Vanilla Cake with Kahlua Raspberry Buttercream

• 2¼ cups cake flour plus more for coating pans
• 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• Baking spray or butter for coating the pans
• Flour to dust the pans

Kahlua Raspberry Buttercream:

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Kahlua
• 16 ounces powdered sugar plus more, if needed
• 1/2 cup freeze-dried raspberries
• Whole milk or heavy cream a splash or two, if needed

Before Starting the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Spray two 9'' cake pans with baking spray or coat with butter. Sprinkle flour over each pan.

Start the Cake Batter:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix with a spoon to combine.
• Add the butter and use a hand mixer on the lowest setting to blend for 1 minute or until a grainy consistency has been reached.
• Add the vanilla and the milk and use the hand mixer for 1-2 minutes until combined and smooth. Do not over-mix.
• Add the first egg and mix for thirty seconds. Add the next egg and mix for 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and incorporate.

Bake the Cakes:

• Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes. Check the doneness with a toothpick and if it doesn't come out clean, bake for an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to set for 10-15 minutes.
• Carefully turn the cakes on to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour.

Prepare the Kahlua Raspberry Buttercream:

• Place the freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor and pulse until they reach a fine powder.
• Add the room temperature butter to a bowl and mix with a hand mixer for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and mix for 2 minutes more. Add the powdered sugar and mix for 3-5 minutes until well-combined and smooth.
• If the buttercream seems too stiff, add a splash of milk or heavy cream and mix until well-combined and smooth.

Frost the Cake:

• Place a cake on a stand and frost the top of it with 1/3 of the buttercream frosting and use a stainless steel icing spatula to create an even layer. Using a fine mesh sieve, add half the the raspberry powder to the top of the buttercream. (Adding through a fine mesh sieve allows you to avoid adding the seeds to the buttercream.)
• Place the second cake on top and add another 1/3 of the buttercream and smooth it out with an icing spatula. Using the icing spatula, frost the outside of the cake with the remaining 1/3 buttercream frosting.

  Note: Some people prefer to do a crumb coat but I skipped that because I wasn't too concerned about little pieces of cake in my frosting.
• Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the top of the cake with the rest of the powdered freeze-dried raspberries.