RASPBERRY LACED WEDDING CAKE

By Vanetta

Ingredients

• Raspberry Glaze Ingredients:
• 12 (1 1/2 cups) egg whites
• 3 1/3 cups sugar
• 6 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups cold water
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon raspberry-flavored liqueur, if desired
• 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons raspberry-flavored liqueur, if desired
• 4 drops red food color
• Frosting Ingredients:
• 1 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
• 12 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon peel
• Fresh cut flowers, if desired

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat egg whites at high speed in large bowl, scraping bowl often, until soft peaks form. Continue beating, gradually adding 1 1/3 cups sugar, until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Stir together remaining 2 cups sugar, cake flour, baking powder and salt in another large bowl. Stir in 3 cups water and all remaining cake ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Pour batter into 8-quart bowl; gently stir in egg whites. Gradually and gently, stir in remaining 1 cup water. Lightly spray bottoms of two (10-inch) round and two (8-inch) round professional cake pans with no-stick cooking spray. Pour about 6 cups batter into each 10-inch prepared pan and about 4 cups batter into each 8-inch prepared pan. Tap pans on counter top 2 to 3 times to remove air bubbles from batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. (If necessary, rotate pans in oven for even browning.) Let cakes stand 10 minutes; remove from pans. Brush all browned crumbs from surfaces of cake with fingertips. Cool completely on cooling racks. Decorate or wrap tightly in plastic food wrap; freeze up to 5 days.
Soften gelatin in small bowl in 3 tablespoons water. Stir together softened gelatin and all remaining glaze ingredients in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until gelatin is dissolved (3 to 4 minutes). Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until gelatin mounds with a spoon (30 to 60 minutes). Beat shortening and butter in large bowl at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Continue beating, gradually adding powdered sugar alternately with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons lemon peel, until fluffy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, if necessary, to reach desired spreading consistency. Place one (10-inch) layer on 10-inch cake cardboard round, bottom-side up. Spread with thin, smooth layer of frosting; top with thin layer of raspberry glaze to within 1/2-inch of edge of cake. Refrigerate until slightly set (30 minutes). Meanwhile, Place one (8-inch) layer on 8-inch cake cardboard round, bottom-side up. Spread with thin, smooth layer of frosting; top with thin layer of raspberry glaze. Refrigerate until set (30 minutes). Place remaining cake layers, top-side up, on matching bottom layer. Frost sides and top of each cake. Spread so frosting is smooth. (If necessary, dip metal spatula into water, spread over cake to smooth frosting.) Place some of remaining frosting in pastry bag with ribbon decorating tip; pipe 1/2-inch ribbons around outer edge of 8-inch cake and across top of cake to form decorative lines. Change decorating tip; pipe tiny dots or “V” design on decorative ribbons. To assemble, remove from cake rounds. Place 10-inch cake on large platter or tiered cake stand. Center 8-inch cake on top of 10-inch cake. Place remaining frosting in pastry bags with choice of decorating tips. Pipe tiny dots to form “V's” on sides of each cake or decorate as desired. Decorate with groupings of raspberries and mint leaves. Place fresh cut flowers on top of and around cake, if desired.