Ingredients
- Shortening
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 3 family-size tea bags
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Lemonade Frosting
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13- x 9-inch pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over tea bags in a heatproof glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and steep 10 minutes. Lift tea bags from liquid, and press against side of bowl, using back of a spoon; discard tea bags. Cool tea 20 minutes.
- Beat butter in a separate large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Whisk together cake flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup tea, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Discard any remaining tea.) Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 20 minutes). Spread Lemonade Frosting (recipe below) on cake.
Lemonade Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and lemon juice just until blended.
- Increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy.