Lemon Blackberry Cake

My friend Erica had a baby shower this weekend to welcome in their first little baby! They are waiting for the big surprise at birth to see if it is a boy or a girl.  So for the cake I decided to follow the theme of the invitations and go with baby carriages.  I made a lemon cake with a black berry filling and a meringue frosting.  I used a Martha Stewart recipe.  

---

I make the decorations the night before to simplify everything a bit.  I started by taking small chunks of fondant that I bought at Michael's.  I tinted them with either a gel frosting or the intense cake coloring.  Avoid using regular food coloring because it is too wet and will make the fondant sticky. After you tint it, roll out the fondant using powdered sugar so it doesn't stick.  I then used cookie cutters. After that I added details with sprinkles, indentations with a toothpick, or painting them with food coloring. When all the decorations were done I covered them with plastic wrap over night. 

---

Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

***I made a double recipe and then made a three layer stacking cake.  I had a bit of extra batter that I threw in some cupcake tins. This recipe makes for a beautiful flat perfect cake for stacking.  It make kind of pitiful cupcakes. 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
3. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack.
4. While cakes are baking, bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add lemon slices and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a waxed-paper-lined plate. Stir remaining 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice into syrup. ***I did this next step and I didn't end of using the lemons because of my decorations, so this isn't necessary***
5. Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely. Prepare frosting, substituting 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice for vanilla extract. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices.

---

     If you are stacking cake layers higher than two layers, I would recommend taking a good look at them to see if they are flat.  If not, when the cake is completely cool, trim a bit with a bread knife and flatten things out.  Put the trimmed side down so you are not trying to spread frosting on the cut edge. 
     Before laying the cake on the serving plate I like to put down a border of wax paper.  This way you can frost the cake without haveing to be too careful.  At the end of frosting slide it out, fix anything that needs it around the border, and you have a clean cake plate to serve from. 

---

Frosting Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and water. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved (or mixture registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until glossy, stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about 3 minutes; reduce speed to low, add vanilla extract, and beat just until combined. Use immediately.

---

***This frosting was very light and meringue-like.    It was a bit hard to form to the cake because initially it is very viscus and then sets up quickly so you have to work fast. If I were to do this again I would use a butter cream recipe.  It gives you tons of flexibility with shaping and spreading it on a cake however it is a rich, thick flavor so you have to decide what you are prefer. 

After making the frosting I scooped some into a separate bowl and mixed it with slices blackberries.  Make sure to rinse and dry the berries well so excess water doesn't ruin the frosting. Spread this in between the layers of cake.  It adds a bit of sour that contrasts well with the sweet cake. 

---

   When are the layers are construction I plop a bunch of frosting on the top of the cake.  I slowly spread it out until it starts spilling over the sides.  Then as it does I shape it down the side of the cake.  It is easier to encourage the frosting to go down than up! 

---

   When everything is set, carefully place the fondant decorations on the cake. Squish them in a little so nothing peals back off.   For me presentation is half the fun, so make sure you have a cake plate that you love! I found this one a few weekends ago in the back of an antique shop.  After about an hour of polishing it shined right up!

---