Author Notes: My lemon velvet sheet cake tastes like a cake from a boxed mix, but in the best way. The lemon flavor is extra bright from copious amounts of zest and freshly squeezed juice.

Lemon Velvet Sheet Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 1/2cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 1/2cups all purpose flour
• 2teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 2cups granulated sugar
• 1/4cup tightly-ish packed lemon zest (about 4 large lemons)
• 1teaspoon lemon extract, optional
• 1/2teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4cup neutral olive oil – not extra virgin (i use filippo berio)
• 2large eggs
• 2yolks
• 1/4cup lemon juice
• 1cup crème fraiche (you can sub sour cream)

For the glaze

• 2 1/2cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 5tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 13x9x2-inch pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and the zest and using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the extracts and oil and whisk. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, whisking between each addition. Add the juice and whisk again; and then the crème fraiche, whisking a final time to incorporate—don’t be afraid to whisk relatively vigorously throughout all of this.
4. Add the dry ingredients all at once, and using a rubber spatula, very gently fold the dry into the wet.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 33 minutes, rotating at the half way point, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a moist crumb or two.
6. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cake right side up on to the rack, and rest it in a baking sheet with sides. If you want to serve it from the pan, you can skip this step.
7. To make the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice in a large bowl. whisk vigorously until smooth.
8. Gently pour the glaze over the cake, using an offset spatula to spread the glaze, if it pools, and let the cake cool until room temperature. (fyi: My grandmother's recipe recommends poking the cake all over with a toothpick, so that the glaze seeps into the cake. I have done this, but it results in a pock-marked cake. the choice is yours). The cake is super moist and will keep tightly covered at room temp for 3 to 5 days. This cake is probably one of those that tastes even better on day two, but i wouldn't know . . .

https://food52.com/recipes/78009-lemon-velvet-sheet-cake