Lemon Torte Cake

Cake:
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons dried lemon peel*
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup mayonnaise
l cup 7 Up

1. Preheat oven to 350.
   
2. In a medium bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon peel, and salt. Set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy and lemon colored. Add the flour mixture alternately with the 7 Up, beating with a wire whip after each addition.
4. Spread the batter into two sprayed 8" or 9" round cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The top will spring back when done.
   

Lemon Filling:
One 14 oz can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl, beat together the milk and lemon juice with wire whip.
   
2. Set in the refrigerator to thicken as it chills.
   
3. Spread between cake layers and over the top layer.
   
4. Chill frosted cake for at least two hours.
   

This can be made a day ahead. In fact, it tastes even better the second day. The filling penetrates the cake a little and makes it nice and moist.

*Use the fine Microplane rasp grater to grate the lemon peel. Avoid getting the bitter white pith.

This is my Aunt Carol's recipe. Because she has a gluten allergy, she uses 2-1/4 cups of rice flour mix (2 cups of rice flour, 2/3 cups of potato starch flour, 1/3 cup of tapioca flour) in place of the wheat flour and adds 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. It is incredibly light and tender. --Sarah