Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature, preferably 1/2 cup unsalted and 1/4 cup salted
• 1 pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 pkg. Wholesome Organic Powdered Sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, fit each one with a parchment circle, then butter the parchment as well. Sprinkle the pans lightly with cake flour, tap out the extra, and put them aside. Sift the cake flour into a large bowl, then add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Whisk for 20 seconds, then set the bowl aside.
2. In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attached, beat the butter, cane sugar, and lemon zest until the mixture looks very light and fluffy. Pour in the canola oil and mix it through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating only until each egg disappears into the batter before adding the next. Blend in the lemon extract and vanilla extract. In a liquid measuring cup, stir the buttermilk and lemon juice together.
3. Add 1/3 of the dry mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low only until it is incorporated. Pour in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix briefly, just to combine. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dry mixture, then the remaining 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, and finish with the final 1/3 of the dry mixture. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl along the sides and bottom, then fold gently until the batter is uniform.
4. Portion the batter between the two prepared pans and smooth it level. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean, about 30 – 34 minutes. Take the cakes out of the oven and leave them in the pans for 5 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges to release them, then turn the layers out onto wire racks. While the cakes are still warm, brush them with the simple syrup using a pastry brush. Partway through cooling, transfer the cakes to an airtight container to help hold in moisture. Once the layers are completely cool, cover them with the cream cheese frosting.
5. For the simple syrup, place the lemon juice and cane sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
6. For the cream cheese frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attached until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, then mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. If it needs to firm up, freeze it in 3 minute increments, stirring after each one, until it reaches the consistency you want.