Raspberry Limeade Cake

¾ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 TBLS. Lime zest
¾ cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
5 large eggs
3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 ¾ tsp. Baking powder
1 ½ cups whole buttermilk
Raspberry Filling (Recipe follows)
Cream Cheese Limeade Frosting (Recipe follows)

Preheat oven 350. Spray 3 9inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and lime zest until fluffy. Add limeade concentrate, beating until combined. WARNING!! Mixture will look curdled….that’s ok!! Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk. Begin and end with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Pour batter evenly (like you would pour it cattywompus…but I digress…)into prepared pans. Bake for 17 – 20 minutes or until done. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Raspberry Filling evenly between layers (there’s that cattywompus idea again). Spread Cream Cheese Limeade frosting over top and sides of cake. Can garnish with lime slices and raspberries if you want to.

Raspberry Filling

1 10oz. Package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
½ cup sugar
2 TBLS. Cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 TBLS. Fresh lemon juice..wonder if lime juice from the lime zest you use in the cake would do…I would think so….
¼ cup butter, cut into pieces

In a food processor or a blender, pulse raspberries until smooth. Strain mixture, discarding solids.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add raspberry puree, egg yolks and lemon (lime) juice, whisking to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 7 – 8 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat, gradually whisk in butter until melted. Cool slightly, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cream Cheese Limeade Frosting
1 8oz. Package cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
3 TBLS. Frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 TBLS lime zest
5 cups confectioner’s sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add limeade concentrate and lime zest. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar, beating until smooth.

NOTES: This recipe is from Paula Deen. The frosting on this cake is AMAZING! Although very yummy, the cake seemed a little heavy for the light, fresh flavors of lime and raspberry so I may try a lighter cake recipe next time.