Lemon-Berry Shortcake Cake

Lemon is definitely favored among a few of my family members. I learned to make my dad a lemon meringue pie at age 3. Figures that my boyfriend is also a lemon freak. I found this delicious looking recipe and thought to give it a try and face the taste test of my family.

To make the cake:

1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs, at room temp

1/2 cup light sour cream, at room temp

Sift together the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly after each.  Add sour cream and blend until smooth. Divide batter between two greased and floured 8 inch round pans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, then flip upside down on parchment paper or a drying rack. (I have very limited kitchen supplies and put mine on cutting boards. In the future, I would put some parchment down prior to doing this because the bottom layer stuck to the cutting board.)

To prepare the berries:

Thaw 16 ounces of fresh or frozen mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries) with 3 tsp of sugar. Mix well. After at least 10 minutes, smash the berries using a fork to release some juices. If frozen, there will be a lot of juice.

To make the frosting blend the following until smooth (add enough milk for a creamy spreadable texture):

8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temp

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temp

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

splash of milk

To assemble the cake, place one of the cakes on your serving plate. I suggest doing this fairly close to serving time. Using a slatted spoon, spread half of berries on cake. Drizzle on some juice, using discretion as to not make cake soggy. Spread half of frosting on top of berries. Repeat using the second cake and the rest of the berries and frosting. Dig in and ENJOY!

 

 

Best eaten right away, it gets soggier the longer it sits. Store in the fridge!


The next time I make this, I'll probably frost the top of the first cake with a little frosting and then add the berries on top. I would frost the bottom of the top cake and squish together. I had some problems with my layers coming apart; I think frosting will glue it all together a bit more! I also didn't quite use all of my frosting.