Lemon Raspberry Cake

Cake Central user brittanydear modified a tried and true cake recipe to make this delicious Lemon Raspberry Cake, with just a hint of coconut. The secret ingredient, raspberry brandy, is the perfect finishing touch for this classic flavor combination.

(adapted from epicurious recipes)

This frosting, syrup and filling should be combined with the Coconut Layer Cake recipe
This recipe is so good, the epitome of summertime! The natural OVER THE TOP - and yet is easy to make!
Once you try this cake, you will think you have died and gone to heaven. It is SO good! (warning, it can sometimes be a little bit tricky to ice because it is so moist, so I stick it in the freezer for a few before icing or slicing and never have a problem). Also, although it has coconut cream in it, it is not coconutty tasting really, and goes beautifully with most any flavors. I have made many many cakes and this is by FAR the most requested cake I have ever made! So buttery rich, just melts in your mouth!

Cake Ingredients:

  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • Pinch salt


Cake Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  2. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray and flour.
  3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. 
  4. Beat sugar, butter and cream of coconut until fluffy. 
  5. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and zest. 
  6. Beat in dry mixture, then add buttermilk until blended.
  7. Using clean beaters and bowl, whisk egg whites with pinch of salt until stiff. 
  8. Fold beaten egg whites into batter.
  9. Divide cake batter between prepared pans. 
  10. Bake 45 minutes or until cake tests done. 
  11. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
  12. Brush cooled layers with Lemon Raspberry Syrup.
  13. Spread organic raspberry jam between the layers.
  14. Top with Lemon Meringue Buttercream.


LEMON RASPBERRY SYRUP

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • zest of 1/2 of a large lemon removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
  • 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoons eau-de-vie de framboise. This is clear raspberry brandy, literally translated as water of the raspberry, it has the most wonderful, pure raspberry flavor (not artificial like so many liqueurs) and is worth tracking down. 

  1. Combine sugar, water, zest in saucepan, bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally to dissolve sugar.
  2. Remove from heat, add juice and liqueur.


LEMON ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Makes about 12 cups

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

Lemon Curd Instructions:

  1. In a small heavy saucepan whisk together yolks and sugar and whisk in lemon juice, butter, and a pinch of salt. 
  2. Cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until it reaches boiling point, 5 to 7 minutes (do not let it boil). 
  3. Strain curd through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, its surface covered with a plastic wrap. 
  4. Chill curd, covered at least 4 hours or overnight.


Italian Meringue Buttercream Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 8 large egg whites
  • 3/4 tablespoon cream of tartar
  • 10 sticks (5 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened to cool room temperature 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons eau-de-vie-de-framboise 

Italian Meringue Buttercream Instructions:

  1. In a heavy saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. 
  2. Boil syrup, undisturbed, until it reaches 248°F on candy thermometer. 
  3. While syrup is boiling, in a standing electric mixer beat whites with a pinch salt until foamy and beat in cream of tarter. 
  4. Beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks and add hot syrup in a stream, beating.
  5. Beat mixture at medium speed until completely cool, 15 to 20 minutes. 
  6. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until it is thick and smooth. (Buttercream will at first appear very thin but as more butter is beaten in, it will thicken.) 
  7. Beat in lemon curd and salt, beating until smooth, and drizzle in framboise, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating. 
  8. Buttercream may be made 4 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container or 2 weeks ahead and frozen in an airtight container. 
  9. Let buttercream come completely to room temperature (this may take several hours if frozen) and beat before using.

Comments (7)

on

Duh... that should read; Italian has WHOLE eggs? Dontcha just LUUURV predictive text..?

Also...Eau de Framboise at £38+ a bottle plus postage (quoted £9) ???? Think not. I'll just carry on using my OWN secret ingredient which tastes divine and I've been 'secretly' using for years- Chambourd. Black raspberry liqueur of the highest calibre, easy to source and highly recommended. YUM.

on

Gfbaby Italian buttercream is identical to Swiss meringue in the ingredients, it's a different cooking process.  Swiss meringue cooks the eggs whites and sugar over a double boiler, Italian meringue cooks the sugar to a syrup and you slowly pour the syrup in the egg whites whilst whipping them.  French buttercream uses egg yolks.