Lemon Cake 

1. Preheat the oven to 325F(165C). Grease (2) 6 inch round baking pans  and line the base of each pan with 6” parchment paper circle cutouts.  Alternatively, lemon cake may be baked as a single layer 8 or 9 inch round cake.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add and whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use a fork or fingertips to incorporate lemon zest into sugar until sugar becomes fragrant with the aroma of lemons.
4. Fit stand mixer with paddle attachment or use a hand-held mixer to cream the butter, oil and lemon sugar together at medium high speed until mixture appears thick and fluffy in appearance, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Mix in the vanilla extract into the creamed butter mixture.
6. Beat the eggs into the wet mixture one at a time. The initial egg should be completely mixed into batter before mixing in the next egg.
7. Reduce mixer speed to low. In an alternating fashion, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, mix half of the dry ingredient mixture into wet batter, followed by the milk and lemon juice, and ending with the remaining dry ingredient mixture.
8. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides and base of the bowl.
9. Resume mixing cake batter at medium speed for an additional 30-60 seconds to help ensure an evenly smooth batter.
10. Divide cake batter into prepared baking pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through bake time. Cakes are ready once a toothpick inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean.
11. Allow the cakes to cool in baking pans for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature. 

Lemon Buttercream 

1. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter and lemon zest at medium high speed until mixture is smooth and fluffy in appearance, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar into creamed butter. Gradually increase mixer speed back to medium.
3. Once all the sugar has been incorporated into butter, mix 3 teaspoon of the fresh lemon juice into buttercream.
4. If buttercream appears to be on the soft side, mix in the remaining 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar until a thick but pipable consistency is reached. If buttercream appears too thick, mix in remaining lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency (thick but pipeable) is reached.
5. Increase mixer speed to medium high and mix lemon buttercream for an additional 30-60 seconds. The resulting buttercream should be smooth and fluffy in appearance.

Assembly 

1. If cakes have a domed top, simply level cakes with a cake lever or serrated knife. This is completely optional if you wanted a leveled as opposed to domed cake.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread a small amount of frosting (about 1 teaspoon) in the center of serving platter (i.e. cake stand or large plate). This will help keep the cake in place as it is being piped with frosting and decorated.
3. Transfer half of the lemon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a round piping (pastry) tip. I used a Wilton 1A piping tip.
4. Place the first cake layer into the center of prepared serving platter.
5. Pipe a small dollop of the lemon buttercream frosting over the surface of cake leaving roughly a 1/4 inch gap between each dollop. I recommend starting along the outer perimeter of the cake and moving inward until you can no longer pipe a full circle of frosting. (See notes if you would rather spread instead of pipe frosting on cake.)
6. Fill the gaps between piped dollops of frosting with fresh raspberries. Raspberries should be position upwards with the point top faced up.  
7. Evenly position the second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and raspberries.
8. Spoon remaining frosting on top of the cake and spread out into an even layer using an offset spatula.
9. Top cake with remaining raspberries and fresh herbs of choice (optional) before serving. You may not end up using all of the remaining raspberries just enough to top the center of the cake with.
10. If making a single layer 8 or 9 inch cake, simply spoon all of the frosting into the center of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread into an even layer. Top frosting with fresh raspberries and herbs of choice (optional) before serving.