RASPBERRY CAKE BARS
DELICIOUS YELLOW CAKE BARS WITH VANILLA AND RASPBERRY FROSTINGS.
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER | QUANTITY: 10 CAKE BARS
LISTS
GROCERY LIST:
4 sticks | Unsalted Butter
4 large | Eggs
¾ cup | Buttermilk
1 cup | Granulated Sugar
3 ½ cups | Confectioners’ Sugar
1 ½ cups | All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoon | Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon | Baking Soda
1 ½ teaspoon | Baking Powder
2 ½ teaspoons | Vanilla Extract
20 | Raspberries
KITCHENWARE:
12 1/2x9-inch Baking Sheet
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer w/ Large Mixing Bowl
Medium Mixing Bowl
Measuring Spoons & Cups, Whisk, Sieve (fine mesh strainer) & Rubber Spatula
PREP
Helpful tips!
Let butter and eggs come to room temperature by leaving out for about 1 hour*.
Let buttermilk come to room temperature by leaving out for about 30 minutes*.
When measuring flour, don’t pack the flour or you will end up adding more flour into the mixture and risk having a drier cake. Instead, use a large spoon to scoop flour into measuring cups and level off with the handle of the spoon.
Don’t sift kosher salt or sugar. Both are usually not fine enough to get through the sieve.
*Dependent on the temperature of your home
BAKE
CAKE:
1 teaspoon | Oil
1 large | Egg (room temperature)
3 large | Egg Yolks (room temperature)
¾ cup | Buttermilk (room temperature)
1 ½ teaspoons | Vanilla Extract
1 ½ cups | All-purpose Flour
¼ teaspoon | Baking Soda
1 ½ teaspoons | Baking Powder
½ teaspoon | Kosher Salt
1 cup | Granulated Sugar
1 stick | Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
FROSTING:
3 sticks | Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon | Vanilla Extract
3 ½ cups | Confectioners’ Sugar
10 | Raspberries
TOPPING:
10 | Raspberries
Preheat oven to 325° F and place rack in the center of the oven.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, brush about 1 tablespoon of oil on sheet and place parchment paper on top to adhere to the sheet.
Whisk egg, egg yolks, buttermilk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder into large mixing bowl. Add salt and sugar and gently mix to combine, just a few turns. Cut butter into 1-inch pieces and add pieces to bowl of flour mixture. Mix on low speed, slowly increasing speed to medium until butter is worked into dry flour mixture, about 4 minutes. Mixture will look like coarse meal and there shouldn’t be any dry flour or visible chunks of butter.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in half of buttermilk mixture. Starting on low speed and slowly increasing to medium, until well incorporated. Add remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed, do this slowly to prevent spilling, until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is smooth, light and thick, about 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients at the bottom and around the edges are incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared sheet and bake cake for 20 minutes. Quickly rotate sheet to ensure an even bake and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t leave your oven open too long or you run of the risk of your cake sinking. Cool the cake in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to fridge to firm up for at least 1 hour.
Make the frosting by beating the room temperature butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue beating for about 1 minute. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar until mostly mixed. Increase speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until smooth and creamy.
Remove half of the frosting and set aside to use as your vanilla buttercream frosting. Leave the remaining half of the frosting in the mixer, add 10 raspberries and beat until combined to create raspberry buttercream frosting.
Once cake is cooled either frost directly on sheet cake or cut into squares or rectangles and frost individually with vanilla and raspberry buttercreams. Decorate each bar with a raspberry cut in half.
Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature.
