Lemon Raspberry Wedding Cake
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
- Note: 2 separate batches of this batter are required in this recipe (do not double)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- zest of 1 large lemon removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons eau-de-vie de framboise
- two 9-inch cardboard rounds*
- two 7-inch cardboard rounds*
- two 6-inch cardboard rounds*, trimmed to form 5-inch rounds
- Lemon Meringue Buttercream
- about 5 cups raspberries, picked over
- five 8-inch plastic straws
- 66 leaf tip*
- 70 leaf tip*
- 113 leaf tip*
- Note: A cake-decorating turntable* is extremely helpful for assembling and decorating a wedding cake.
- crystallized edible flowers and mint leaves*
- Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
- additional raspberries
- *available at specialty baking stores
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- and line a buttered 10-inch round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep) with a round of wax paper.
- Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
- Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl with an electric mixer cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just combined after each addition, and beat in zest (do not overmix).
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto rack.
- Peel off paper and cool cake completely.
- Line a buttered 6-inch round cake pan and a buttered 8-inch round cake pan (each at least 2 inches deep) with rounds of wax paper.
- Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
- Make batter in same manner.
- Pour 1 3/4 cups batter into prepared 6-inch pan.
- Pour remaining batter into prepared 8-inch pan.
- Bake 6-inch cake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes and 8-inch cake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes and invert onto racks.
- Peel off paper and cool cakes completely.
- Cake layers may be made 2 weeks ahead, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil, and frozen.
- Defrost cake layers (without unwrapping) at room temperature.
- In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, and zest and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Remove pan from heat and let syrup cool completely.
- Discard zest and stir in lemon juice and framboise.
- Syrup may be made 2 weeks ahead and chilled in an airtight container.
- With a long serrated knife halve each layer horizontally.
- Put each 10-inch layer, cut side up, on a 9-inch cardboard round.
- Put 8-inch layers similarly on 7-inch rounds and 6-inch layers on 5-inch rounds.
- Brush cut sides of all 6 layers generously with syrup, dividing it evenly among layers, and let layers stand 15 minutes to absorb syrup.
- Spread about 1 1/2 cups buttercream on top half of 10-inch layer, cut side up, and arrange enough raspberries, side by side and open ends down, in concentric circles to cover entire layer.
- Invert bottom half of 10-inch layer, cut side down, on top of berries and gently press layers together to form an even tier.
- (Discard top cardboard round.)
- Frost top and sides smoothly with some remaining buttercream and chill while assembling remaining 2 tiers.
- Assemble and frost 8-inch tier in same manner (use about 1 cup buttercream between layers) and chill while assembling remaining tier.
- Assemble and frost 6-inch tier in same manner (use about 2/3 cup buttercream between layers) and chill until buttercream is firm.
- Cut 3 straws in half and insert 1 straw piece all the way into center of 10-inch bottom tier.
- Trim straw level with top of tier and insert remaining 5 straw pieces in same manner in a circle about 1 1/2 inches from center straw.
- (Straws serve to support tiers.)
- Carefully put 8-inch middle tier (still on cardboard) in center of bottom tier.
- Cut remaining 2 straws in half and insert into middle tier in same manner, with 1 straw piece in center and remaining 3 straw pieces in a circle around it.
- Carefully put 6-inch top tier (still on cardboard) in center of middle tier.
- Fill in any gaps between tiers with buttercream and transfer remaining buttercream to a pastry bag filled with a small (#66) leaf tip.
- Pipe a decorative border around top edge of top tier.
- With a medium-sized (#70) leaf tip pipe border in same manner around bottom edges of top and middle tiers.
- With same tip pipe 5 evenly spaced ribbons from top to bottom of cake.
- (These ribbons will support cascades of crystallized flowers.)
- Transfer cake to a cake stand or other serving plate and with a larger (#113) leaf tip pipe border around bottom edge of cake.
- With same tip pipe mound of buttercream on top of cake.
- (This mound will support crystallized flower arrangement.)
- Arrange crystallized flowers and mint leaves decoratively on top and sides of cake.
- Chill cake at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
- Let cake stand at cool room temperature (buttercream is sensitive to warm temperatures) 2 to 4 hours before serving.
- Serve cake with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream and additonal raspberries.
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Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lemon-raspberry-wedding-cake-12053 (may not work)