Chef's Notes

This is an delightfully delicious but not too sweet cake made with fresh berries! The recipe is from joy the baker http://joythebaker.com/2013/04/sweet-berry-lime-cake/, the icing is from Martha Stewart fhttp://www.marthastewart.com/344570/cream-cheese-frosting and the decorating idea was from Lisa Hubbard http://www.lisahubbard.com/photos/portfolio/food/#119

Directions

For the Cake:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8" round pans. Set aside. Also, pull out your butter and cream cheese to bring to room temperature while the cake is baking.
2. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and lime zest. Using your fingers, or the back of a spoon, rub the zest into the sugar, releasing the essential oils in the zest. The sugar will be lime scented.
3. In a large bowl, combine lime sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, buttermilk and lime juice.
4. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until all of the dry ingredients are moistened and the mixture is thoroughly combined. The batter will be fairly thick, but no lumps should remain. Add the fresh berries and gently fold in until evenly distributed through the batter.
5. Spoon the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When your cake is cool whip up the icing:
1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.

Putting the cake together and decorating it:
1. cut the rounded tops off the two cakes (nibble nibble :) yum yum!)
2. place one cake on a cake stand or plate and ice the top.
3. Place the other cake top down on the first one so the two tops are touching and none of the inside part of the cake is showing. Ice the whole cake.
4. Randomly place raspberries all over the top and sides of the cake (they will stick really well!) Then position 5-6 almond pieces around each berrie.
5. Go back and fill in wholes with blueberries and repeat the almonds.

Enjoy!