Chef notes

Take store-bought cake mix to the next level by adding a little lemonade instead of water. This sweet and summery cake looks extra fancy when decorated with candied lemon slices and a creamy, tart frosting made by combining my Butter and Cream Frosting and a little lemon curd.

Ingredients

Cake

1 (16.25-ounce) box white cake mix
3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup lemonade

Frosting

1 serving Sandra Lee's Butter and Cream Frosting
1/2 cup lemon curd

6 to 8 drops yellow food coloring

Decorations

Lemon jelly candy
1 large lemon (for candied lemon slices)

1 cup (roughly) granulated sugar

Preparation

For the cake:

In a large bowl, blend all cake ingredients until combined.

With a hand mixer, beat until smooth, approximately 2 minutes.

Choose your pan size and bake according to box instructions. I used two 8-inch rounds to make a double layer cake.

Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

In a medium-sized bowl, combine 4 cups of Sandra Lee's Butter and Cream Frosting with lemon curd and food coloring, then mix until smooth and the food coloring is evenly distributed.

For the candied lemon slices:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut lemon crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices.

Sprinkle sugar onto a plate.

Dip both sides of the lemon slices into the sugar. Make sure both sides are evenly coated.

Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer on the pan.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lemons are almost dry and a sugary glaze is apparent.

To prevent the slices from sticking to the paper, loosen them up by shaking the pan gently before they cool completely.

To decorate:

Frost the first layer of cake with a crumb coating.

Add a generous layer of frosting in the middle, then top with the second layer.