Sweet Baked Life

Today is my 17th Wedding Anniversary!  So, in honor of my marriage, I decided to create a cake, inspired by our exquisite and delicious wedding cake that we fed each other on that warm and beautiful June day.  I loved that cake.  Not only was it beautiful to the eye, but the wonderful flavors lemon and raspberries still fill my head and heart with mouth-watering memories.  And if I must admit, we still have the top of that wedding cake in our freezer – I will not let my husband throw it away.  Originally we were going to eat it on our first anniversary, but we never did and it has been a staple in our freezer ever since.

Since I had this brilliant idea to make cake reminiscent of the one I adored, the next thing I had to do was figure out exactly how and what I was going to create.  You see, I am not a huge cake maker, especially when it comes to doing the whole layer thing.  I’m just not good at it. And frosting a cake so it is picture perfect, well I knew there was absolutely no way I could compete with the likes of my stunningly beautiful wedding cake.  So, I set out to make a more rustic adaptation incorporating the undeniably scrumptious flavor combination of tart lemon and sweet fresh raspberries in what would turn out to be an amazingly delicious cake perfect in every way to celebrate our special day.

Lemon Raspberry Cream Cake

This may seem like a long recipe, but it’s really not — it just has several mini-steps. If you prepare and make everything in order it goes quite smoothly.  First, be sure to make the Lemon Syrup, as you will use it in all other parts of this recipe.

Lemon Syrup (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 cup sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Heat sugar, zest, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Pour through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard solids. Let cool completely then stir in the fresh lemon juice. Please note that any syrup not used can be refrigerated, airtight, up to 1 month.

Lemon Cake (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Lemon Syrup
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in the lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, just about 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely. While cakes are cooling proceed with next steps.

Lemon Raspberries

2 cups fresh raspberries, washed and picked over
4 tablespoons Lemon Syrup

In a medium bowl, place raspberries and lemon syrup. Mix to combine and set aside.

Lemon Curd

1 jar (10 oz.) Dickinson’s Lemon Curd
4 tablespoons Lemon Syrup

In a small bowl empty lemon curd and add the lemon syrup. Mix well until combined and smooth.  Set aside until ready to assemble cake.

Lemon Whipped Cream

Prepare the whipped cream after the cake has cooled completely.

1 pint Heaving Whipping Cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Lemon Syrup

Place your large mixing bowl from your electric mixer and the whisk attachment into your freezer for 5 minutes to chill.  Remove and place on stand mixer and add whipping cream.  Beat on high-speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and lemon syrup and continue beating on high-speed until still peaks form.  Be sure not to over beat.

To assemble the Lemon Raspberry Cream Cake, with a large serrated knife, cut each of your cakes in half.  Put bottom side down on a pedestal cake stand.  Spread about 1/4 of the lemon curd, topped with 1/4 of the whipped cream, then 1/4 of the raspberries.  Continue layering ending with the final amount of lemon curd, whipped cream and raspberries on the top.

This divine Lemon Raspberry Cream Cake was made from my heart to share with my loves.  It was challenging but in the end turned it out with just the right amount of sweetness along with a hint of tartness.  So here’s to our anniversary celebration and to our marriage, may it be continually filled with new adventures and sweet days!  I love you honey! xxoo