Lemon/Lime Virgin Cocktail Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted cake flour 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 2/3 cups unsalted butter 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup limeade juice from concentrate 1/2 cup milk green food coloring 1 pkg. lemon pudding buttercream icing (recipe below) Toothpicks wire rack 9-inch foiled cake board cake container two 8-inch round pans parchment paper spray to grease pans

Pre-heat oven to 350*F. Grease bottom of two 8-inch round pans and line with parchment paper. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In separate bowl; mix sugar and butter together until creamy and light. Add eggs and vanilla to cream mixture and mix until incorporated. Add and stir limeade and milk together. Start with dry mixture and add dry and liquid mixtures into cream mixture by alternating them, making sure to mix thoroughly after each until all the ingredients are incorporated together. Add food coloring until desired color. (Tip: I make sure the cake is as green as the inside of a lime).  Continue to beat for 1 minute. Place cake mix into prepared pans smooth out evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place cakes bottom side down on wire racks to cool completely. After both the cakes are cooled completely, place in refrigerator before putting cake together. This makes the cake less crumbly. Lemon Pudding: Follow the directions on the package and allow it to set up in the refrigerator. Buttercream recipe: 2 cups white shortening 2 lbs. confectionary sugar, sifted 2-tsp. clear vanilla 2-tsp. clear butter 2-Tbsp. meringue powder 5-6 Tbsp. water (may use more for the right consistency) Place the first 5 ingredients into mixing bowl and mix until incorporated. Start adding water 1 Tbsp. at a time until buttercream is in the consistency on mayonnaise. This consistency will make it easier to ice cake. Don't put in refrigerator. ASSEMBLING CAKE: Take cakes out of refrigerator. Place one of the cakes top down on a 9-inch foil wrapped board. (Tip: put some buttercream in a ziplock bag, zip up bag and squeeze to one side, snip off point and place buttercream on top of outside of cake to make a ring that will keep the pudding from sliding off the cake.) Now inside that buttercream ring, add about 1/2 of Lemon pudding filling, spreading evenly up to the ring. Place other cake bottom side down on top of filling. Ice cake with buttercream. Decorate with your favorite embelishments. Place cake in a container and put back in the refrigerator. ................THIS CAKE TASTE BEST COLD, SINCE IT IS A COCKTAIL.................