Early in my baking career, around age 10, I set out to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies without any parental guidance. We had no fancy machinery in our kitchen, so I got out our giant glass mixing bowl and overused wooden spoon and got to work.
If your childhood baking memories do not include the wooden spoon method to crank out a baker's dozen, you will never understand the agony of repeatedly smashing butter and sugar together until your little arm burns and your wrist and fingers stiffen in anger. Being 10, I lost interest almost immediately and threw in all the other ingredients, regardless of the obvious streaks of butter all over the dough. I continued on, ignoring the pockets of flour and egg that did not get fully combined. As you can imagine, the cookies baked up wonky: spots with the lingering butter chunks leaked, and half the cookies baked into one giant blob.
I do thank the kitchen gods for the invention of the stand mixer, and use it constantly in my baking. This has taken care of the burning sensations in my biceps and eases what is most likely the early whisperings of carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the stand mixer still isn't a perfect mixing agent, and even a good one can leave a little pocket of unmixed ingredients hidden at the bottom. Your ingredients should be completely and evenly combined before pouring the batter into a pan, or you will have less-than-stellar results. This may seem obvious, but I find a lot of people skip this step, which can lead to disappointment.
How to ensure a perfectly mixed batter
The key to a well-mixed batter is actually simple: scrape down your bowl frequently, and give your batter a few turns at the end of mixing.
If I am making something delicate, like a cake, I will use a plastic spatula to mix the batter a few more times, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't have any unmixed ingredients. If I am making something more forgiving, like cookie dough, I often dump it out onto a clean counter and gently knead it once or twice to make sure everything is totally combined.
Taking the extra minute to double check my work has contributed to confections that have consistently turned out well. As Tolstoy reminds us in "War and Peace," "There is no greatness where there is not simplicity," and I find that this principle is true for many things, even in baking. Many simple steps, which can be easily overlooked, contribute to a great recipe.
Lemon Raspberry Cake
Serves 12 to 16.
I've never been a fan of traditional lemon cakes filled with a mouth-puckering curd, so I came up with a cake that has a less punchy profile. The raspberry jam in between the layers helps balance the sweetness of the frosting, and when paired with the lemon buttercream makes for a perfect bite. From Sarah Kieffer.
For the cake:
• 1 c. (240 g) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/4 c. (60 g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 5 large egg whites (175 g), at room temperature
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 c. (320 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. (300 g) granulated sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks or 170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the Lemon Syrup Soak:
• 1/3 c. (80 g) lemon juice
• 1/3 c. (65 g) granulated sugar
For the Lemon Buttercream:
• 2 c. (4 sticks or 454 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 3 c. (360 g) powdered sugar
• 3/4 c. (168 g) raspberry jam
Directions
For the cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8- by 2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, sour cream, egg whites and vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. With the mixer running on low, add the butter, one piece at a time, beating until the mixture resembles coarse sand. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add the wet ingredients until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 20 seconds (the batter may still look a little bumpy). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again and use a spatula to mix the batter a few more times.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Tap the pans gently on the counter 2 times each to help get rid of any bubbles. Bake 22 to 28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the centers comes out with a just faint bit of crumbs.
Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool 20 minutes. While the cakes are cooling, make the lemon sugar soak.
For the lemon soak: Mix the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and boil gently over medium-high heat until a light syrup forms, 5 to 7 minutes.
Turn the cakes out onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, remove the parchment paper from the bottoms of the cake, and brush the warm syrup over the warm cakes, using all of the syrup. Let the cakes cool completely before icing. (Cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight.)
For the buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until creamy. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt, and mix on low until combined. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue to mix on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until the buttercream is smooth and light.
To assemble the cake: Cut each cooled cake layer in half horizontally, to make a total of four layers. Put one layer cut-side up on a turntable or serving plate and top with 1/2 cup of the lemon buttercream. Use an offset spatula or knife to smooth it out. Top with 1/4 cup (56 g) of the raspberry jam and spread it evenly over the surface. Repeat this with two more layers and then top with the final layer, cut-side down. Evenly coat the cake with the remaining buttercream. Slice the cake and serve. Cake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
A tip: Throughout my recipes, 1 cup of flour equals 142g. Weighing your flour instead of using cup measurements is the surest way to get the result I intended when developing the recipe. Also remember that baking times are a guideline; many home ovens are not properly calibrated, and this can affect the outcome. An inexpensive oven thermometer is a helpful tool!
Sarah Kieffer is a Minnesota baker, cookbook author and creator of the Vanilla Bean Blog. Follow her on Instagram at @sarah_kieffer.
