Lemon Juice Aid 1, Let There Be Cake!

Make a lemon cake by adding lemon juice to non-lemon flavor cake mixture and vanilla frosting. The info is intended more for cake makers who've had a coupla cakes under their belts, so to speak. Novices might consider also reaching outside this article to get beginner info.

I've tended to buy "classic" yellow cake (good color, uncomplicated add-in ingredients), especially when they've gone on sale for 88¢ each. (Regular price for lemon cake mix tends to run about $1.40.) Spreadable frostings seem to all cost the same, so no savings between lemon and vanilla frostings (about $1.55 at my supermarket).

Some time ago, I'd made a round, 2-layer lemon cake w/lemon frosting using a 4-oz (1/2 C) bottle of lemon juice. My recollection was it cost 80¢. More recently, I've noted in a couple of previous articles about using lemon juice that was a freebie (15 oz bottle). I've used about 1 C for two lemon meringue pies. For this cake, I used 1/4 C for cake and 1/4 C for frosting.

Pre-preparation for Cake-bake Newbies

Before starting out, read all instructions on containers. (Cake boxes have instructions and table info for pan shapes and recommended baking times.) Items needed include measuring spoons, measuring cups, mixing bowls, mixer, spatulas, cake pans, potholders, cooling rack. Helpful options: Plate for putting implements on, spoons.

Cake pan preparation, for easy removal of baked cake from pan: Various methods, such as parchment paper, spray oil, flour sprinkled onto pans and tapping to distribute the flour. The following videos are good, short guides.

• "How to Prep a Cake Pan" shows oil/flour and oil/parchment paper methods with additional tips. (Should have also included paper removal.)
• "How to Line a Round Cake Pan Perfectly Every Time | Mad Genius Tips | Food & Wine" shows a quick parchment paper cutting method but doesn't mention oil.
• "How to Prepare Cake Pans" shows one pan only.

Ensure the oven racks are in position for cake pans, preheat the oven as directed on cake mix box (about 350° for 10-ish minutes).

Cake (Yellow) with Added Lemon Juice
I like using yellow cake mix because of its color and simplicity. Using white and butter-recipe cake mixes are more hassle, imho.

 Directions:

1. Add 1/4 C lemon juice into a measuring cup. Add enough water to total the amount called for in cake mix instructions.
2. Pour the fluid into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add the required number of eggs and amount of oil into the bowl.
4. Lightly mix these wet ingredients using a hand mixer.
5. Pour cake powder into the wet mixture, mixing as box directs (30 sec on low, then 2 min medium), occasionally scraping w/rubber spatula.
6. Pour the mixture into two prepared cake pans. (Use different pan plan and timing as you want, following box guidelines.)
7. Bake for the duration recommended, starting with minimum time. Check for doneness as required.
8. When finished baking, remove and cool as the cake mix box instructs.

Vanilla Frosting with Added Lemon Juice

The steps in this section are in the past tense. I was glad to see that the juice did not affect the frosting (such as curdling it) because of frosting's tendency to include milk.

"What Happens to Milk When Lemon Juice Is Added?" states "If the milk is cold when the lemon juice is added, the chemical reaction does not happen for some time." Seems no chemical reaction occurred during the cake's existence (about 5 days in and out of refrigerator).

The extra liquid, however, made the mixture initially runnier than I expected. I added powdered sugar to re-thicken the frosting.

 Process (YMMV)

1. I deposited a 16-oz can of vanilla frosting into a mixing bowl roomy enough to stir in juice and powder sugar (for thickening).
2. Stirred in 1/4 C lemon juice. (Amazed to see runniness!)
3. Added 1/8 C powdered sugar, then more for total of 1/2 C.
4. Added 8 drops of yellow food coloring.

With extra frosting, I was surprised that I needed to carefully spread it as thin as I did to cover the cake. If I'd used canned lemon frosting, it might have cost the same as vanilla frosting, but I probably would have run out.