Lemon Layer Cake with Summer Berries

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour 
• 2.5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 4 ounces blackberries 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 0.5 cup juice of lemon fresh
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest 
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 6 ounces raspberries 
• 6 ounces strawberries cut into thin slivers
• 2 cups sugar 
• 6 cups sugar 
• 2 sticks butter unsalted at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• wooden spoon
• stand mixer

Directions

1. Make Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9 inch cake pans. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (you can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed). Beat in vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in half of the flour mixture. Beat in milk. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Beat in lemon juice and lemon zest.
2. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
3. Bake until lightly golden and a cake tester inserted into middle of the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
4. Let cake cool in pans for fifteen minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together butter, 6 cups of confectioner's sugar, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Continue to beat for 3 minutes, or until frosting begins to get fluffy. At this point, taste the frosting. If desired, add remaining two cups of confectioner's sugar in 1/2 cup increments, tasting for preferred sweetness. Continue to beat frosting until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. To assemble: In a small bowl, break up raspberries with a fork until they have a spreadable consistency.
7. Place first layer of cake on a stand or plate. Frost with icing then cover evenly with raspberries.
8. Place second layer of cake on top of first. Frost with icing and cover evenly with strawberries.
9. Place final layer of cake on top of first two and frost the top and sides evenly with remaining frosting. Decorate circumference of top of frosted cake with blackberries.