Instructions

RASPBERRY CURD

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the raspberries until they start to break down, about 10 minutes. Strain raspberries through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids, stirring with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and measure out 1/4 cup of the raspberry juice.
2. Place the butter in a heatproof bowl with a sieve on top.
3. In a medium saucepan, add the 1/4 cup raspberry juice, lemon juice, egg yolks, egg and sugar and whisk to combine. Over medium heat, cook the mixture until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes.
4. Strain the mixture through the sieve, that’s over the bowl with the butter. Discard the strained solids. Stir mixture together with the butter until the butter has melted and the mixture is combined. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly on top of the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. (The raspberry curd may be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)
   

VANILLA RASPBERRY CAKE

1. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
2. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Then whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and raspberry emulsion together on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and slowly pour the oil into the mixture until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the wine in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just barely blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. The batter will be thin. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter together to be sure you don’t over mix.
4. Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached; rotating pans halfway through baking. The cakes will form a dome on top and be golden in color in the center. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in their pans on wire racks for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks and let cool completely.
   

SPARKLING RASPBERRY WINE BUTTERCREAM

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the egg whites and sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place mixer bowl on top, being sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water and attach a candy thermometer.
2. Whisking occasionally, heat the egg mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Once the mixture reaches 160 degrees, transfer to a stand mixer and beat the mixture on high speed for 10 minutes or until medium-stiff peaks form. At this point the outside of the mixer bowl should be room temperature. Switch out the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, and then add the vanilla extract, raspberry emulsion and wine. Once combined, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is smooth about 5 minutes.
   

ASSEMBLE

1. Place a nonslip mat on top of a cake turntable and place a cake board on top. Center the first cake layer on top of the cake board, making sure there's even spacing from all around the edges. Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and fill the piping bag with about 1 cup buttercream.
2. Pipe a buttercream dam around the outer edge of the cake. Fill the center with half of the filling and spread out in an even layer with a small offset cake spatula. Place the second cake layer on top and gently press to adhere to the bottom cake layer. Pipe a buttercream dam around the outer edge and spread the remaining filling out in an even layer until it reaches the buttercream dam. Add the third and final cake layer (bottom side up) on top and gently press to adhere.
3. Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, creating a crumb coat. Chill the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
   

CAKE DECORATING

1. Add a large dollop of buttercream on top of the cake and smooth out with an offset cake spatula. There should be some overhang of buttercream off the edge of the cake. Line an 8-inch round acrylic cake disc with parchment paper and place it on top of the cake (paper side down) and make sure it is even and that it lines up with the bottom cake board.
2. Set aside about 1 1/2 cups buttercream and divide the remaining buttercream between 2 bowls. Color one bowl of buttercream with pink gel food coloring. Color the second bowl with pink gel food coloring making sure it's lighter pink than the one before.
3. Fit a piping bag with a plain round tip or a coupler and fill the piping bag with the dark pink buttercream. Fit a second piping bag with another round coupler or piping tip and fill with the light pink buttercream. Fit a third piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and fill with uncolored buttercream.
4. Starting from the bottom of the cake with your dark pink buttercream, pipe a 2 rings around the cake. Using your light pink buttercream, pipe 2 more rings around the cake. With your uncolored buttercream, pipe buttercream all the way up until it reaches the top edge.
5. Using a cake scraper, gently touch the scraper against the bottom cake board and the top acrylic disk and rotate the turntable. Clean off the scraper by placing the excess frosting back into your mixer bowl. (You'll use this buttercream for decorating the top of the cake.) Fill in any gaps with the appropriate color of buttercream and rotate the turntable with the cake scraper again. Repeat this process until you achieve the ombre look.
6. Place remaining buttercream in piping bags fitted with Wilton 1M piping tips. (I added the remaining buttercreams from my piping bags that I used for the side of the cake in one piping bag. And the excess buttercream in my mixer bowl in another piping bag.) Pipe swirls and stars with your choice of buttercreams on the top of the cake concentrating on one side. Pipe more swirls and stars on the lower bottom of the cake, concentrating on the opposite side of the top decorations. Sprinkle some crushed up freeze dried raspberries over the piping. Add some fresh and whole freeze dried raspberries on the top of the cake and side of the cake. For some texture, sprinkle some pearl and pink colored dragees on top. Before serving add a few sprigs of fresh mint.