Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

Spring is in the air and so are the luscious springtime flavors. This Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Strawberry Buttercream is a serious must this season.

So I kinda have this thing for cakes. It’s not really a big deal besides me being completely and utterly obsessed with them. Ok, in reality I guess it is a big deal, but hey what’s a girl to do. I mean it’s cake, who doesn’t love themselves some cake!

I love all aspects of it, decorating, baking, eating, you name it. But I guess if I had to pick one thing about cakes that I love the most is the frosting. Man that frosting gets me every time. The more frosting the better in my book.

I mean give me a spoon and a bowl filled with frosting and you could probably keep me content and entertained for days. How horrible does this sound. But I mean come on, we all have our weaknesses, mine just happens to be with cake…and frosting.

Ok so let’s talk about this heavenly Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Strawberry Buttercream shall we? I absolutely adore the flavors of lemon and strawberry together. They go hand in hand kinda like chocolate and peanut butter.

Ok maybe I won’t go as far as comparing them to chocolate and peanut butter but the flavors mesh perfectly. The tart and the sweet balance each other out making this cake seriously tasty.

So to some cakes may not be the easiest of recipes, I know, but they are seriously worth it. This moist and subtle lemon poppyseed cake has just the right amount of lemon flavor that is set off by this light and creamy strawberry buttercream.

It only takes about an hour start to finish making this bad boy, so tell me you don’t have that to spare.

Ok, hopefully if you weren’t a cake lover before you read this post, you are now because this Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Starwberry Buttercream has to be on your springtime must bake list, you wont regret it…I promise!

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled
3/4 cup sour cream
1 heaping Tbs poppyseeds

Buttercream:
1 1/2 cup diced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs water
1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
5-6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tbs heavy cream

Strawberries and Lemon Peels for decorations

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350.
In 2 9 inch cake pans line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease the sides with shortening. Set aside.
In large bowl mix together your four, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk together until combined.
With hand or stand mixer mix in your eggs, oil and lemon juice until blended. Slowly add in your sour cream and continue beating until incorporated.
Pour evenly into prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and cake springs back when touched.
Meanwhile to make your buttercream in sauce pan add your diced strawberries, sugar and water and bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat and simmer stirring often for about 15 minutes or until strawberries are reduced to a jam like state, remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
Once cooled in large bowl mix together your butter and shortening until smooth.
Add in your strawberry puree and blend until combined.
Add in your powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach desired consistency adding in your cream as you go to thin out.
To assemble cakes place one of your cakes on a cake stand on a lazy susan or turntable (if desired) add about 3/4 cup of your buttercream to the top of the cake and spread to the sides.
Layer the other cake on top of the frosting and working from the top down spread the majority (reserve about 1 cup of frosting for decorating) of the frosting around sides and over the top until smooth.
Once you smooth out frosting, cut your extra strawberries into thin slices and place around bottom of cake.
Using the remaining buttercream add to piping bag fitted with the large open star tip and pipe swirls around the top of cake.
Garnish with lemon peels if desired.
Keep refrigerated.

Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Strawberry Buttercream