Lemon Cake with Cheese Cream Frosting

 Ingredients - 
All purpose flour ( maida) - 1.5 cup
Butter - 100 gm
Eggs - 3
Castor or granulated sugar - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Lemon zest - 1 tbsp
Buttermilk - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence - few drops

For frosting - 

Cream cheese - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 85 g
Icing or granulated sugar - 1 cup
Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
Vanilla essence - few drops

To make home made cream cheese -
Milk full cream - 1/2 ltr
white vinegar - 1 tbsp
Boil 1/2 ltr full cream milk, when it comes to rolling boil, switch off the flame, add vinegar and stir it nicely till the mixture has separated completely . when it curdles put the mixture into a sieve, let it strain and cool completely for 10-15 minutes. 
Transfer it into a blender and blend it until its smooth and creamy.
Blend it further if it's grainy. it is ready to use.

Method - 
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, sieve flour, baking powder 
    and baking soda.
2. In a big bowl take butter and beat it on a high speed for 
    2 minutes with an electric beater.
3. Add sugar beating it continuously.
4. Add eggs beating nicely after each addition.
5. Gradually add half of the flour, add the lemon zest, lemon
    juice and buttermilk, give it all a good mix, then add 
    remaining half, little at a time and mix it thoroughly.
6. Grease and line two baking tins of 6 inch and 8 inches. 
7. Divide the batter into it and bake it in a preheated oven
    until it is thoroughly baked. Insert a toothpick to confirm
    it's done, if it comes out clean then take it out and 
    let it come to room temperature.

Frosting and assemble  - 
 1. In a big bowl beat butter for few minutes until very light.
2. Add cream cheese and beat it further until well combined.
3. Add sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and beat it from low 
    speed to high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy 
    and of spreading consistency.
4. The cake is ready to assemble, in a serving plate place the
    bigger layer of cake, trim some of the upper part of the 
    cake to level it, spread the cream cheese frosting on it
    generously to cover it from the top and sides.
5. Place the smaller cake right on top of it, trim it too, cover
    it with the lemon cheese cream frosting from the top and 
    sides completely.
6. Transfer the remaining frosting in a piping bag with a
     star nozzle fitted into it.
7. Pipe big swirls on the edges of the cake and place a lemon 
    slice on each of the swirls to complete the look of it.
8. Your beautiful lemon cheese cake is ready to serve, just put 
    it in fridge for an hour before serving.
    
   It's a beautiful cake, can be enjoyed on any summer afternoon.
   If you want to skip the frosting the cake can be enjoyed 
   without it as well. It has a great tangy flavour.