Raspberry & Lemon Yellow Cake

When I started planning my little sister’s Bridal Shower, I knew I wanted to make a cake! I have these random bursts of baking/ homemaker obsession. I had also just got this super cute cake plate from Minted and thought a cake on top of it would be really cute for the shower!

Fast forward to the day before the shower (Saturday) and I had finally found time to get together with my mom to do the food shopping. We were walking around the aisles when I realized I had like no time to bake a cake with everything else I needed to get done by shower time (I may have had time but you do have to factor in the fact I had no idea what kind of cake to make, how long cakes even take to make, and really how to make a cake.) So I walked down the baking aisle and grabbed the box of cake mix that had ingredients that looked normal and could taste homemade. I really love the idea of cooking from scratch because Bruce and I try to cut out most ingredients we cannot pronounce and things that are not real (like preservatives and yellow 5) I grabbed this box off the shelf and headed to the check out with fresh berries and a vague plan.

So I cheated. I made a cake with a box but I added a couple details that make this box cake a little more Mayberry and a little less generic!

1 box Mmm… Yellow Cake Mix

Eggs

Coconut Oil (or oil of choice)

Rice Milk ( or Milk of choice)

1 Cup Frozen Raspberries

Lemon Juice

1.5 Sticks of Softened Salted Butter

Powdered Sugar

Box of Fresh Raspberries

One Lemon

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Dump the cake mix, milk, eggs, and oil into a large bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Switch to a spatula and fold in frozen raspberries.

* SIDE NOTE: I bought these berries at the Farmer’s Market and spread them out on wax paper to freeze them a month ago. That keeps them separate berries so when you mix them into batters they do not get all mushy and they bake evenly.

4. Spray & flour baking pans. I use olive oil first and then dust with flour. I also used baking cups for the cupcakes.

5. Bake as directed on back of cake box.

6. Let cool completely before icing.

1. Put a a stick and 1/2 of softened salted butter in a mixing bowl.

2. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar & 6 Tbs of lemon juice and beat on low.

3. Continue adding lemon and sugar to taste and consistency.

1. Carefully place one cake on serving tray and ice the top.

2. Add the second cake by gently placing on top of the icing.

3. Ice the cake with a spatula being careful not to tear up the sides.

4. Use a wet paper towel to clean up the mess around the plate from icing.

5. Cut the lemon into slices and place three slices on top.

6. Place a dollop of icing in the middle of the lemons and fill with a “flower” of fresh raspberries.

7. Follow the edging with fresh raspberries.

8. Add adorable cake topper – like this one I found at Better Off Wed!