Pink Lemonade Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups sugar
• red food coloring
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 tsp pure lemon extract
• 1 recipe Lemonade Buttercream, or vanilla icing 

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two 9x2-inch round pans. Line bottoms with parchment; grease paper. Flour pans, tapping to remove excess; set aside. In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In extra-large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes more. Add 1/8 tsp. red food coloring; beat to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after addition.

In bowl stir together milk, lemonade concentrate, and extract (mixture will look curdled). Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low after each addition just until combined. Remove half (4 cups) of tinted batter; spread in one pan. In remaining batter bowl, stir in 1/4 tsp red food coloring. Spread in second pan. 

Bake about 35 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Meanwhile prepare Lemonade Buttercream.

Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans; discard paper. Cool completely on wire rack. Trim off domed tops of layers so cake is flat. Cut each layer horizontally in half to create four layers. Brush crumbs from layers.

Place one dark pink layer, cut-side down, on a plate. Spread 1 cup frosting just to edges. Top with a light pink layer followed by another dark pink layer, spreading frosting on each just to edges. Stack final light pink layer, cut-side down; spread frosting on top and sides as desired

*OR place batter into lined cupcake tins, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes. Yields 24 cupcakes.

Lemonade Buttercream Ingredients

• 3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 16 oz. jars marshmallow creme
• 1/4 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 cup powered sugar
• 2 tsp pure lemon extract

In very large bowl beat butter with mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add marshmallow creme and lemonade concentrate. Beat until smooth, scraping bowl sided. Add powdered sugar and extract; beat until light and fluffy. Use to frost Pink Lemonade Cake. Or store, refrigerated, up to 3 days, or freeze up to a month. Bring to room temperature before frosting cake. Makes 6 cups.