Lemon Snack Cake with Raspberry-Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Lemon Snack Cake with Raspberry-Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan; 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 0.5 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 0.667 cup whole milk; 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus ⅓ cup fresh juice; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or extract; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted; 0.25 ounce freeze-dried raspberries (⅓ cup), finely ground; Fresh raspberries, for serving

5.0

(3)

2 Reviews

By

Greg Lofts

Updated on August 13, 2020

Prep Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

Yield:

10 to 12 Serves

There's so much to love about snacking cakes, those single-layer confections meant to be sliced into any time of day. Here lemon juice and zest brighten the batter, and ground freeze-dried raspberries give classic cream-cheese frosting a natural rosy tint. Pile on whole berries, and help yourself.

Ingredients

Cake

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus ⅓ cup fresh juice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted
¼ ounce freeze-dried raspberries (⅓ cup), finely ground
Fresh raspberries, for serving

Directions

For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with butter. Line bottom with parchment; brush with butter. Dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another, stir together milk and lemon juice. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with lemon zest, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture, just until no dry flour remains (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until cake is golden and springs back when gently pressed, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely.
For the Frosting: In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in confectioners' sugar and freeze-dried berries until smooth.
Spread frosting over top of cake. Decorate with fresh berries. Cake is best served on the same day, but can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Chris Simpson