Ingredients :
For the cake:
1-1/2 cups (325 g | 11.5 oz) butter, softened
2-1/2 cups (500g | 1.1 lb) granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract (store-bought or homemade)
1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Zest of 1 lemon

3-1/2 cups (435 g | 15.4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup (180 mL) raspberry puree*, divided
For the icing:
1-1/2 Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
3 teaspoons of pure lemon extract
Ivory gel food coloring
Dusty Rose Gel Food Coloring

Instructions :
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, making sure to remove all excess flour.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a small measuring cup, combine buttermilk, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest with a fork. Reserve.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until it becomes nice and smooth. Add the sugar and continue creaming until the mixture becomes really light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next.
Next, add the buttermilk and mix until completely incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
Now add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined, no more.

Transfer a third of the cake batter to one of the prepared pans and spread it evenly over the sides. Reserve.
Add 1/2 cup raspberry puree* to the remaining batter and mix on medium speed until well incorporated.
Pour half of this cake batter into one of the remaining prepared pans and spread evenly.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup raspberry puree to the remaining batter and mix well. Pour into the third mold and spread evenly.
Place the pans in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove and allow to cool slightly in the cake pans for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely, preferably in the refrigerator.
*You can make your own raspberry puree by processing about 1½ cups of frozen raspberries. Just be sure to force your mash through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

For the icing:
Make the Swiss Meringue Buttercream – Follow the instructions in the article, but make one and a half recipes (so use 900g butter, 12 egg whites and 750g sugar).
When adding the vanilla extract, also add 3 teaspoons of pure lemon extract and a few drops of ivory gel coloring.
Place the darker raspberry cake on one edge of the cake and cover the top with a generous layer of ivory buttercream.
Top with the lighter raspberry cake and spread some of that frosting all over that cake as well. Next, place the light yellow lemon cake on top of these two layers and coat the entire cake with the ivory buttercream.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a no. 844 star tip and pipe swirls all over the top of the cake, as well as all around the light yellow cake.
Empty your piping bag into the bowl with the remaining buttercream and add powder pink gel coloring to the entire batch until you have a pale, dusty pink color.
Fill the piping bag and pipe swirls around the side of the middle cake. Return the remaining buttercream to the pot and add more gel color until a darker shade of dusty pink is achieved.
Position the ruffled border if using, then pipe the final layer of darker swirls around the bottom cake.
Store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature (remove from the refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving)