Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake
So this morning, I was eating my breakfast Sasquatch, which is kind of like a giant Slim Jim (don’t look at me like that), and pulling out of the gas station when a man ran up to my car waving his arms. There was clearly something wrong with my car, and he was clearly trying to tell me about it.
I considered leaving the window up and driving blissfully to school, ignoring whatever horrible issue had arisen, hoping I didn’t explode along the way. That seemed like a much easier plan than rolling down my window and listening to whatever $8,000 problem this good samaritan was doubtless trying to alert me to.
Nevertheless, I set my Sasquatch down (ahem) with a sigh and rolled down the window. “Ma’am, you have a flat tire. On the back right.”
Of course I do. OF COURSE I DO. Because it takes me 10 minutes to get to work from the gas station and I had 10 minutes until I needed to be there. Because I had my 9th graders first period, I’ve only had one class with them in the past 3 weeks, and we had a ton to do. Because I particularly liked my outfit today and had been having a good morning so far. SO OF COURSE I HAVE A FLAT TIRE.
Naked Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake
I thanked the man (it was super nice to run after me into the road, after all), pulled back into the gas station, and called Mike. I probably should have then sat in my car and waited, but I started to think about what a wuss I was going to seem like when Mike arrived. I knew he was going to use the can of Fix-a-Flat in my trunk, and I knew there were directions on the can. What was to say I couldn’t fix the tire before he got there? Just the fact that I was a girl? That I was wearing an especially awesome outfit? Pshh! I could totally do this.
So while Mike was en route, I began hopping around the gas station parking lot like a jack rabbit (in heels), shaking the can vigorously for the full 30 seconds it prescribed. Then I attached it tightly — er, I thought it was tight, anyway — to my tire and pressed the nozzle…
…only to be showered with a foaming, spluttering waterfall of Fix-a-Flat, which (it turns out) smells a lot like a mixture of gasoline and motor oil. In case you ever wondered.
I looked down at my awesome outfit, which was now coated in an awesome automotive product. And I said, to no one in particular because I’d kind of lost it by that point, “I’m going to cry now. Just a little bit. But I’m definitely going to cry.”
When Mike pulled up, he found my car abandoned in the lot with the canister of Fix-a-Flat hanging unceremoniously off of the back tire. I was in the gas station bathroom mopping myself off. When I got back, I took his car to school and he took mine, canceling his own class to deal with the mess. As I write, he is currently sitting in the tire place and I am sitting in my classroom inhaling probably-toxic fumes off of my awesome outfit.
So here’s what I have to say about all that:
1. I am thankful for an awesome husband.
2. Please send cake.
One year ago: German Chocolate Cheesecake
Two years ago: Gooey S’mores Bars
Three years ago: Bittersweet Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
Four years ago: Peach Crisp Pie
Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, adapted from one provided to St. Louis Today by Fred and Audrey Heimburger of Heimburger Bakery.
Yield: would easily serve 4-6 people
This was beyond fantastic. The gooey, fluffy texture of this cake along with the subtle lemon flavor was a downright ethereal combination. You’re gonna freak out when you taste it!
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Filling Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
powdered sugar for dusting
Toppings Ingredients:
fresh raspberries
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar
lemon zest
Directions:
NOTE: If you don’t have a skillet, I believe you can bake this in a greased 9-inch square baking dish (I’d use a glass one if you have it, and check it early and often. Remove when there’s some jiggle left.) Let us know how it goes if you try it this way for all the other skilletless people!
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cake flour, zest, and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. Press the mixture into the bottom (this step is a lot harder than it sounds, but be patient and use the back of a spoon to help spread/press the mixture down. I also stuck mine in the fridge for a bit to make the butter less sticky) and up the sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Make the filling: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in the egg until just combined. Alternate adding the flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Mix in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the top with icing sugar.
Bake and assemble the cake: Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until cake is nearly set (mine was probably ready around 30). Some jiggle is fine — do not overcook! It’ll finish setting up as it cools. Sprinkle some more powdered sugar on top. Let the cake cool in the skillet for 2 hours. In the meantime, beat heavy cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar together in a bowl to stiff peaks. Pile heaps of fresh raspberries into the center of your cooled, set gooey butter cake, top with a mountain of freshly whipped cream and lemon zest, and serve.
21 Comments on Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake
1Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake
-
[…] Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake – Willow Bird Baking I’m not completely sold on lemon or raspberry, but this just sounds good. Plus, I bet Eric would like it. Bonus! […]
Amelia
September 5, 2013 at 6:56 pm (11 years ago)Outfits come and go. Unfortunately, so do tires. But, girl, husbands like yours are forever. Congrats, and here’s hoping your week improves! 🙂
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
September 5, 2013 at 8:23 pm (11 years ago)You are the queen of awesome gooey cakes. I bet a few bites of this would do wonders to help a person forget a bad day!
