Raspberry Greek Yogurt Cake with Lemon Buttercream

Preheat oven to 320 F. Grease and flour either four 6-inch round cake pans or two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until mostly combined. Add the yogurt and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to medium peaks then gently fold them into the cake batter. Gently fold in the raspberries.

Evenly divide the batter between the pans and bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Remove from oven.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

For the buttercream: Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes.

Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, whisk in vanilla and lemon extracts. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all the air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth.

Once the cake is completely cool, use a serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the top of the bottom layer and place it on your cake platter. You want the bottom layer to be completely flat, so the second layer will easily stack on top. Spread a layer of icing on top of the first, flat layer, about ¼-inch to ⅓-inch thick. Place the second cake layer on top. (Repeat this process if you used the smaller pans and have 4 layers). Using a knife, evenly spread the remaining buttercream over the top of the cake and down the sides. You may also use a pastry bag with icing tips for decorative frosting.

Cake recipe adapted from Kitchen Trial & Error and buttercream recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.