Moist Lemon Cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Step 1

Cook the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat until the berries have released their juices and are boiling, mashing occasionally. Then whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the pot, and cook 1-2 minutes longer, until thickened. Push the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, stir in the vanilla, then reserve 1/2 cup of the filling for the frosting. Set both aside to cool.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease the sides of three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then add the flour, salt, and baking powder, and whisk to combine.

Step 4

On low speed, mix in the butter until it has a sandy texture.

Step 5

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

Step 6

Mix in half of the wet ingredients, until all of the flour has been moistened. Then scrape down the bowl. Mix in the remaining wet ingredients, pulsing at first until it starts to combine, then mixing on low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl once to ensure everything is well combined. It is naturally a thicker cake batter!

Step 7

Evenly distribute the cake batter into the prepared cake pans (485 grams in each), using a spatula to smooth and tops. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to finish cooling on the racks. Be gentle, the cake layers are very delicate!

Step 8

In a large bowl over a double boiler with simmering water, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and a thermometer reads 165°F.

Step 9

Pour the meringue into a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue cools to roughly 90-95°F, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 10

Turn the speed down to low and mix in the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When all of the butter is combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it looks light and fluffy. Finally, mix in the reserved raspberry jam and salt.

Step 11

Trim a thin layer off the tops of each cake layer with a serrated knife to expose the crumb. Place the first layer on your serving board. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the crumb. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake, then fill the center with half of the raspberry jam. Place the next layer on top, and continue with the same steps, placing the last cake layer upside down so that the top of the cake is flat.

Step 12

Cover the cake in a thin layer of buttercream as a crumb coat, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until firm. This can help set the cake so that the filling doesn’t spill out the sides!

Step 13

Use the rest of the buttercream to cover the sides and top of the cake. Use any remaining frosting to pipe dollops on top of the cake. Garnish with freeze-dried raspberries, fresh raspberries, lemon slices, or lemon zest. Let the cake marinate in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight for the best flavor and texture! Let it come to room temperature before serving.