Gingerbread cake with lemon buttercream and raspberries

Ingredients:

Gingerbread cakes

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 0.5 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 cups premium flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 cup molasses
• 0.5 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 cup ginger beer
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Cake and lemon buttercream

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh raspberries

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch (20 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Dust the sides of the pans with flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Whisk together vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, ginger and zest.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix by hand (or with a handheld or stand mixer).
4. In another bowl, whisk together the molasses, maple syrup, ginger beer (or ale), lemon juice, and baking soda (it should foam). Add the mixture to the dough and mix vigorously until smooth—the dough will be very runny.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for another 30 minutes, then remove them from the pans to cool completely.
6. Lemon buttercreamCream the butter with half the powdered sugar and the lemon zest. Add the lemon juice, water, and vanilla and mix well. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat well until the cream becomes fluffy and pasty.
7. Assembling the cakePlace one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a third of the frosting on top. Arrange raspberries on top of the frosting and place the second cake layer on top, pressing it lightly. Spread another third of the frosting on this layer and arrange the raspberries. Place the last cake layer on top, spread the remaining frosting, and garnish with the remaining raspberries. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days..