Starbucks Frosted Lemon Cake (without flavedo!)

The other day I was besieged by a raging craving for dense, moist, sugar-gilded lemon cake.

As I saw it, I had two options.

The first was transporting my hungry self to the closest Starbucks (I still can't get over the perks of driving myself!) and passing some money to the person across the table for a pre-cut slice of their own lemon-flavored breakfast cake.

Starbucks' lemon cake

Hm, tempting. I mean, the convenience of the option. Compared to the alternative, which is making it myself...and as a first-semester senior facing the considerable challenge of summarizing my life in an immaculately structured 600-word essay, I barely have time to produce cookies for the nourishment of my poor ailing family, much less indulge every junk food hankering that interrupts my English homework. 

I mean, iced lemon cake is iced lemon cake, right? 

That yellow highlighting means that I don't know what Starbucks is talking about. Therefore that scares me. (Also, I'm sort of concerned that they feel the need to call lemon zest "lemon flavedo" )

Ok, maybe if I bake really fast, making lemon cake won't take that much longer than detouring to Starbucks...

(Besides, we all know that all baked goods are not created equal, right? That's why I have a blog ;) )

Iced Lemon Cake
This breakfast loaf is dense and satisfying in texture, but light and playful in taste. It's both sweet and packed with lemon flavor. (Just try waiting for the loaves to cool to frost them. I dare you.)


Ingredients

Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1/3 cup lemon juice 
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
1 tbsp lemon zest

Lemon Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Blend eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice in an electric mixture.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth, homogeneous mixture. Add oil and combine. 
5. Line an approximately 9''x5'' pan with aluminum foil and fill with the batter.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is solid and browned and a toothpick stuck into the cake comes out clean. Let cool COMPLETELY. (I know; you'll have to be strong ;) )
7. Make the icing by gradually adding fresh lemon juice to your powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. The icing should be viscous but able to flow on its own (see below for a picture).
8. Pour the icing over the loaf (you may need to use a knife to spread it a little bit). Wait for the icing to set and harden. 
9. Slice and enjoy!

The finished batter is yellow and bubbly

Look at how beautiful those are!

This is about what the consistency of your icing should be