Lemon Crunch Cake

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• zest of 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler into strips. You want the yellow part, with as little of the bitter white as possible. Note: you don't want the peel of the lemon, just the outer zest. Use a serrated vegetable peeler for best results and just peel off the yellow part, leaving the bitter white behind. 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract

topping

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar