Naked Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6 x 2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; grease the paper. Set pans aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer about 5 minutes or until pale and thick ribbons form.

3. In another large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, and buttermilk.

4. Beat the vanilla into beaten egg mixture on low speed. With mixer on low speed, add the dry and wet ingredients in three additions, starting with dry and ending with wet. After the last addition, turn mixer off and whisk until combined. Divide batter among prepared pans, filling each half full (1 2/3 cups batter each).

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean and cakes are golden and pull away from sides. Remove and cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

6. To assemble: place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top of cake with 1/2 cup of the cream. Place another cake layer on top. Spread with another 1/2 cup cream. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread with another 1/2 cup cream. Spread 1/2 cup frosting on the sides of cake to make a light crumb coating. Spread any remaining frosting atop of cake. Use cake spatula or bench scraper to thin out frosting on sides for the "naked" look, then decorate as desired.

Lemon Cream

In a large bowl beat 1 cup ice-cold whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice with an electric mixer or large whisk until soft peaks form. Cover and chill up to 4 hours ahead. Whisk before serving.

To Decorate:

Remove peel from 1 to 2 meyer lemons using a vegetable peeler. Cut the peel into thin strips. Place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar; toss to coat. Let stand for 1 to 4 hours, tossing occasionally. Pile lemon peel strips atop cake just before serving.

2-Layer Cake

Divide batter between 2 8x1 1/2-inch round cake pans, filling about each about 1/2 full. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers come out clean. To assemble, place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread with 1 cup of the whipped cream mixture. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread sides with 1/2 cup of the cream, forming a light crumb coating. Spread any remaining cream atop the cake. Garnish with lemon peels, if desired.

To store:

Loosely cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. OR wrap unfrosted baked cake layers and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw and frost as directed above.