Get Ready: Fire up your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease them up so your cakes come out smoothly.

Mix Butter and Sugar: Grab a big mixing bowl and beat together the softened butter and 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons of sugar until it’s nice and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed.

Add Those Eggs: Slowly pour in the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition to keep everything nice and smooth.

Dry Ingredients Time: In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This helps make sure everything is evenly mixed.

Combine Everything: Gradually add the dry ingredients to your butter-sugar mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and finish with the flour mixture, and mix just until it’s all combined. You want to keep the batter light!

Lemon Zest Magic: Stir in the finely grated lemon zest, making sure it’s spread out evenly for that awesome lemon flavor in every bite.

Bake It Up: Divide the batter evenly between your prepared cake pans. Smooth out the tops with a spatula and pop them into the oven. Let them bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke the center.

Make the Crunchy Topping: While your cakes are baking, mix the juice of 2 lemons with 3/4 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Heat it up over medium heat, stirring all the time until the sugar melts and the mixture gets a bit syrupy.

Top the Cakes: Once the cakes are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. While they're still warm, brush that lemon syrup all over the tops. It soaks in and creates that signature crunchy layer as the cakes cool down.