LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE

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LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE


2¼ cups flour
1½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
5 egg yolks
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1½ cups lemon juice
1/3 cup water
8 egg whites, at room temperature (Yes, you will waste 3 egg yolks, but I think your mother will forgive you.)
¼ tsp cream of tartar
½ cup, or so, seedless raspberry preserves
Lemon frosting of your choice
Fresh raspberries
Fresh lemon slices

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour 3 10-inch cake pans.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer set on its lowest speed, beat in vegetable oil, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Increase speed to medium and beat until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute.

In a separate bowl (using very clean beaters to avoid ruining the meringue), beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff (when you lift the beaters, it should form peaks that don't bend over at the top).

Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter. (To fold: Hold spatula like a knife. Cut down through the center of the batter, scrape the bottom and lift. Give bowl a quarter-turn and repeat until egg whites are incorporated.)

Spoon into cake pans and bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake's center comes out clean.

Cool cakes 10 minutes in the pans, turn out onto wire racks and cool completely. Place bottom layer of cake on a serving plate and ice the top of that layer with frosting (recipe follows). Cover the bottom of the second layer with half the raspberry preserves, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides so the preserves don't bleed into the icing. (The raspberry preserves go between the two layers.) Put the second layer in place, ice with frosting and repeat steps for the top layer.

Decorate with raspberries and lemon slices; and serve.

Serves 16.


Lemon-Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cup butter or margarine
9 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 pounds)
½ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tsp vanilla
½ tsp grated lemon zest (yellow part of peel)
3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream

In a bowl, beat butter or margarine till fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, beating well. Slowly add lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest.

Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in cream (adjust amount, if necessary, until icing spreads easily). Beat 1 full minute for best texture. (It's easiest if you spread it on the cake immediately; the frosting becomes stiffer as it sits).

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