Lemon Rosemary Layer Cake with Dark Berries

A delightful blend of bright citrus and earthy rosemary, layered with a rich vanilla bean buttercream and a homemade berry chia jam. Ideal for celebrating special occasions like birthdays or intimate gatherings, this cake offers a unique flavor profile that's sure to impress.

Ingredients

For Cake

2 ¾ cups (330 g) cake flour
1 ⅔ cups (333 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp (5 g) baking powder
¾ tsp (3 g) salt
12 Tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
Zest of 2 lemons (about 1 Tbsp)
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp (2 g) fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus additional sprigs to top cake
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
1 tsp (4 g) almond extract
1 ½ cups (270 g) blueberries, divided use
1 ½ cups (225 g) blackberries, divided use
1 tsp (4 g) chia seed

For Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups (690 g) powdered sugar
2 tsp (8 g) vanilla bean paste
2-4 Tbsp (28-56 g) whole milk or cream
¼ tsp (2 g) salt

special equipment

KitchenAid® stand mixer
KitchenAid® Flat Beater
3 x 8-inch/20-cm cake pans
Small Food Processor or Chopper
Parchment paper

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter and flour three 8-inch cake pans. To make cake layers, in a medium bowl, combine sour cream with lemon juice, lemon zest, finely-chopped rosemary, vanilla, and almond extracts. Set aside. In a Stand Mixer Bowl, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Attach to Stand Mixer with Flat Beater. Turn to speed 1 to combine dry ingredients. Continuing on speed 1, add butter 1 Tbsp at a time until mixture is sandy and crumbly in appearance. Stop Mixer and scrape down sides. Add eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to mix in before adding the next. Stop Stand Mixer and scrape down sides. Turn Stand Mixer to speed 4 and add ⅓ of the sour cream mixture. Mix for 2 minutes, then stop and scrape. Turn to speed 4 and add next ⅓ of sour cream mixture. Mix for 2 minutes. Stop and scrape then turn back to speed 4 for final addition of sour cream mixture. Let mix for 2 minutes. Evenly divide mixture between three cake pans and bake for 22-27 minutes or until sides of cake are slightly pulling away from edges. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then flip out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting and assembling cake.
To make berry jam, combine ½ cup blueberries and ½ cup blackberries in a small Food Processor or Chopper. Process until pureed. Stop and add in chia seeds, process for another 30 seconds. Jam will thicken as it sits. Reserve additional berries for garnish.
To make frosting, in clean bowl attached to Stand Mixer with Flat Beater, cream softened butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stop Stand Mixer and add in powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Turn Stand Mixer on to low speed to combine, stopping to scrape if needed, then increase speed to high to whip frosting for 2-3 minutes. Turn Stand Mixer to low speed and add in 2 Tbsp of milk or cream. Whip on high speed. Add additional milk or cream if needed to get fluffy and spreadable consistency.
Pro tips: This cake recipe is made using a reverse creaming method. This encourages a very tender cake and level cake layers. Fresh thyme would be another delightful herb to use with lemon, berries, and vanilla. Substitute equal amounts of fresh thyme for the fresh rosemary if desired. Any leftover berry/chia jam is delicious on pancakes or waffles.