I am going to stick with the cake theme for a bit to show you a few variations that are sure to please everyone. ?The lemon juice and baking soda action gives this cake a nice rise and a wonderful crumb. ?The zing of the lemon with the tartness of the raspberries and the sweetness of the frosting are absolutely perfect. ?I made this with jam I had made just the day before from the raspberry canes in our ?yard. ?Summer perfection!
INGREDIENTS
– 150g cake flour
– 150g all purpose flour
– 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 3/4 tsp baking powder
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 1/4 cup plain soy milk
– 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
– 2 tbsp lemon zest
– 1 1/4 cup sugar
– 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
– 1 tbsp lemon?liqueur?(i.e. Limoncello), or 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon extract
– 1 cup raspberry jam (preferably homemade)
– fresh raspberries for garnish
– lemon buttercream (recipe follows)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or 325 convection
1. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans. ?Cut out two circles of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pans. ?Put the parchment papers in the bottom of the pans and grease it. ?Flour both pans.
2. Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. ?In a separate bowl, whisk soy milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. ?Add remaining ingredients and whisk well to blend.
3. Add dry ingredients and gently whisk until blended and mostly smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
5. Bake for 22-24 mins (convection), or 26-28 mins (non-convection), or until a toothpick comes out clean and cakes are golden.
6. Cool on wire racks for 10 mins, loosen cake from edges of the pan, then flip the pans over the remove the cake. ?Remove the parchment paper. ?Cover the cakes with a lightly damp towel and let them fully cool.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
INGREDIENTS
– 1/4 cup margarine, room temperature
– 1/4 vegetable shortening, room temperature
– 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
– 2 tsp lemon zest
– 2 cups icing sugar
– 1 tbsp lemon?liqueur?
– soy milk as needed
METHOD
1. Blend together margarine and shortening with a hand blender until fluffy. ?Add lemon juice and zest and blend until smooth.
2. Add icing sugar and blend until fluffy. ?Add liqueur and blend more. ?Add soy milk, if needed, to get the desired consistency. ?
TO ASSEMBLE:
Cut each cake in half lengthwise and spread 1/3 cup of jam on each of the three internal layers. ?Spread a very thin layer of icing over all the cake (i.e. a crumb coat) and place in the fridge to firm up. ?Use the rest of?the frosting to decorate the cake as you see fit. ?There is not a ton of icing here–just enough for a thin layer and some fanciness on the edges. ?No need to overpower this delicate cake with gobs of frosting. ?Decorate with fresh berries. ?Can stay in the fridge until ready to serve if it is a hot day.?
