Eat to the Beat: "Hail to the Chief" Inauguration Day Cake

What an amazing, historical, and inspirational day. This is a rarity for me, but I'm struggling to find just the right words to describe how I feel about this beautiful day. I am so proud of my fellow citizens for electing a president who I truly believe wants to improve our country by bringing together groups that are normally bitter, bitter enemies. I am so proud that our country has finally proven to itself and the world that we can appreciate a person because of their intelligence and contributions to our society, regardless of race, color, or creed. But the thing that made me the most proud today as I watched the inaugural news coverage was being able to truthfully tell my students, most of whom are minorities, that they really can be president one day...and being able to believe it, not just say it.


"Hail to the Chief" Inauguration Day Cake
cake and frosting recipes both from www.marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

Lemon Cake:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
3 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. granulated sugar
3 TBSP lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
4 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. buttermilk
2 TBSP lemon juice

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
6 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

Decorations:
10-15 similarly-sized strawberries, halved
approximately 50 blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x13 cake pan (or two 8x2 rounds), dust with flour, tap out excess. Alternately, spray pan with baking spray.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

3. Cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest with a mixer until pale and fluffy.

4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each. Beat in vanilla.

5. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk and lemon juice.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake approximately 40 minutes, until golden brown and testers inserted in centers come out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Meanwhile, prepare frosting by placing all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and blending until completely combined. Begin on low speed, until powdered sugar is moistened.

8. When cake is completely cooled, frost generously. Decorate just before serving. Cake will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days, but the strawberries will leak moisture.

*Note: Cake would look best turned out of the pan and frosted on all sides. For ease of transport, I left mine in the pan.


Many thanks to Elly of elly says opa! for extending the Eat to the Beat deadline so I could take my patriotism into the kitchen with this recipe.