Ingredients
Scale
**For the cake:**
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter (I prefer salted, but unsalted works too)
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp lemon zest
**For the icing:**
- ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted)
- ¼ cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
**For the cake:**
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.
- In a big bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add water and lemon juice, bring it to a light boil, and pour it over the flour mixture. Whisk it all together until combined.
- Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, distilled vinegar, and lemon zest. Mix everything well.
- Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely.
**For the icing:**
- Once the cake is cool, let’s make the frosting. In a saucepan, combine butter and milk. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat. Beat in enough powdered sugar to make a spreadable consistency. Whisk in the salt and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
- Pour the frosting over the cake and spread it evenly on top. I prefer doing this in the pan because the frosting is a bit runny but will set as it cools. Slice and enjoy the lemony goodness!