Chef Cass's White Velvet Raspberry & Lemon Birthday Cake

This recipe is a little different than our normal ones. We don't often feature advanced baking with so many steps, but turning 30 felt like the perfect special occasion to share one of my most tried-and-true cake recipes.

Every year for my birthday, I like to bake myself a cake based on what ever mood and flavours inspire me. This time I wanted to embrace the fun of bright colours and funfetti. While this recipe requires several steps and a lot of heart and soul, it is absolutely worth it in the end! - Chef Cassidy

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Ingredients...

White Velvet Cake Base:

• 90g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 133g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 whole vanilla bean, cut in half and seeded, or 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 large egg whites
• 145g (1 1/4 cup) cake flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 200g (200ml) buttermilk
• (Optional) 1/2 cup sprinkles

Lemon Curd:

• 2 large egg yolks
• ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 4 large egg whites (about 120 g)
• 266g granulated sugar
• 226g unsalted butter, cool but softened and cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Small pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberry, blended and sifted

Optional toppings:

• Strawberries
• pearl sprinkles

Method...

1. For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Butter the bottoms of one or two 6-inch cake pans and line the pans with circles of parchment paper. (This depends on how high you fill the cake pans, I usually fill my deep 6 inch pan with 1 batch of cake.)
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean on medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
3. Beat in the egg whites, one at a time, beating each for 10 seconds before adding the next. Scrape the bowl down and beat for 10 more seconds.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
5. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl well and incorporate any stray bits of flour.
6. Add in the sprinkle mix in if making a funfetti cake!
7. Pour batter into pan. Bake on the centre oven rack for about 45-55 minutes for a single deep 6 inch pan, and 25-35 minutes for two shorter 6 inch pans, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
8. Set the pans on a wire rack and cool completely before frosting. If you only used 1 six inch deep pan, slice the cake in half so you have two rounds.
9. For the lemon curd: In a small saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt until smooth.
10. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5–8 minutes. It should reach around 170°F (77°C) if using a thermometer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until completely smooth.
11. If you prefer an ultra-smooth curd, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill for at least 2 hours before using.
12. For the Swiss Meringue: Make sure your mixing bowl, whisk, and beaters are completely clean and grease-free. Wipe them with a little lemon juice or white vinegar. 
13. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°F (71°C).
14. Transfer to your stand mixer and whip on medium-high until you have stiff, glossy peaks and the meringue has cooled to approximately room temperature.
15. Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter one piece at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Continue mixing until smooth, silky, and creamy. 
16. Flavour half of the Swiss meringue buttercream with the sifted freeze dried raspberries and set both aside for assembly.
17. Assembly: place a dash of buttercream on your serving plate or a the cake base holder, place the first white velvet cake layer on top of it. 
18. Spread an even layer of the raspberry buttercream over the top of the piece, build a even ridge around the edge of the cake, you are doing this to build a 'dam' for the lemon curd. Once your walls are built, fill the inside with the lemon curd and place the second layer of cake on top.
19. Do an even crumb coat over everything with the raspberry buttercream, making sure to seal between the layers, and add a thicker layer to the top to create an even flat surface. Place the whole cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour to allow the buttercream to set.
20. Once the butter cream is firm, begin icing with the vanilla buttercream over top of everything, giving a nice and even coating. It is best to use an offset spatula for this part. I like to dip my offset spatula in hot water for a couple seconds and use the hot metal to smooth the surface of the cake at the end.
21. Using a 6B or 1M piping tip, pipe a shell or a scroll border around the edge of the cake.
22. Top with favourite toppings like the pearl sprinkles, strawberries, or other fruits.

Makes 1 6inch cake, serves 4-8 people

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• Browne Offset Spatula
• Epicurean Silicone Series
• Cuisipro Spring Form Pan
• Cuisipro Balloon Whisk
• 8 pc. Piping Set
• Silicone Piping Bag