Lemon cake with Lemon Buttercream frosting

This is a wonderful Spring/Summer cake recipe from Paula Deen's magazine. I made it for my bridge group and they loved it!! You can also use this as a white cake recipe by omitting the lemon zest and lemon juice and increasing the vanilla extract to 1 1/2 tablespoons.

1 Cup butter or I use 1/2 cup(one stick) butter and 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco, due to my high altitude
2 cups sugar(decrease at high altitude to 1 3/4 cups)
4 Large Eggs, room temature
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder( I decrease this to 2 1/4 teaspoons at high altitude)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, room tempature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 -8 inch cake rounds with nonstick baking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Spray the parchment paper on top.
 In a large bowl, beat butter or butter and Crisco at medium speed until creamy, gradually add sugar, beating for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs , one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat just until blended.

  In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating at LOW speed just until blended after each addition. Using a soup ladle, spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on the wire racks. Frost with Lemon Buttercream frosting(recipe follows). Spread Lemon Buttercream Frosting between layers and on sides and top of cake. Garnish with shaved lemon slices and zest or sprinkles and flowers. Store cake, covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened( I use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup butter flavor Crisco)
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons milk
5 cups confectioners sugar
yellow food coloring gel or liquid

In a medium bowl, beat butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Best in lemon zest, lemon juice and milk. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in food coloring, a small amount at a time, to reach desired color.