Lemon Berry Blizzard Cake

While the blizzard of the century whirled and howled outside of our little house on the hill, inside we were warm, cozy and baking a cake for Ella’s birthday.

A few weeks ago we had cupcakes at a friend’s from Laugh Loud, Smile Big bakery (a name that the owner’s young daughter came up with) that were fantastic.  From that experience, I was given my marching orders which were to make Ella’s cake as good as the Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes we devoured from Laugh Loud, Smile Big.  With Joy the Baker’s cookbook on hand and inspiration from said bakery, I got to work.

Joy’s Vanilla Cupcake recipe references her 9th birthday and that was enough of a coincidence to connect the dots for me.  I knew I wanted to use the homemade berry jam and I had some lemons that needed using up – and then a cake was born.

Lemon Berry Blizzard Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook – Simple Vanilla Cupcake and Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.  Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a sifter and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at at time and beat for 1 minute each time.  Add the vanilla seeds.

Alternately sift in half of the flour and then add half of the milk and the extracts, beating after each time.  Transfer the batter to the two greased cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.

When the cake is completely cool make the frosting.

Lemon Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Scrape the butter from the sides of the bowl and add half of the sugar.  Beat on low increasing to medium until the sugar is combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients, beating on low and increasing to medium again, stopping to scrape the sides of the mixer when needed.

To Frost the Cake
1 1/2 cups berry jam

Cut the two cakes in half horizontally so that you have four thin cakes.  Top the first layer with 1/2 cup berry jam.  Place a second layer on the jam and frost with 1/4 of the frosting.  Place the third cake on top of the frosting and top with another 1/2 cup of jam.  Lastly place the forth layer over all and frost the outside of the cake with the rest of the frosting.  Serve with the remaining 1/2 cup of jam as a garnish.

Serves 12 to 16

Annie
Happy birthday to my girl!