakes and icing on Saturday afternoon, kept them (separately) in the fridge and assembled it Sunday afternoon. I didn't think that would cause an issue, because the way the article read to me was that it probably should be kept in the fridge -- and I would guess that was because the icing never really sets - it was more like a heavy glaze.

I might try it again sometime, but, like a lot of people, I would rather have a little bit of something truly wonderful, rather than mess around too much with some of these lightened items. And, since DH isn't much of a sweets eater, I need some kind of reason to bake -- otherwise it just goes into my mouth and onto my hips!

Lastly, has anyone tried this with PINK lemonade? Maybe with a little help from food coloring?

Amy

[funnybone]

Linda in Mo posted a recipe that was probably the original version of the cake, but I happened to find this one on www.epicurious.com - very similar as well. I have not yet entered it into MC to know the calorie or fat content though. I just wanted to give another version, if anyone is interested. However, it does warn us that it it dense. I don't mind dense, it's dense and chewy that I would rather avoid.


LEMON BUTTERMILK CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries.

CAKE
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 16-ounce package frozen sliced sweetened
strawberries, thawed

FROSTING
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

2 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled.

FOR CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Beat sugar, butter and lemon peel in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)


Boil sliced sweetened strawberries with juices in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup and begins to thicken, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.


FOR FROSTING: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in lemonade concentrate and lemon peel.

Divide strawberry mixture between 2 cake layers and spread over tops, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Let stand until slightly set, about 5 minutes. Place 1 strawberry-topped layer on platter. Drop 3/4 cup frosting atop cake by spoonfuls; gently spread over top. Top with remaining strawberry-topped layer. Drop 3/4 cup frosting by spoonfuls atop cake; gently spread over top. Top with remaining cake layer. Using spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing.)

Decoratively arrange strawberries, pointed side up, atop cake. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 12.

Bon Appétit
June 1995

[Karen M]

I made the Bon Appetite cake last night. It is very dense, but I wouldn't say chewy. I made it in a 9x13 pan for a potluck at work today.

[Gail]

Made my cake Friday night, but didn't taste it till last night. I felt the cake was easy to prepare and came out quite nicely. Despite the wonky thermostats in my ovens (until I call the tech, I rely upon a portable thermometer) no significant problems with baking time (it took 20 minutes to brown in 8" pans, though my mini-loaf with the extra 1 cup of batter took about 25 minutes), and the grain was uniform with a nice crumb. The cake was not overly heavy (though a bit denser than some cakes) nor was it at all chewy. The only negative was that I found the frosting a bit too sweet and would probably cut the sugar quantity a bit in the future (I didn't measure precisely for the frosting, but I KNOW I used slightly less than indicated in the recipe.)

Overall, a successful cake, easy and flavorful enough to definitely prepare again.:cool:

[RebeccaT]

I made this today, going into it with much fear and trepidation, especially since I was making it for my inlaws!

It came out beautifully! I tried Tiger's trick with the wet newspaper around the cake pans, and they baked up perfectly flat on top. I did end up having to bake it for an extra 6 minutes before it was baked through.

I didn't think it was too sweet or too dense; although it was very moist I think that was the texture it was supposed to have. My father and sister-in-law each had a second piece, and DH said "It was definitely worth the effort!" (I had to make an emergency trip to the grocery store 45 minutes before my guests arrived b/c the checkout girl left the cream cheese out of my bag yesterday! :mad: )

I will definitely make this again, and possibly sooner than I would otherwise because my MIL asked if I'd make (count 'em) two for a luncheon she is hosting next weekend! :eek:

[aggie94]

I made this today, out of sheer morbid curiosity after reading all the controversy around this cake. It came out BEAUTIFULLY. It looks and tastes wonderful - light, fluffy, moist, and the lemon flavor was perfect, not too tart and not too sweet. On top of that, it was super easy. The cake didn't rise as high as the boxed cake mixes I've made (completely done and frosted, it's about 2 1/2 inches tall), but the texture was very similar. I would absolutely make this again.

By the way, I followed the recipe to a T, other than the addition of about a half teaspoon of lemon extract to the frosting, for a slightly lemony-er taste.

[Molli526]

SUCESS!

This was such a hit! So good.

