Lemon-Honey Cake with Vanilla Lemon Buttercream

My mom's birthday was this past Saturday, and I wanted to make her a cake that she actually enjoyed. I recalled a while ago that she had found a cake recipe in Women's Day magazine for Lemon-Honey cupcakes. Well, if a recipe can make 24 cupcakes, it can make 2 8" round cakes. The recipe is as follows:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs

1) Heat oven to 350 and Baker's Joy your cake pans.
2) Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk sour cream, milk, lemon zest and juice in a small bowl until well mixed.

3) Beat butter, honey and sugar in a large bowl (or your Kitchenaid) for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended.

4) With mixer on low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the sour cream mixture. Beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.
5) Evenly divide batter into cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes (keep checking it, since ovens vary). Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn cake out onto cooling rack.

For the Lemon-Vanilla Buttercream, I used my usual Butter Vanilla Buttercream recipe, but replaced the butter flavor with lemon extract. I chose a light yellow and lavender color scheme for the cake, and used a fail-proof design-- a bunch of roses!

**side note: I am totally aware that I forgot to cross the "t" in yellow icing, but my mom didn't notice it, so it's all good! :) **