Lemon Raspberry Cake

Gluten free? No prob.

Originally I was going to make petit fours but changed my mind last minute because I thought a whole cake would be easier. I used this recipe from Sugar Spun Run.

SUGGESTION: Make this into 4 layers and add a layer of cream in the middle to better balance out all the tartness.

To make this recipe gluten free, just swap out the flour with all purpose gluten free flour!

As the cake already uses cream cheese, I decided to go with a cream cheese frosting for the outside of the cake.

(I'm a mess when I bake)

INGREDIENTS

Raspberry Filling:

• 1-1.5 c Frozen Raspberries

• 1 tbsp Cornstarch

• 1/4 c Sugar

• 1 tbsp Water

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (I actually used some lemon curd since I didn't have lemon juice)

Lemon Curd:

I cheated and bought my lemon curd from the store.

Cake:

• 150g butter (softened)

• 113 g cream cheese (softened)

• 1 1/2 c granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs (room temp)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 c all purpose flour (can sub 1:1 gf all purpose flour)

• 1/2 tsp salt (omit if your butter is salted)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 c whole milk

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 180g cream cheese

• 90g butter

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2.5 cups powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

RASPBERRY FILLING

• Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan first, then add raspberries, water, and lemon juice (curd). Stir until all ingredients are combined.

• On medium heat, stir almost constantly as mixture heats through. The berries will release their juices and mixture will begin to bubble (approx. 7 min).

• Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (approx. another 2 minutes).

• Remember that the filling will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't overthicken in the saucepan.

• Optional: If you do not want seeds (I opted to go mostly seedless), push the mixture through a fine mesh sieve as soon as you take it off the stove. Try to get as much of the juice and berry filling out of the sieve as possible. Also note that this will reduce the amount of filling produced (It was still enough for me and I had some leftover)

• Transfer to a heatproof container and allow to cool to room temperature before spreading over cake. If not using immediately, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If mixture is too thick to spread over cake after refrigerating, briefly heat it in the microwave for several seconds until it is a spreadable consistency.

CAKE

• Preheat oven to 350F (175C, 160 fan C) and grease and flour your cake pans of choice. I used three 6" cake pans for this but I would even suggest dividing the batter into four 6" cake pans for thinner layers.

• Combine butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy, well-combined and lightened in color.

• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition (about 10 seconds on medium speed after each egg).

• Stir in vanilla extract. Mixture should be very smooth, light, and creamy when finished mixing. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically to make sure all ingredients are well-combined.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

• With mixer on low-speed, alternate adding flour and milk to the butter mixture until ingredients are completely combined (scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as needed).

• Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and spread so the layers are even and smooth.

• Bake for 12-13 minutes or until baked through and cake springs back when lightly touched. Cake may still appear very pale even when baked completely through, don’t over-bake or it will be dry.

• Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling the cake.

Tip: As the fillings are squishy (i.e., not sturdy frosting), I suggest adding a thin ring of frosting around the edge to help with containment. I would also do each cake round separately before stacking. Then do a quick crumb coat (try not to use too much pressure!) and pop it in the freezer to firm up before frosting.

*Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Soften cream cheese & butter. Whip together until light and fluffy.

2. Add in vanilla

3. Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Taste and add more if needed

*There will most likely be extra filling leftover. There should be just enough frosting for every step in the cake since I've scaled it back from my normal recipe but feel free to make a full batch of cream cheese frosting so there is extra.

#petitfours #cake #lemon #raspberry #recipes #glutenfree