# What You'll Need:
→ Lemon cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - Zest of 2 lemons
09 - 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Lemon–pistachio frosting
12 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
13 - 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
14 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
15 - Zest of 1 lemon
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1/2 cup finely ground unsalted pistachios
18 - Pinch of fine salt
→ Decoration
19 - 1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios
20 - Zest of 1 lemon
21 - Edible flowers or spring sprinkles (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly flour the sides.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until evenly combined.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the bowl, then mix in the lemon zest and vanilla until integrated.
05 - Whisk the lemon juice into the milk. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and the lemon-milk alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans, smooth the tops and bake 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow the layers to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks and cool completely before assembling.
08 - Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in batches, then stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, ground pistachios and a pinch of salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate, spread an even layer of frosting, then repeat with the remaining layers. Finish by covering the top and sides with frosting using an offset spatula for clean edges.
10 - Press chopped pistachios onto the sides or scatter on top, finish with lemon zest and optional edible flowers or sprinkles. Chill for 30 minutes to set before slicing to maintain neat layers.
