Piece of cake: Raspberry Lemon Curd Cake

No really, I swear it really was a piece of cake to make! So maybe it wasn't my finest decorating job, but it was tasty ! I hummed and hawed over what kind of cake to make for my friends birthday, chocolate cake? nahh, too original..chocolate cardamom cake with cream cheese icing? a little too out there...maybe its my obsession with all things lemon right now that I settled on a lemon curd filling with fresh raspberries sandwiched between two nice fluffy layers of sponge cake topped with whipped cream...sweet, tart and satisfying.
Sponge cake
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8 inch cake pans by buttering and flouring pans then putting parchment paper circles on the bottom of each pan
2.Sift together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt
3.Beat egg whites until frothy, gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form
4.Combine egg yolks, water, vanilla, slowly incorporate dry ingredients into this mixture. Beat until thick and lemon colored
5. Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture and place into prepared pans
6.Bake for 45 min or until toothpick comes out clean

Lemon Curd
(adapted from Donna Hays modern classics cookbook)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
200 g butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 egg yolks

1.Place lemon juice and butter in a saucepan. When butter is melted add sugar, eggs and egg yolks.
2.Stir constantly over medium-low heat until mixture thickens (8-10 min)

Whipped cream
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups fresh raspberries
mint (to garnish)

1.Whip cream, add vanilla and slowly adding in icing sugar until soft peaks form.

To assemble:
1.Peel parchment off bottom of one of the cakes, place enough lemon curd to cover the center of the cake and 2 cups of raspberries on top of curd
2.Flip the second cake over so the parchment side faces up, place on top
3.Cover with whip cream and garnish with more raspberries and mint