Lemon Cake with Raspberry Creme Fraiche Frosting

Lemon Cake with Raspberry Creme Fraiche Frosting is a beautiful sweet treat for spring and summer. Perfect for weekend brunching and evening parties too!

I am a lover of all seasons, but I could possibly say Spring and Fall are my favorite. One is awakening  the new, and one is slowing down the soul. Now that it is springing into Spring, I remember with each passing year why I love it too. Over the weekend we spent our time building a fire pit, propping up raspberry bushes, planting tomato plants, and enjoying the Pacific Northwest  weekend.  Not too shabby. We rewarded our fire pit efforts by building a fire, eating the best hot dogs ever, and of course, smores. It was glorious.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been prepping the area around the yard for this weekend of work. While looking around, and planning the attack, the raspberries caught my eye. Naturally, I have been picking off any that were ripe enough to eat. Even if I can just have one, it is so worth the tiny taste of a fresh pick. And in the moments of picking a couple of raspberries, this cake was born. I am not totally sure how it all came together exactly, but it went something like this…

“Oooo raspberry cake. Lemon frosting. Hmmm, raspberry cake. Creme Fraiche frosting, yum. Oh lemon cake with raspberry creme fraiche frosting. So easy, so good.”

Thus the lemon cake with raspberry creme fraiche frosting was born, in my backyard, while picking raspberries, naturally.

You can make the cake and creme fraiche frosting ahead of time, up to one day. Keep cake and frosting in air tight containers in fridge separate until serving. bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Note: I made the creme fraiche for this recipe. It is super easy. But you can find creme fraiche in any store. It is much like sour cream, and tastes so good with the sweetness of the cake.

Lemon Cake with Raspberry Creme Fraiche Frosting

Makes 1- 9 inch cake, 1 cup raspberry creme fraiche frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 3 large lemons, zest lemons first and set aside for the cake

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar, I use organic cane sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large eggs

1 cup grapeseed oil

Frosting:

2 cups raspberries, about 9oz., set aside 1/2 cup for top of cake

1 teaspoon honey

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place rack in center of oven

Method:

Coat pan with oil or spray.

Combine the milk and lemon juice in a medium bowl, whisk to combine, set aside for 10 minutes to make buttermilk. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Whisk to combine.

Add eggs and oil to the buttermilk, whisk to combine very well. Add buttermilk mixture to the flour. Using a spatula, mix gently to combine. Just wet the flour with the liquids, DO NOT OVER MIX. Pour batter into oiled cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Work on raspberry creme fraiche while cake is baking. In a small sauce pan, add 1 1/2 cup raspberries, honey, and salt. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stir frequently. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. Once the raspberries cool, add to the creme fraiche, using a spatula, fold to combine.

Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack for minimum 30 minutes. Once cooled, spread the raspberry creme fraiche frosting evenly on top of the cake. Top with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days if necessary.

ENJOY!