I would definitely make this again. I am embarassed that is was entirely my fault last time. :o I didn't beat the butter sugar for five minutes and that was the only change I made- well, I also used powdered buttermilk this time. Oh! I also added 1/2 tsp. lemon extract to the frosting.

Moist, light, fluffy, easy and delicious!

Definitely Martha perfect! :p

[Robyncz]

YUM!!!

Okay, I didn't actually make this cake, but I had a piece (well half!) of Aggie94's and it was delicious!! This is one I will definitely make this spring.

Oh yeah--Thanks Eva!!!!

[Norma]

Well, I finally got to vote on this. I made it yesterday and it turned out very nice. No complaints at all. DH loves it. I asked him if he cared if I took a piece to a friend. He said okay, but take it out of your half. He was happy (and kidding).
:D

[KelLeg]

I, too, just tried this. I love it! My DH really loves it, and he RARELY eats any of the baked goods I make. It is a definite keeper here. I didn't really change anything at all, except to add a smidge more lemonade concentrate. I'm just biding my time til I can have a piece today. I'm trying to wait until after lunch ;) .

[knunes]

I voted "beautifully" because it was yummy and there was nothing wrong with it, but I must admit that I did it in a 9x13 pan, so how beautiful could it be. The little squares (okay, not THAT little) were lovely and everyone thought it was delicious. I'll definitely make this again.

[Kristilyn1]

Okay people. I'm making this today to take to my inlaws tomorrow. I will post my results as well.

Wish me luck!

Kristi

[adda]

I took this cake to a family reunion. While everyone commented on the great flavor, it was unanimously voted "sort of dry".

[CHRIST1NE]

Originally posted by adda
it was unanimously voted "sort of dry".

I used lemon curd between the layers *sorry, I can't remember who originally had the idea* and it worked great! I was afraid that it might get soggy from the lemon curd, but surprisingly, it didn't.

[Wendy w]

I finally got around to making this yesterday and voted for the 2nd category. I was going to make it for my sister's birthday next month but decided to give it a practice round.

It was an easy cake to make and tasted good but it was heavy and didn't rise. I didn't have 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, I only had 2 and didn't fret because some of you said that the icing was too sweet. The icing did taste good (I added some lemon extract like Eva did) but didn't adhere to the edges of the cake very well-making it visually abusive. I also closely followed the directions for the cake part and did mix thoroughly after each additon but maybe too much. I have also never seen fat free buttermilk only 1%.

My non cooking room mate, who loves my occasional adventures in baking and anything lemon was anxiously awaiting this. When she put her fork into it, she said it was heavy but would be willing to take custody of the rest of the cake. I agreed.

I do want to try this again but probably not for my sister's birthday. Next time, I will use the whisk, I may try the newspaper technique for one pan and there is another technique using a wet sweatband (unused of course) and putting it around the other pan. It also looks like I will be using the full amount of sugar for the frosting.

This worked for most of you and I am up to the challenge.

[knunes]

I went to a church function today where desserts had been donated by the congregation for sale at the intermission of a concert. Someone had made the Lemonade Cake (layer version) and it looked wonderful (I knew it tasted wonderful from having made it myself last week in a 13x9). I confirmed with the people selling it that the woman who made it had made it from CL. I watched one man buy a piece, eat it, then come back for another piece awhile later, then come back after the concert was over and buy the rest of the cake to bring home. I talked to him about it and he and his wife raved about it. (BTW, the cut pieces looked like the one in the magazine!)

[Kristilyn1]

Well, I made it and it was delicious! For those who can't move beyond the height of the cake, how about adding another layer? These were my modifications:

I used another 1/2 tea. of baking powder
I added a tea. of lemon extract to the the batter
I used fat free milk w/lemon juice instead of buttermilk
I omitted 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in frosting
I added a tea. of lemon extract to the frosting
I did not chill the cake nor the frosting before use
I cooked it for 6 more minutes than called for in the recipe. My cakes were a beautiful golden brown and came right out of the pans.

My cake was moist and not chewy at all. I was very interested in trying this because I thought the double coconut cake from last year was rubbery and chewy and was afraid this would be a repeat of THAT cake---which it was not. All in all, everyone enjoyed this cake and I thought the tanginess of the frosting was delicious. I bet the lemon curd would be even better next time between the layers. I rarely repeat cake recipes as I don't make cakes often, but if I did, I would consider repeating this.

