Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, stir the sugar and water together until the mixture becomes clear. Drop in your slices of lemon and allow to cook in the syrup for 1 minute before taking the mixture off of the heat. Refrigerate until you are ready to frost your cake (I refrigerated these babies overnight, then topped my cake with them in the morning).
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest and juice. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into 2 prepared cake tins. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean in the center.
4. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, and salt with a hand mixer on medium high speed. Add in the powdered sugar in 3 additions, beating in between each time.
5. To assemble the cake, place a dollop of frosting on a cake stand (this will hold the cake and prevent it from sliding). Place a layer of cake on the stand, frost the top with the lemon cream cheese frosting, then a thick layer of jam (use it alllll). Place the second layer of cake on top. Frost the sides before frosting the top. Add on your candied lemon babies.

Recipe adapted from Hershey’s.