Zingy Spring-time Raspberry Lemonade Cake

by bfbaker

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It was a friend’s birthday earlier this week and I decided – as usual – that this was a perfect opportunity to bake a cake. Not that I often need an excuse but, you know, it’s nice to have a reason once in a while. Inspired by the recent explosion of spring – seriously; daffodils, sunshine and ice lolly territory – I felt it appropriate to whip up a light, fresh and zingy tasting cake based on raspberry lemonade.

Now – quick tip – because of the acidic nature of the buttercreams really make sure your sponge is cool before you decorate or you’ll have a calamity like me where the top slips off the bottom and the entire thing starts to resemble crumbling remains. Absolute tragedy for aesthetics but still tasted excellent!

Recipe

Cake

220g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

200g butter

2 eggs

50ml milk

200g caster sugar

The juice and rind of one lemon

A punnet of raspberries to decorate

Raspberry Buttercream (for the middle of your cake)

50g butter

150g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

50g fresh raspberries

Lemon Buttercream

75g butter

200g icing sugar

The juice of one lemon

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 175 and grease two round cake tins.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar.
  3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then add to the butter and sugar.
  4. Pour in the milk and the lemon juice and rind.
  5. Slowly add in the flour, baking powder and salt and beat together until light and fluffy. Pop into the oven for 25 minutes until nice and golden. Leave to cool in the tins.
  6. Raspberry Buttercream; beat together butter and vanilla. Add in icing sugar and mush in the raspberries – you don’t want them completely smushed up, a little texture is good for you. Pop this into the fridge right up until you need to use it again as it has a wee tendency to curdle.
  7. Lemon Buttercream; beat together the butter and lemon juice and add in icing sugar. This should have a super tangy, lemony flavour.
  8. Construction time! Slather the raspberry on top of one sponge and place the other on top of that. Then decorate the top with a healthy layer of lemon buttercream and pop on oodles of raspberries.