Kat
September 5, 2013 at 9:32 pm (11 years ago)So you’ve got a crust, then a filling with milk, egg, and fruit…that’s a quiche…and quiche is totally acceptable dinner food.
Besides which, it’s Thursday, so that’s worthy of a celebration.
Dinner fer sure!
natalie@thesweetslife
September 6, 2013 at 1:43 am (11 years ago)i totally allow myself to shed a few tears when necessary (or not necessary, ha!). mike’s a keeper!
Tieghan
September 6, 2013 at 2:02 am (11 years ago)This gooey butter cake would totally cure my bad day blues, and yes I would so consider this dinner! Oh and I know I am repeating the obvious here, but whatever, Mike is a keeper!! Lucky you!
DessertForTwo
September 6, 2013 at 3:25 am (11 years ago)oh, Julie! I’m sorry I laughed a little bit at that. But doesn’t he feel like such an amazing husband? Maybe it’s worth that. Sorry. If I lived closer, I’d bring you 100 gooey butter cakes 🙂
Sarah @ Miss Candiquik
September 6, 2013 at 1:32 pm (11 years ago)Awww, poor thing!!! You probably could’ve seen me running down the side of the road (in heels) at that point. But that cake up there – heaven help me. This (and everything you make) is right up my alley. Here’s to a fabulous weekend!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
September 6, 2013 at 1:45 pm (11 years ago)Oh good gracious, when it rains it pours, huh? Good thing we have awesome husbands and awesome cake to make it all (mostly) better! 🙂
Juliana Loh @bilbaobab
September 6, 2013 at 1:48 pm (11 years ago)This looks and sounds amazing! simple comfort food! thanks for sharing!
ps Love that napkin!
Jennifer-The Adventuresome Kitchen
September 6, 2013 at 2:11 pm (11 years ago)OK- so you totally made me laugh this morning!!! Hope your outfit can get rescued by the drycleaner the way your car was rescued by your sweetie! You’ve got a keeper!!
Laura
September 6, 2013 at 8:03 pm (11 years ago)OMG that totally made me laugh, seems like you had one bad bad day, the recipe was great though!!!
karen downes
September 7, 2013 at 1:47 am (11 years ago)HaHa! You sound just like me. I would have totally thought about peeling out when someone was trying to tell me something bad (if I don’t know about it I don’t have to deal with it). You crack me up about the Sasquatch. I eat anything but breakfast for breakfast. Cold chicken wings are a particular favorite of mine. I am not saying this just to make you feel better but this is one of my favorite blogs. Have a good school year!
Renee @ Awesome on $20
September 7, 2013 at 6:26 pm (11 years ago)Man, that sucks! I hope you got that goo out of your clothes and that you get a chance to wear that awesome outfit again. I hope your kids were awesome that day and made you laugh instead of ruthlessly picking on you. I hope you had some of this cake left at your house at the end of the day. It’s gorgeous.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
September 9, 2013 at 2:40 am (11 years ago)Oh man. That SUCKS! I hate cars. Well, I don’t because I have to say I love my car or it’ll break, but I secretly hate cars because they always break when you need them.
This cake? Perfection!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
September 9, 2013 at 10:39 am (11 years ago)Oh, I most definitely would have cried. Sometimes letting the husband save the day is grossly underrated!
Olivia
September 9, 2013 at 10:25 pm (11 years ago)Congrats for the blog!
It´s really nice, we follow you from Spain!
Jenny @ BAKE
September 15, 2013 at 10:00 am (11 years ago)that’s the kind of thing that happens to me! this cake looks incredible! I hope you had an extra slice to make up for your car troubles!
fallconsmate
September 30, 2013 at 6:33 pm (11 years ago)sweetie. when the weather is good and it’s a WEEKEND, have your darling man teach you how to change a tire, ok? *hugs and hugs* i’m glad you’re ok, and didn’t have the issue i did, which was a blowout at 55 mph when my toddler was sitting in the back seat…
we were both fine. the car was fine. and i got 4 new tires for mother’s day. *eyeroll* every woman should know how to change a tire, and how to at least identify what sort of oil her car takes and where it is poured into the engine. those things are necessary!
oh, and the previous year for christmas, that hubby bought me an emergency flasher kit that also had an air compressor to inflate tires, plus a set of jumper cables. i was THRILLED. it showed me how much he cared about my safety, since i drove 50 miles a day to work and back. *hugs and hugs* i am glad you are safe, and your hubby is wonderful!
Melinda
January 20, 2016 at 1:09 am (9 years ago)Pretty sure I could post a blog about noticing this recipe and then trying to pin it but losing it and coming to your website and digging through pages of blogs since, with more fabulous looking recipes, all to find this one! I am definitely surprising my husband with this treat tomorrow as he loves lemon and anything cooked in cast iron. Thanks! (Maybe a search function on your website? )
Julie Ruble
January 20, 2016 at 7:06 am (9 years ago)The search bar is on the right sidebar. 🙂 Enjoy!