Lemon Raspberry Wedding Cake

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Wedding Cake, from Gourmet Sept/94.
Serves about 50 (including top tier).
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One of our food editors has made wedding cakes for family and friends
and, in fact, made her own, based on the following recipe. The techniques
involved are straightforward, although the endeavor takes a bit of
planning, the proper equipment, and sufficient freezer and/or refrigerator space.
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Once you have all the components ready to go, allow 3 to 4 hours for
assembling the cake, depending on your level of experience.
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For each batch of batter
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
Note: 2 separate batches of this batter are required in this recipe (do not double)
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For syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
zest of 1 large lemon removed in strips with a vegetable peeler
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons eau-de-vie de framboise
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For assembly
two 9-inch cardboard rounds*
two 7-inch cardboard rounds*
two 6-inch cardboard rounds*, trimmed to form 5-inch rounds
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lemon meringue buttercream (recipe follows)
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about 5 cups raspberries, picked over
five 8-inch plastic straws
#66 leaf tip*
#70 leaf tip*
#113 leaf tip*
Note: A cake-decorating turntable* is extremely helpful for assembling
and decorating a wedding cake.
Decoration: crystallized edible flowers and mint leaves*
Accompaniments: cr�me fra�che ice cream (recipe follows)
additional raspberries
*available at specialty baking stores
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Make first batch of batter:
Preheat oven to 350�F. and line a buttered 10-inch round cake pan (at
least 2 inches deep) with a round of wax paper.
Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl
with an electric mixer cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy and
beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and vanilla.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with
flour mixture and beating until just combined after each addition, and beat
in zest (do not overmix).
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Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes,
or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and
invert onto rack. Peel off paper and cool cake completely.
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Make second batch of batter:
Line a buttered 6-inch round cake pan and a buttered 8-inch round cake pan
(each at least 2 inches deep) with rounds of wax paper. Butter paper and
dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
Make batter in same manner.
Pour 1 3/4 cups batter into prepared 6-inch pan. Pour remaining batter into
prepared 8-inch pan. Bake 6-inch cake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes and
8-inch cake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cakes
in pans on racks 5 minutes and invert onto racks. Peel off paper and cool
cakes completely.
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Cake layers may be made 2 weeks ahead, wrapped well in plastic wrap and
foil, and frozen. Defrost cake layers (without unwrapping) at room temperature.
Make syrup:
In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, and zest and bring to a boil,
stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let syrup cool
completely. Discard zest and stir in lemon juice and framboise.
Syrup may be made 2 weeks ahead and chilled in an airtight container.
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Assemble cake:
With a long serrated knife halve each layer horizontally. Put each
10-inch layer, cut side up, on a 9-inch cardboard round. Put 8-inch layers
similarly on 7-inch rounds and 6-inch layers on 5-inch rounds. Brush cut
sides of all 6 layers generously with syrup, dividing it evenly among layers,
and let layers stand 15 minutes to absorb syrup.
Spread about 1 1/2 cups buttercream on top half of 10-inch layer, cut side
up, and arrange enough raspberries, side by side and open ends down, in
concentric circles to cover entire layer. Invert bottom half of 10-inch
layer, cut side down, on top of berries and gently press layers together
to form an even tier. (Discard top cardboard round.) Frost top and sides
smoothly with some remaining buttercream and chill while assembling remaining 2 tiers.
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Assemble and frost 8-inch tier in same manner (use about 1 cup buttercream
between layers) and chill while assembling remaining tier. Assemble and
frost 6-inch tier in same manner (use about 2/3 cup buttercream between
layers) and chill until buttercream is firm.
Cut 3 straws in half and insert 1 straw piece all the way into center of
10-inch bottom tier. Trim straw level with top of tier and insert
remaining
5 straw pieces in same manner in a circle about 1 1/2 inches from center
straw. (Straws serve to support tiers.) Carefully put 8-inch middle tier
(still on cardboard) in center of bottom tier. Cut remaining 2 straws in half and
insert into middle tier in same manner, with 1 straw piece in center and
remaining 3 straw pieces in a circle around it. Carefully put 6-inch top
tier (still on cardboard) in center of middle tier.
Fill in any gaps between tiers with buttercream and transfer remaining
buttercream to a pastry bag filled with a small (#66) leaf tip. Pipe a
decorative border around top edge of top tier. With a medium-sized (#70)
leaf tip pipe border in same manner around bottom edges of top and middle
tiers. With same tip pipe 5 evenly spaced ribbons from top to bottom of
cake. (These ribbons will support cascades of crystallized flowers.)
Transfer cake to a cake stand or other serving plate and with a larger
(#113) leaf tip pipe border around bottom edge of cake. With same tip pipe
mound of buttercream on top of cake. (This mound will support crystallized
flower arrangement.)
Arrange crystallized flowers and mint leaves decoratively on top and sides
of cake. Chill cake at least 6 hours and up to 1 day. Let cake stand at cool
room temperature (buttercream is sensitive to warm temperatures)
2 to 4 hours before serving.
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Serve cake with cr�me fra�che ice cream and additional raspberries.
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LEMON MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
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For lemon curd
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
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For buttercream
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
8 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
10 sticks (5 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened to cool
room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons eau-de-vie de framboise
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Make lemon curd:
In a small heavy saucepan whisk together yolks and sugar and whisk in lemon
juice, butter, and a pinch salt. Cook mixture over moderately low heat,
whisking, until it just reaches boiling point, 5 to 7 minutes (do not let it
boil). Strain curd through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, its surface
covered with plastic wrap. Chill curd, covered at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Make buttercream:
In a heavy saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring
until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, undisturbed, until it reaches 248�F.
on a candy thermometer. While syrup is boiling, in a standing electric mixer
beat whites with a pinch salt until foamy and beat in cream of tartar. Beat
whites until they just hold stiff peaks and add hot syrup in a stream,
beating. Beat mixture at medium speed until completely cool, 15 to 20
minutes. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until thick and smooth.
(Buttercream will at first appear very thin but as more butter is beaten in,
it will thicken.) Beat in lemon curd and salt, beating until smooth, and
drizzle in framboise, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating. Buttercream may be
made 4 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container or 2 weeks ahead and
frozen in an airtight container. Let buttercream come completely to room
temperature (this may take several hours if frozen) and beat before using.
Makes about 12 cups.
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CREME FRAICHE ICE CREAM
1 pound (about 2 cups) cr�me fra�che*
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cups sugar
*available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets
In a blender blend together all ingredients, scraping down sides, until very
smooth, about 2 minutes. Chill mixture until cold and freeze in an ice-cream
maker. Makes about 1 quart, serving 12 as an accompaniment to cake.