White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

The brother turns 18 tomorrow! I am so old. We ended up celebrating today because I'll be OTR tomorrow. We went to The Garage for lunch. Which, if you're in Edmond and want a burger, is definitely the place to go. I love their turkey burgers. And sweet potato fries. I was feeling adventurous today, so I got the new "Sticky Fingers" burger, which has peanut butter, bacon, colby jack, and sweet jalapeño relish. I wasn't sure about how it would taste, but I LOVE peanut butter...so I went for it. Great decision. New favorite. 

He told me a few months ago that he wanted some kind of white cake with a raspberry filling and white chocolate. And I made fun of him for wanting a girly cake. He has a thing for girly cakes. For one of his previous birthdays he wanted a legit strawberry cake, so I made Bobby's Lighter Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake. Great cake. Also very pink. So, I laughed because I had planned to do some kind of manly Dr. Pepper cake, but no, he wanted a white cake with raspberries. Bless his heart. I have been trying to decide how I would pull this off for months. Literally, I live for birthdays so I can make cake. My Pinterest feed had been full with white almond sour cream (WASC) cake, which involves taking a white cake box mix and adding stuff to make it taste like wedding cake. But I'm in this anti-box-mix phase because I like to avoid additives and preservatives and artificial whatever. I ended up finding a recipe for homemade white cake mix from Chickens In The Road. So, I took that and added the extra stuff for the WASC wedding cake, except I changed a couple things...don't tell...he liked it. What I came up with: three delectable layers of white cake, separated by raspberry laced white chocolate, smothered with a perfectly sweet and fluffy white chocolate buttercream frosting, and topped with fresh tart raspberries.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

For the Cake:
3 3/4 cups plus 2 TBSP cake flour
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup non-fat dried milk (like the kind by Organic Valley)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted but not hot
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup Fage Total Greek Yogurt
4 large egg whites

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare 3 8" round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix on medium for about 2 minutes.
• Pour into greased and floured cake pans.
• Tap the pans gently on the counter to bring the air bubbles to the top.
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the Filling:
Seedless raspberry jam (from your local natural food store)
3-6 oz Velata premium white chocolate
1-2 heaping spoonfuls Fage Total Greek Yogurt

• In a small bowl, microwave the Velata in 30 second intervals until melted. Cool slightly.
• Combine yogurt with the Velata and mix.
• When the cake has cooled, spoon raspberry jam on the top of the bottom layer and spread evenly. Top with half the Velata/yogurt mixture. 
• Place the middle cake layer on top, securing with toothpicks, and repeat.
• Place the top cake layer on and secure with toothpicks.

For the Frosting:
6 oz Velata premium white chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 plus cups of powdered sugar
1/4 cup Fage Total Greek Yogurt 
1/4 tsp vanilla
A pinch of salt

• Melt the Velata in the microwave (directions on pouch); set aside.
• Cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt.
• Add in the chocolate and beat.
• Fold in the yogurt, and then beat the frosting on high for about 5 minutes. It should be nice and fluffy!
• Do a thin layer of dirty frosting over the entire cake. Place the cake in the fridge until the frosting hardens.
• Use the rest of the frosting to make it pretty!
• Top with fresh raspberries!