Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans, and line each with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, then dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

Use a microplane or similar fine grater to finely grate the zest of the lemons, setting aside 3 tablespoons of zest for the cake and 1 tablespoon for the buttercream. Juice the zested lemons and set aside ½ cup/120 milliliters of the juice to split between the cake and the buttercream. (Don’t refrigerate the lemon juice.)

In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the milk and ¼ cup of the lemon juice. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the batter.

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar looks damp and smells fragrant.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl and mix on low to combine. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and add them to the bowl all at once. Mix on low until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture looks sandy. (A few larger lumps of butter is OK.)

Add the oil and eggs to the measuring cup with the milk and whisk with a fork to combine. With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the milk mixture. When moistened, stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure there aren’t any dry pockets. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for 1 minute. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, spreading evenly and tapping the pans on a countertop to release any large air bubbles.

Bake the cakes until slightly risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. The cakes will have a bit of color around the edges, but the tops will still be quite pale. Set the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes. Then, run a thin knife around the edges of the pan and carefully turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely. (You may have to tap the pans gently on the rack to release each cake.)

While the cakes bake and cool, clean the mixing bowl and make the buttercream: Add the butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high until smooth. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon zest, 2 tablespoons of the remaining lemon juice, the powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberries and salt. Mix on low until the sugar is moistened, then increase speed to medium-high and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If necessary, add a bit more of the remaining lemon juice a teaspoon at a time to make a smooth and light buttercream. Scrape the bowl occasionally to ensure that the buttercream is evenly mixed. Taste and season with more salt if desired. (The buttercream can be kept at room temperature while the cake finishes baking and cooling.)

Assemble the cake: Just before frosting the cake, stir the buttercream vigorously with a flexible spatula to knock out any large air bubbles. (This will help to make the final buttercream smooth without any large holes.) Add a small spoonful of buttercream to a serving plate or cardboard cake round. Place one layer of cake onto the buttercream, dome side up. Spread 1 heaping cup of buttercream evenly over the top of the cake. Arrange 1 cup of the sliced strawberries in a single layer over the buttercream, leaving ½ inch of frosting around the edges uncovered. Place the second layer on top of the buttercream, dome side down, and press gently. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream (be careful not to transfer crumbs back into the bowl of frosting), leaving about 1 ½ cups buttercream in the bowl. Refrigerate the cake until the buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes. Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Top with the remaining 1 cup sliced strawberries.

Store the cake at room temperature for a day, loosely covered. If there is any cake left after a day, store in the refrigerator. Use a hot, clean and dry knife for the tidiest slices.