Vanilla Purple Cake with Lemon Buttercream

INGREDIENTS:

• Vanilla Purple Cake:

*3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans

*4½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

*1½ tablespoon baking powder

*1 teaspoon salt

*2½ cups sugar

*6 large eggs, at room temperature

*2 vanilla beans, seeds only

*1½ cup heavy cream

*15 drops purple food gel color, you can use more or less, depending in the color you want to achieve

• Lemon Buttercream:

*½ cup butter, softened

*4½ cups confectioners' sugar

*1 tablespoon lemon zest

*6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

*1 vanilla bean, seeds only pint of fresh blackberries

making:

1    1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2- Butter a half sheet pan ( 18"x13"x1") and line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper and dust the pan with a little flour, tapping out the excess.

3- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

4- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla seeds and gel food coloring.

5- On low speed, start beating in the flour mixture into the butter in 3 batches, alternating with the heavy cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until just smooth. Add more food gel color if needed for the desired color.

6- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until the cake is lightly golden on top and the center springs back when pressed, 30 - 40 minutes.

7- Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, after that, with the help of the parchment paper, slide the cake from the pan, to the counter to cool completely.

8- Once completely cooled, trim the top of the cake with a long serrated knife or a cake leveler to make it even. Trim the sides of the cake.

9- Using a stainless steel square form, cut the cake into mini cakes and set aside.

Lemon Buttercream:

10- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest,

11- vanilla bean seeds and lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency. Yields about 3 cups.

Assemble:

12- Pipe lemon frosting over a layer of cake, top with another layer of cake, followed by the last (top layer) of lemon frosting and decorate with fresh blackberries. Repeat with the remaining cakes.

13- Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.