​The Sourdough Lemon-Raspberry Grove Cake

Step 1: Bake the Lemon Cake

1. ​Prep the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease your preferred cake pans (either a 13x9 pan or three 9-inch round pans).

2. ​Cream the Base: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter, sugar, and oil. Cream together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.

3. ​Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. ​Add the Wet Ingredients: Add the room-temperature eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until well combined.

5. ​Combine: Turn the mixer to low speed. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients about 1/3 at a time, mixing just until combined and scraping down the sides occasionally.

6. ​Finish the Batter: Pour in the milk, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix until smooth. If you notice any tiny stubborn lumps, use a hand whisk to gently break them up. Be careful not to over-mix!

7. ​Bake: Pour the smooth batter into your prepared pans.

   • ​For a 13x9 pan: Bake for 35–45 minutes.

   • ​For three 9" round pans: Bake for 25–30 minutes.

   • ​The cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. ​Cool Completely: Allow the cake to cool fully before frosting. If using round pans, turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

​Step 2: Mix Your Frosting

​If making the Raspberry Buttercream:

1. ​Simmer the Berries: Add the raspberries and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once warm, mash the raspberries with a fork and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce.

2. ​Strain and Chill: Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl to separate the smooth reduction from the seeds. Discard the seeds. Cover the raspberry reduction and chill in the refrigerator until cold (about 2 hours).

3. Cream the Butter: In a clean mixer bowl, beat the room-temperature butter for a few minutes on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

4. Build the Icing: Gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar on low speed. Once incorporated, add the chilled raspberry reduction one tablespoon at a time until you reach your perfect color and consistency (most bakers find 1/4 cup of reduction is the sweet spot). Use immediately.

   
   

​If making the Classic Lemon Frosting:

1. ​Cream the Butter: In a mixer bowl, beat the room-temperature butter until smooth and creamy.

2. Add Sugar & Liquid: Alternately add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice while mixing on low speed.

3. Adjust and Season: Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. Toss in a little extra lemon zest if you love a punchy citrus flavor. Whip on medium-high for 1–2 minutes until completely light and fluffy.

​Baker's Notes & Shortcuts

​🌾 The Long Fermentation Option

​Want to break down the grains for easier digestion? Follow the cake instructions exactly as written, but omit the baking powder and baking soda. Mix the batter up to the point of adding the flour and sourdough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment on the counter for 8 to 24 hours. Because we are skipping the chemical leaveners, keep in mind that the long-fermented version will naturally be denser and fudgier than the quick-bake version, but exceptionally flavorful.

Note: This batter is robust and moist enough that you do not need to worry about leaving the eggs in during the room-temperature fermentation.

• ​The Jam Shortcut: Short on time? Skip making the fresh raspberry reduction altogether! Replace it with a high-quality seedless raspberry jam. Because jam is naturally thicker than a fresh reduction, you may just need to add a small splash of milk or extra lemon juice to thin out the frosting to spreading consistency.

• ​Temperature Matters: Always use true room-temperature butter. Cold butter straight from the fridge will cause lumpy frosting and won't cream properly with the sugar in the cake batter. Set it out an hour before you begin.

• ​Control Your Consistency: When making the raspberry buttercream, resist the urge to dump all the fruit reduction in at once. Adding it one tablespoon at a time ensures your buttercream stays beautifully pipeable and doesn't get too soft.

• Want it Less Sweet? If standard American buttercream is too sweet for your palate, you can fold this exact fresh raspberry reduction into a batch of Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue buttercream for a silky, ultra-gourmet finish.