Raspberry Laced Vanilla Cake
Submitted by girliegirl
Six-layer vanilla cake with raspberry preserves and raspberry liqueur buttercream frosting. A towering celebration cake with a piped lattice top and bright berry flavor in every layer.
YIELD
24 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
25 minREADY
1 hrsThis cake takes three standard vanilla layers, splits each one in half horizontally, and builds a six-layer tower with raspberry preserves and buttercream between every tier. The result is a tall, dramatic cake where each slice reveals alternating stripes of white cake, red jam, and pink frosting.
The raspberry buttercream gets its flavor from raspberry liqueur beaten into a mountain of confectioners’ sugar and butter. Ten full minutes of whipping at high speed is what makes this frosting light and fluffy rather than dense and greasy. That extended beating incorporates air and transforms the texture from heavy paste to something almost mousse-like.
Splitting cake layers requires a steady hand and a serrated knife. A slow, even sawing motion while rotating the cake gives you the cleanest cut. Uneven layers are just cosmetic though. The frosting and preserves cover everything.
Chef Tips
- Cool the cake layers completely before splitting. Warm cake tears instead of slicing cleanly, and it melts the buttercream on contact.
- Beat the buttercream for the full 10 minutes. Stopping early means dense, heavy frosting that’s hard to spread and pipe.
- Spread a thin “crumb coat” of frosting first, chill for 15 minutes, then apply the final coat. This traps loose crumbs so they don’t show on the outside.
- Use seedless raspberry preserves if you prefer a smoother layer. Seeds can make the texture gritty between the cake layers.
Variations
- Strawberry version: Swap raspberry preserves and liqueur for strawberry jam and Chambord or strawberry extract.
- Chocolate raspberry cake: Use chocolate cake layers instead of vanilla for a classic chocolate-raspberry combination.
Ingredients
Directions
About 3 hours before serving or early in day: Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans.
In large bowl, with mixer at low spped, beat margarine or butter and sugar just until blended.
Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, scraping bowl often with rubber spattula.
Reduce speed to low; add flour, milk, baking powder, vanilla exract, salt, baking soda, and eggs; beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl.
Increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.
Spoon batter into pans, spreading evenly.
Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
With spatula, loosen cake layers from edges of pans; invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
Prepare Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting*: In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat 3 cups confectioners’ sugar and 2 cups margarine or butter (4 sticks) softeneed, until just mixed.
Increase speed to high; beat 10 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping bowl oftten with rubber spatual.
Reduce speed to medium, gradually beat in ¼ cup raspberry flavor liquer and 1 tsp.
vanilla extract until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
Spoon 2 cups frosting into decorating bag with small star tube; set aside.
With serrated knife, cut each cake layer horizontally in half.
Place bottom half of 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate; spread with ⅓ cup raspberry preserves.
Top with top half of cake layer; spread with about ½ cup butter cream frosting.
Repeat layering, ending with a cake layer.
With metal spatual, spread remaining butter cream frosting on sides and top of cake.
Use frosting in decorating bag to pipe lattice top and pretty border on cake.
Refrigerate cake if not serving right away.
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