Lemon cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting

Cake ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp of AP flour

• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• 3/4 tsp of baking powder

• 3/4 tsp of baking soda

• 3/4 tsp of Kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cup of granulated sugar

• 2 lemons (zest and juice, separated)

• 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter; room temperature

• 4 large eggs; room temperature

• 1` cup sour cream; room temperature

• 4 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil

• 3 tsp of vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)

Frosting ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter; room temperature

• 1 lb of cream cheese; room temperature

• 1 large pinch of Kosher salt

• 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar; sifted

• 1/4 cup of freeze dried raspberries; blitzed into a fine powder and sifted

• 2 tsp of vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)

Other ingredients:

• 1 jar of good quality raspberry jam (I preference the Bonne Maman brand)

• Sprinkles for the top

Preheat the oven to 350 and prep two round 9inch cake pans with parchment paper and butter. Set those aside for later.

In a large bowl, mix together the AP flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and Kosher salt. Set that aside for later, as well.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add in the granulated sugar and the lemon zest. Beat that together until it is well mixed and fragrant. Add in the room temperature butter and mix it on high until it is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, 2 at a time, making sure they are fully combined before adding more.

At this point, add in half of the dry mixture you reserved early. Mix on a low speed until everything is combined. Add in the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, and the lemon juice (from two lemons). Mix until everything is smooth. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth and fluffy batter.

Using a spatula, divide the batter evenly between the two prepped cake pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until you poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan fully before doing anything else.

Once your cakes are cooled, start on the cream cheese frosting.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is completely smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula every one in a while. Turn the mixer off and add the salt, powdered sugar, and raspberry powder. Cover the top of the mixer with a kitchen towel (so the powders don’t fly everywhere) and pulse the mixer on low for a few times to fully mix everything together. Remove the towel and mix on high until the frosting comes together - it should be light, thick and smooth. Scrape down the sides a few times to make sure everything is mixed. Finally, add in the vanilla and mix again.

To assemble the cake, lay the first cake round down on a serving plate. Add a large dollop of frosting on top of the cake and spread it flat. Add a dollop of the raspberry jam on top of the frosting and spread that out - use as much jam as you need / want. Add the other cake round on top and then cover the whole cake in the rest of the frosting. Decorate as you like (I like sprinkles) and enjoy!