📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. This is a really important step; don't skip it, or you'll have a cake-sticking disaster on your hands!
2. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter and 1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Take your time with this step. A well-creamed batter is key to a moist and tender cake. Trust me on this one.
3. Beat in 4 large eggs one at a time. Then, beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mmm, vanilla... already smells amazing!
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Sift it all together for a smoother texture. I use a fine-mesh sieve, but if you don't have one, no biggie.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix, just until everything is incorporated. Overmixing is a common mistake, so be careful here!
6. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of lemon juice and the zest of 2 lemons. I always love zesting my own lemons, it's so fresh and fragrant.
7. Gently fold in the lemon mixture and 1 cup of fresh raspberries into the batter. Be gentle! You don't want to smash all the raspberries.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Make sure there are no big air bubbles.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The edges should be golden brown and a little set.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Be patient; a completely cooled cake is much easier to frost (if you choose to).
11. Once completely cooled, you can frost with your favorite frosting. Or, just dust it with powdered sugar, which looks beautiful and is super simple!