Lemon Butter Cake with Sweet Tea Frosting

Dessert Cake

This recipe was inspired by Tessa Huff's book, Icing On The Cake. The buttercream is a bit complicated but I've made it many times. It's perfect for the spring and looks beautiful garnished with flowers, or as here with pink petals from editor Jill Melton's tree.

By Becca Bendaj | January 02, 2022

Ingredients

butter for greasing pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk

sweet tea buttercream

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 black tea bags, such as English Breakfast, paper tags removed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons large egg whites, from roughly 3-4 eggs
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. To prepare cake, preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans. Set aside.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Place sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, rubbing together with fingertips until fragrant.

4. In bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar mixture and mix on medium-high until butter is light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).

5. Turn mixer to medium-low and add vanilla and egg yolks, one at a time.

6. Turn the mixer to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk.

7. Evenly divide the batter among prepared pans. Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. While cake cools, prepare buttercream. Place ½ cup sugar and 1 cup water in saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

9. Reduce heat and add tea bags. Let simmer 8 minutes. Carefully remove tea bags and continue to cook syrup until reduced to 60ml, about 15-30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

10. Meanwhile, place egg whites and remaining 1 ¼ cup sugar in bowl of stand mixer and whisk together by hand.

11. Fill medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place over medium-high heat. Place mixer bowl on top of saucepan to create a double boiler. (The bottom of bowl should not touch water.) Whisk intermittently, heating egg mixture to 160F, about 5 minutes.

12. Transfer bowl to stand mixer with whisk attachment and beat on high until hard peaks form, less than 10 minutes. Replace whisk attachment with paddle.

13. On low, add butter a few tablespoons at a time, followed by vanilla. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and beat until buttercream is silky smooth, 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cooled syrup and mix until incorporated.

14. To assemble cake, layer buttercream between each layer of cake and lightly coat sides and top. Place in fridge 10 minutes, then continue coating cake with buttercream to your liking.

** Tip: Try to avoid opening your oven a bunch of times to check if cakes are done. It increases chances for center of cake to sink in.