It’s official cake day. As I have probably mentioned, I usually only make a *cake* once per year (usually for celebrations, I make cupcakes), but today is official cake day. This year, I made a Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake — inside each layer of cake is progressively “redder” with raspberries (actually, it’s more pink than red) and outside a light, fluffy lemon buttercream. I’ll be digging in shortly!
Ingredients
For the jam filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin
Pinch salt
3 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, pushed through a sieve to remove the seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
for the cake rounds
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened but still cool
For the frosting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
1/4 cup lemon curd
2 – 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons lemon extract
For decoration
Additional fresh raspberries, thin meyer lemon slices or fondant flowers
Directions
First, make your jam. You will use this as both filling in between the cake layers and to color the cake rounds a progressively darker shade of red. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, salt, pectin and sieved raspberries. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is bubbling and just starting to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice. Transfer 1 1/3 cups jam to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Strain remaining jam through fine-mesh strainer a second time, cover, and set aside at room temperature. (You should have at least 1/4 cup.)
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350F. Grease two 6-inch springform pans (you will use each twice), line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans.
Mix milk, egg whites, and lemon extract together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and mix until only pea-size pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add half of milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low, add remaining milk mixture, and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled). Give batter final stir by hand; do not overmix. Divide batter evenly between four bowls. From the reserved jam (the one that you set aside to cool to room temperature), add 1 1/2 tablespoons to one bowl, one tablespoon to the second bowl, 1/2 tablespoon to the third bowl and leave the 4th without any (you should have 4 shades of pink cake batter. Pour the first two into the prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until tops are light golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours. Re-prepare the pans and bake off the remaining two shades of pink. Make sure your cakes are completely cool before moving on to the next step.
Prepare your frosting. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and 2 cups powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until no lumps remain. Add lemon extract and lemon curd and mix until incorporated. If the frosting is very loose, add the remaining powdered sugar, a little at a time.
To assemble, Place the darkest pink cake round on cake turntable. Spread 2/3 cup chilled jam in even layer over top. Repeat with second and third layers of cake, getting progressively lighter. Place fourth (white) cake round on top. Spread small amount of frosting in even layer over top and sides of cake. Using small offset spatula, spread evenly to create your crumb layer. Refrigerate until slightly hardened. Repeat frosting layer with a more generous layer of the buttercream and decorate with fresh raspberries, thin meyer lemon slices or fondant flowers. Keep chilled until 30 minutes before serving.
