Valentine’s Cake

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds and dust lightly with flour. Set aside.

Combine the milk, egg whites, vanilla, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix with a fork until blended. Set aside.

Mix the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed. Add the butter; continue beating at slow speed until the mixture is crumbly.

Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and beat for 45 seconds. Add the remaining milk mixture and beat for 45 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat for 30 seconds.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and spring back when lightly touched in the center, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely. Remove parchment paper rounds.

For the icing:
In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla; mix for 2 minutes.

Add confectioners’ sugar; mix 2 minutes on low speed. Add red food coloring; mix until the color is completely incorporated.

Frost the cake as a layer cake, as desired. Since the icing is made with butter and cream cheese, you will want to refrigerate the cake, unless you plan on eating it within two days.

Adapted from Raspberry Lemon Cake by King Arthur Flour.