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Lemon Layer Cake with Raspberry Curd

Since I happen to love raspberries and have them in the freezer at all times, I am always on the lookout for yummy new raspberry recipes.


I found this one on-line a few years ago; I believe it had originally been featured in Bon Appetit magazine. Since my son and son-in-law both have a birthday on July 9th, at the height of raspberry season, I have baked this cake for their birthday on occasion. I would normally make it with four layers but after seeing how someone baked a fourteen layer cake for Valentine's Day, I decided to try this recipe as an eight layer cake in honour of Lovella's jubilee (since 50 layers seemed a bit of a stretch!).

Here's the other thing...you can't really pay a whole lot of attention to how much butter and cream goes into this cake. Once in awhile, you just have to forget about calories and enjoy a slice of rich goodness!


Lemon Layer Cake
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
  1. Preheat oven to 350' F. Spray two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; spray again.
  2. Whisk eggs, yolks, milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. 
  3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. 
  4. Whisk oil and butter into flour mixture. 
  5. Add egg mixture and whisk until smooth. 
  6. Divide batter between prepared pans. 
  7. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. 
  8. Cool cakes on racks 10 minutes. 
  9. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic. Let stand at room temperature.)

Filling:
  • 2 6-ounce baskets fresh raspberries
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 3 cups chilled whipping cream
  1. Stir 1 basket raspberries, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, lemon juice, butter, and salt in medium saucepan over medium heat until thickened and beginning to bubble at edges, about 5 minutes. 
  2. Strain raspberry curd into medium bowl, pressing on solids in strainer. 
  3. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. (I processed my berries in the blender before cooking and never strained them after.)
  4. Whip cream and 1/2 cup sugar until peaks form. Fold 1 1/2 cups whipped cream into raspberry curd. Reserve remaining whipped cream.
  5. Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side down, on platter. Spread 1/3 of raspberry filling over. Repeat with 2 more cake layers and filling. Top with remaining cake layer.
  6. Spread all but 1 cup plain whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Place remaining whipped cream in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe design around bottom edge of cake. Arrange remaining berries atop cake. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated.)

* * * * * *

So that was the recipe as originally given...and here is my variation for this time around:

I mixed the batter as specified...and divided it equally among eight 9-inch cake pans with parchment liners (sprayed with Pam).

I spread the batter to cover bottom evenly...and baked at 350' F for about 12 minutes. Since I have a convection oven...it was easy to bake many at one time. However, even with a conventional oven you can bake three at a time...and be all done in just over half an hour. Allow the cakes to cool before removing from pan. If you aren't using them right away...leave parchment in between layers...stack and wrap.

I cooked a double batch of raspberry curd, since I thought I would be needing more for the additional layers. I also added a little more whipped cream...

...and had far more filling than I could use. (If the raspberry curd seems a little too thin, add about a tablespoon of vanilla instant pudding powder and blend, before folding in the whipped cream.)


I spread a generous amount on each layer...
...and continued building my tower cake until I reached the top. Several hours before serving, I frosted the top and sides with whipping cream, piped on a little trim around the bottom and added a few fresh raspberries on top for the finishing touch.  (Product of the USA, according to the package. Where do they grow raspberries in March?)

Slice and serve to your favorite people. And don't worry too much about doing it at the last minute, since we are still thoroughly enjoying the cake several days later.


33 comments:

  1. What a wonderful treat and I love raspberries.

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  2. I really wish I had snuck a piece home. . I guess I'll just have to build my own raspberry lemon cake tower. . .I wonder how long I can hold out?
    It was scrumptious. . and quite refreshing. . light tasting even. . how deliciously deceptive!!

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  3. that looks amazing! I have to try that this spring or summer! Yum. my mouth literally just salivated!

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  4. Oh how I wish I had a slice of that right now...raspberries are a favourite here! Something like this could possibly take ones mind off the bitter cold blustery winter day we're experiencing.

