I turned 50 and wanted to bake myself a Lemon Cake with Raspberry Jam filling and whipped cream frosting. So I did.

INGREDIENTS

Cake
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Raspberry Jam Filling
1 cup raspberry
1 cup sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon

Whipped Cream Frosting
1 cup whipped cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon gelatin
4 teaspoons cold water

DIRECTIONS

Raspberry Jam for filling
Add sugar, raspberries, zest and juice to medium saucepan.  Let boil and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.  Let cool.  

Cake
Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans with butter and flour. Make sure you remove all excess flour.

Cream butter until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Slowly add sugar one cup at a time. Add eggs one at a time.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together milk and vanilla. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Gently stir all ingredients until well combined.

Evenly distribute cake batter between cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool slightly in cake pans for about 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Chill mixing bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes before using. Place water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and allow to soften 5 minutes.

Dissolve gelatin by microwaving for 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. Remove from microwave and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes; gelatin must be liquid but not warm when added to cream.

Remove bowl and beaters from refrigerator and pour in cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat together just until beater marks begin to show distinctly.

Add gelatin mixture to cream, pouring in a steady stream while beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.