Naked Cake

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6 x 2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; grease the paper. Set pans aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer about 5 minutes or until pale and thick ribbons form.

3. In another large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, and buttermilk.

5. Beat the vanilla into beaten egg mixture on low speed. With mixer on low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients in three additions, starting with dry and ending with wet. After the last addition, turn mixer off and whisk until combined. Divide batter among prepared pans, filling each half full (1 2/3 cups batter each).

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean and cakes are golden and pull away from sides. Remove and cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

7. To assemble: place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top of cake with 1/2 cup of the cream. Place another cake layer on top. Spread with another 1/2 cup cream. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread with another 1/2 cup cream. Spread 1/2 cup frosting on the sides of cake to make a light crumb coating. Spread any remaining frosting atop of cake. Use cake spatula or bench scraper to thin out frosting on sides for the "naked" look, then decorate as desired.

Lemon Cream Delight

Begin by whipping up a refreshing lemon cream in a spacious bowl: combine 1 cup of chilled whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of finely shredded lemon peel, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Utilize an electric mixer or a large whisk to beat the ingredients until soft peaks form. Chill the mixture for up to 4 hours in advance, and remember to whisk it before serving.

For an added touch, create a decorative lemon peel topping. Peel 1 to 2 Meyer lemons using a vegetable peeler, and cut the peel into thin strips. Place them in a small bowl and sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar, tossing to coat. Allow the peel to stand for 1 to 4 hours, tossing occasionally. Just before serving, pile the lemon peel strips atop the cake.

If you're opting for a 2-layer cake, divide the batter between two 8x1 1/2-inch round cake pans, filling each about halfway. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. To assemble the cake, place one layer on a serving platter, spread it with 1 cup of the whipped cream mixture, and top it with the remaining layer. Coat the sides with 1/2 cup of the cream, forming a light crumb coating. Any remaining cream can be spread atop the cake, and you can garnish it with lemon peels if desired.

For storage, loosely cover and store the frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, wrap unfrosted baked cake layers and freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw and frost as directed above.

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