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  5. This I've got to try! Thank you for the wonderful instructions and pictures, Judy! I love when I can basically see how it's done just by looking at the photos!

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  6. Looks so good, wish I had a piece....Barb

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  7. I think you need to open a MGCC Bakery. You can make them and I would like to be right up front with your beautiful apron and serve the people...Yea!
    How do I get to sneak a peice???

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  8. Beautiful cake Judy..and so many layers..wow!

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  9. Oh that is really quite amazing there Judy. Yum....and lucky Lovella!

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  10. Ooh, that cake looks heavenly! I'm definitely going to have to give this one a try, even though it looks like a lot of messy work! It comes out looking pretty impressive though :)

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  11. I hate raspberries but that looks like it would be great with strawberries, or even mango...

    (They grow raspberries out here year-round, in greenhouses.)

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  12. Oh my goodness... this looks so delicous I can almost taste it. I will be making this when raspberries are in season. I can't wait to try this.

    You did a beautiful job!

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  13. Wow, Aunt Judy! Bakerella would be proud! That looks AMAZING! I am not a fan of raspberries, but I melt for anything lemony...I think I could manage to wolf a piece of that down!

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  14. Wow, what an impressive cake! I'll have to keep that in mind for a special occasion. Thanks for sharing the recipe

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  15. That is absolutely fabulous!! Wow! And great idea about baking each layer separately, I was wondering how you were going to cut 2 cakes into 8 layers. lol Fantastic job!

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  16. This is just the kind of cake my family enjoys and which we like to make for guests. I'm sure we will have to give it a try!

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  17. Looks yummy!

    Central and southern Florida have different growing seasons from the majority of the U.S. so that may be where the raspberries came from. :o)

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  18. Oh girl. Thanks for posting the recipe. What a fabulous looking cake it is!!

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  19. My mouth is watering...this looks devine! thanks for the recipe!

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  20. Please tell me....is any good reason that anyone does not love cake?! Oh my Judy. With this recipe added to all the other wonderful cakes that show up on our blog I think I may need to up my walks to 2 hours a day. So pretty too. Kathy

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  21. Exquisite. I would be proud to serve that.

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  22. Hello,

    I'm planning to make this cake for Sunday and I was wondering if it would freeze well.

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  23. Wow!!! This looks fantastic! I love that you could try it with different fruit, too - how about mango or strawberries? Mmmmm......

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  24. I'm confused. It mentions putting sugar in cream, but there is no cream mentioned in the ingredients. Then it talks about about adding more whipped cream. Can you explain that?

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  25. This looks so delicious, and I love raspberries, too, but I'm also wondering how much whipped cream to make....
    Great pictures!

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  26. Kimberley & Jen G...

    Thanks for pointing out the missing 'whipping cream'. So sorry! I've edited to add specified amount...3 cups.

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  27. Thanks for this. I made it. It was the first cake I ever made. I never even made one from a box before. I hear it was wonderful. My husband ate four pieces of it. I can't say, though, because I am not a huge fan of lemon. It went over well, though. Now I need to try more of your recipes.

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  28. Yum - I'm planning to make this for our Care Group next week - do you think I could use frozen raspberies in the curd? And then buy a few fresh ones for decorating the top?
    Please let me know what you think!

    Thanks!

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  29. Jen...I see no reason why you couldn't use frozen raspberries for the curd. I'm sure I have done that in the past. Enjoy!

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  30. This was amazing! So delicious! I did make it for our Care Group last night - had to make one main change though since I hadn't realized I was out of raspberries in my freezer! So I made a strawberry curd filling. Everyone loved it - thanks for this recipe!

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  31. Looks great! Im planning on making the cake tomorrow with the 14 layers. Is making one batch of the raspberry curd enough or should I up it to 1.5? Thanks

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  32. I used a double batch of raspberry curd for an eight-layer cake. The more layers...the more curd and whipped cream you will need.

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