Kristi

[Robyncz]

No, it wasn't the tallest cake I'd ever made, but the flavor, texture, and presentation were all excellent. I served it with a small scoop of strawberry-buttermilk gelato and sliced fresh strawberries and it was fabulous! Even my crotchety ol' dad (whose birthday we were celebrating) raved about it.

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by RebeccaT

I will definitely make this again, and possibly sooner than I would otherwise because my MIL asked if I'd make (count 'em) two for a luncheon she is hosting next weekend! :eek:

Well.

I didn't have time to make another cake for my MIL this weekend, so I just gave her the recipe, and she gave it a go. She wasn't having as many guests as she originally thought, so she decided to make just one cake. She also doesn't like to do layer cakes, so she made it in a 9x13 pan. It didn't rise, was very grainy, and tasted a little stale (could be b/c she made it two days in advance, and kept it in the fridge). Her icing was watery (although I think it's b/c she added a whole bunch of fresh lemon juice :rolleyes: ) It was very dense and heavy. She said her guests still seemed to enjoy it, but I could tell that she was grumpy that it didn't turn out. And I felt guilty that a recipe I had given her didn't work for her. DH told me not too, though... he said it was just a clear example of the fact that I am a better cook than his mother!!! :D :D Highest praise!!! ;)

[Tizzylish]

Just wanted to say I made these this weekend for my DD's 3rd birthday BBQ, it was a huge success! I made them into cupcakes and they were perfect! I had a ton of icing leftover, but that was about it! Not a cupcake left in the house! :eek: Everyone loved them! My mother said they were the best cupcakes she's had in a long time, and asked for the recipe, a first for me! :D

[Norma]

Tizzylish, how long did you bake the cupcakes?

[Tizzylish]

I used a 1/3 cup scoop to fill the cups with and they took about 19 minutes in my oven. :)

[Norma]

Thanks, Tizzylish. I'm noting this in my magazine for future bakings.
:cool:

[MKSquared]

You might want to raise the oven temperature by 25 degrees or so. I found that the higher temps helped my cupcakes to rise up and get a muffin-like crown on top.

[Norma]

Thanks for that tip, MSquared. I will add that to my notes for this recipe.

This board is so helpful. :)

[gertdog]

I finally have something to say about this cake. Made it for DF this weekend. Served with strawberries.

Flavor: A
Frosting: B
Texture: D+

I really loved the lemon flavor... I used lemon curd in addition to the frosting. The frosting was rather thin but still tasted good.

I didn't love the texture. I don't think it turned out wrong, but it was dense and heavy. I think I just prefer a springier, spongier cake. There are other lemon cakes I've liked better, but no harm done in trying this recipe! :)

[BosunsWife]

I decided against making this particular cake. I read too many negative comments on it to waste time making it. BUT, my mom made it and I am posting on her behalf (she still hasn't figured out the boards yet). She thought it was horrible. She is a old hand at baking scratch cakes and simply could not figure out what she did wrong. She commented to me it was flat, dense and totally unpalatable (although my dad ate it, but he will eat anything LOL). She also said the frosting was slimy and the cake was sliding everywhere when she tried to frost it. At first she wondered if her baking powder/soda (I can't recall which was used) was bad, but I told her about the comments here and she said "well, I guess that wasn't it".

She said it hasn't soured her on CL cakes, but she will definitely think twice before making one again. She also (before talking to me) sent CL an email asking them if they had any feedback on the cake recipe.

[aggie94]

Gosh, I wish I could make this cake again and send a piece to everyone who hated it. :( I absolutely loved this cake - mine was light and fluffy and delicious, definitely NOT heavy or dense. It was PERFECT. One of the best CL desserts I've ever made.

[Carolina68]

I finally decided to give the lemonade cake a try on Saturday. I didn't feel like making a layer cake so I put it in a 9 x 13 pan and made a sheetcake. It looked ok when I took it out of the oven. After reading all the post, I wasn't expecting it to rise much and it didn't. However, the texture really baffled me. Like many others have posted, it's definitely a dense cake, not light and fluffy. After seeing this, I skipped the frosting and we topped it with strawberries and whipped topping. It did taste very good and had a great lemon flavor.

