Luscious Lemonade Cake

     Inspired by my first attempt at cake decoration, which is pretty much like yummy sculpture, and seeing how the holidays provide ample opportunities for cake making, I made another cake this past weekend for our karate dojo holiday party.
     The symbol decorating the top is the Seido Karate emblem, a cherry blossom. I recently created Karate Cards with the same symbol of the cherry blossom. It looks quite good on a cake, if I say so myself. Just as with my Fabulous Carrot Cake, it is delicious as well. Plus, as an added bonus, and no one will know if you don't tell them, it's a light recipe, so indulge guilt free!
     I doubled the recipe to make it a four layer cake, since the layers come out on the thin side. But it's just as good as a low cake, I just wanted more canvas to work with.
     Someone at the party questioned my use of the word Luscious to describe a cake. I don't get that. Luscious is a perfect word to describe something mouthwatering, don't you think?

Luscious Lemonade Cake

Cake:
1 1/3 cups granulated Sugar
6 tablespoons Butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated Lemon Rind
3 tablespoons thawed Lemonade Concentrate (any brand)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 large Eggs
2 large Egg Whites
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/4 cups fat-free Buttermilk
Cooking Spray

Frosting:
2 tablespoons Butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated Lemon Rind
2 teaspoons thawed Lemonade Concentrate
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
8 ounces 1/3-less-fat Cream Cheese
3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For cake: Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.

Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on rack.

For frosting: place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients  (through cream cheese) in a large bowl. Beat with a mixture at hugh speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed until blended (don't over-beat).

Frost cake and store loosely covered in refrigerator.