Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius (325 degrees Fahrenheit).
Thoroughly grease and flour two 20cm (8-inch) round cake pans that are 5cm (2-inch) deep.
In a medium bowl, combine the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon extract, and yellow gel food coloring. Whisk these together until well integrated, then set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Once sifted, whisk these dry ingredients to ensure even distribution.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer set to medium-high speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process should take approximately 4 minutes.
To the creamed butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, beating at a medium speed for about 20 seconds after the addition of each egg.
Incorporate the dry and wet ingredients into the butter mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do this by adding one-third of the dry mixture first, mix until just combined, then half of the wet mixture, followed by another third of the dry, the remaining wet, and finally the last of the dry, mixing only until just combined after each addition. Take care not to overmix.
Once the batter is prepared, divide it equally between the two prepared cake pans. Place these on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. To test for doneness, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs or clean.
After baking, allow the cakes to cool in their pans on wire racks for about 15 minutes. Subsequently, carefully remove the cakes from their pans and allow them to cool completely on the wire racks prior to frosting.