[Shirley Ekstein]

You can't lighten cakes successfully. If you try, what you are eating is a travesty of the real thing. The only thing that does work, to a certain extent, is to substitute a low-fat spread for butter. This not only works but does, in many cases, produce a fluffier and nicer cake.
Would suggest you all stop trying to lighten cakes, make the real thing, and eat less of it.

(Just a suggestion, of course!)

[jennkristy]

Mine turned out great! I made it on Easter (pretty risky, but it worked)....and followed the recipe exactly to the best of my recollection...oh! I did use smaller cake pans to make the layers a bit thicker. It was a big hit.

[britneyelise]

I'll copy someone else's rating system

Taste: A-
Frosting: F- - - - - - - -........(the frosting was awful)
Texture: B+ (my family prefers a dense, european style cake)

Next time I am only going to do one layer and do a ganauche of some sort (or an icing along that type) or just some powdered sugar.

But, the next time i am going to do it, I am going to do a grapefruit one with grapefruit rind and grapefruit conentrate.

[colleency]

As I recall, I made this into cupcakes, and it was really good. The only problem was we ate them too fast! I haven't made it again, because I don't have much baking time anymore. sigh.

[Pat]

I know this cake has been talked to death but I just had to report that I have made it successfully! I was one of the ones who had trouble when it first appeared in the magazine. I felt it was too dense and did not rise enough but had a wonderful flavor.

It is so hot here that I wanted something light and lemony so I tried the cake using Alice Medrich's advice about all ingredients being at room temperature and to the advice from some of you to change the flour I used. This time I used Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose and it turned out light and wonderful.

I just had to report since I was one to complain and try to figure out what was wrong. My DH laughed and said I couldn't stand it that I had failed with a cake. Maybe. This one was certainly a success. I will be making this again now that I know what was wrong the first time. Thanks to all of you who suggested different flour and to Alice Medrich and her cookbook.

[Robyncz]

MMMMMMmmmm. I think it's time to make this one again. Thanks for the reminder (and for the updated review!).

[Magix]

I have to say, this is the first from-scratch cake I've ever made, and I was pleased with it. I really thought it couldn't have been much easier. I used my K.A. with a paddle, and I did use the low-fat buttermilk, but I didn't have much trouble getting the layers out of the pans, and the icing turned out beautifully. Sweet, yes, but it's ICING after all! :D

I did serve it cold as suggested in the reviews, and thought that might have made it a little tough, but we ate the rest only slightly chilled and it was, well, a "NORMAL" texture for a cake.

Maybe my expectations are too low! Oh no, I'm too easy to please! :p

[Robyncz]

Originally posted by Magix
Maybe my expectations are too low! Oh no, I'm too easy to please! :p

Glad it turned out well for you. But I don't know why liking this cake meant your expectations were low!!! If you look at the results of the poll, almost 50 percent of the people who answered loved it. Another 30 percent thought it was good. That's an 80% endorsement. Sounds like a pretty good cake to me!

[Magix]

Thanks, Robyncz, I feel better now that I added to the rumbling. I also have to say that as a newcomer I was a little surprised to see all the nay-sayers, and wasn't sure that was normal.

I guess it all comes down to personal taste, and I thought it was darned "tasty." :)

[ourthreegirls]

Ummmmm.....ok, I'm a BIT late on this :p , but I FINALLY made this cake today (after a fiasco with a BOXED cake mix that I was trying to throw together - perhaps an omen I shouldn't have been trying that box mix? :D ). Personally, I loved it! But it got mixed reviews in my family...
kids, of course, loved it....it's loaded in sugar - what more could they ask for?

my husband said he really liked the flavor, but thought it was a bit too dense for his taste...

my mother said overall she liked the cake, but thought the frosting was WAY too sweet for her taste (and she is the QUEEN of sweet tooths in our family). Oddly enough she didn't taste the lemon :confused: (although everyone else did - she must have OFF taste buds!)

The only thing I added was sliced strawberries around the edge of the cake to make for a nicer presentation. Repeater in this house! (not that anyone cares, since it's nearly 2 years since the recipe made it's debut :D )

Jennifer

[colleency]

Originally posted by ourthreegirls
Repeater in this house! (not that anyone cares, since it's nearly 2 years since the recipe made it's debut :D )

Jennifer

I like it when people bring up old recipe threads. It reminds me that I should make something again, or even try it for the first time!