Chef Marco Zapata of Whiskey Kitchen's Raspberry Pound Cake

Sweet summertime has us craving sweet raspberries! In honor of our favorite season approaching and all of the fresh fruits and veggies we love to enjoy during summer, Chef Marco Zapata from Whiskey Kitchen has been kind enough to share his delicious (and beautiful we might add) Raspberry Pound Cake recipe! Enjoy!

Raspberry Pound Cake

Yields 3 quart sheet pans                                                                   

Cake Ingredients:

• 8 oz. butter, soft/room temperature

• 3 cups sugar, regular granulated

• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

• 3 cups flour, sifted

• 6 whole eggs, room temperature

• pinch of salt

• pinch of vanilla extract

• 12-18 oz. fresh raspberries

Cream Cheese Butter Cream Ingredients:

• 8 ounces powdered sugar, sifted

• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature

• 12 ounces butter, room temperature

Equipment: 

• Electric mixer with paddle attachment

• 2 medium size mixing bowls

• Measuring cup

• Measuring spoons

• Rubber spatula

• Silpats or wax paper

• 3 quarter sheet pans

• Mesh strainer

• 6x3 cake ring

Preparation:  

Using the mesh strainer sift flour, salt and baking soda together into a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream room temperature butter and sugar together until doubled in volume.  Add sour cream and continue to mix until incorporated.

Crack six eggs into a mixing bowl and three eggs one at a time and mix on low speed.  Scrape down the mixing bowl with the rubber spatula and add halve of the sifted dry ingredients.  Mix just to incorporate.  Add remaining eggs one at a time and the other halve of the dry ingredients to finish.  Scrape down the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds to finish cake batter.

Line the quarter sheet pans with silpats or wax paper and divide cake batter onto prepared quarter sheet pans. Sprinkle fresh raspberries on top making sure to  set aside six ounces of raspberries for garnish. Bake at 350 for 15 mins.  Check for doneness by poking the cake in the center with a tooth pick. If wet cake batter appears on the tooth pick after poking it should require about 2 more minutes of baking.

After the cake has finished baking, let cool down for about thirty minutes to an hour.  After the cake has cooled punch out cake rounds and set aside.

For the butter cream simply put all ingredients, room temperature butter, cream cheese, and sifted sugar into the mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and whip for about 7-10 mins.   Scrape the mixing bowl half way through the creaming process and when finished it should be fluffy and doubled in volume.

Assembly: 

Using the 6x3 cake ring assemble your layered cake by putting one cake round inside the cake ring followed by 2 cups of cream cheese buttercream.  Repeat until all cake rounds have been used and finish with a last layer of butter cream on top.   Garnish with raspberries and enjoy!