For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease your cake pans with cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
2. Assemble the dry team by mixing the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat lemon zest, sugar, and room temperature butter for 2-3 minutes until well creamed.
4. Add in lemon and vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds.
5. Whip egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. See details in my blog post for tips.
6. Alternate mixing the flour into the creamed butter and sugar mixture.
7. Gently fold in egg whites with a spatula.
8. Scoop batter into the cake pans (I had to use three 6 inch layer pans) and use a spatula or offset knife to even out the layers.
9. Bake 20 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Ensure the cake is fully cooled before frosting.

For the filling

1. Layer the cooled cakes with a generous layer of raspberry preserves and alternate. It helps to alternate the cakes facing up and down for stability.

For the frosting

1. Cool the cake thoroughly. Apply a generous amount of whipped cream topping or whipped frosting and cover the sides of the cake.
2. Garnish with raspberries and lemon zest.
3. Refrigerate before serving.