Instructions

1. Make the lemon cake: Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. First, massage the lemon zest into the granulated sugar until fragrant. Then, combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high again for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
3. On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and paddle for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. Don’t rush the process — you’re basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn’t want to make room for the liquid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. On very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. If you see any lumps of cake flour in there while you’re scraping, mix for another 45 seconds.
5. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment or a Silpat. Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan. Give the bottom of your sheet pan a tap on the countertop to even out the layer.
6. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn’t pass these tests.
7. Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don’t worry, it’s not cheating). The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
8. Make the raspberry crumb: Heat the oven to 250°F.
9. Grind up the freeze dried raspberries in a food processor until they’re a powder. Sieve the powder into a medium bowl to get out any seeds. (Use 1/2 cup for this recipe, and save the rest for the frosting.) Add in the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Toss with your hands to mix.
10. Add the melted butter and blue food dye, and toss using a spatula until the mixture starts to come together and form small clusters.
11. Spread the clusters on a parchment-or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. The crumbs should be sandy at that point. Cool the crumbs completely.
12. Crumble any crumb into clusters that are larger than ½ inch in diameter. The crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.
13. Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft, about 1 minute.
14. Add 1.5 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, the salt, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated.
15. Add your freeze dried raspberries, another ½ cup sugar and the cream. Add more sugar as needed to thicken the frosting. Beat on medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Dye with blue food dye until you reach your desired color.
16. Assemble the cake: Mix together the lemon juice and milk for the lemon soak.
17. Cut out three 6-inch layers of cake from the quarter sheet pan (example of how to do that here, thank you House of Nash Eats). Using a 6-inch cake ring lined with acetate, start assembling your cake. Place the two half circle in the bottom of the pan, and add in extra cake in the middle if needed to fill it out. Drizzle with lemon soak. Add a layer of cherry jam, and then sprinkle with the raspberry crumb. Gently spread a layer of frosting. Repeat that process with the next layer, and then top with the final layer. On top of the final layer, spread a layer of frosting or decorate as desired with frosting and crumb.
18. Refrigerate for 3-5 hours to let everything set before serving. Best served and cut cold.