It has been so long since I have last posted. Things have been crazy in my life and I haven't had any time to bake or create any new content. I started nursing school in August and that has taken over my life! So many people told me how hard it would be and they weren't lying! I am on a break in between semesters so I thought that it would be perfect time to create a new post. My sister's birthday is in December and I have been wanting to make her something special for her birthday this year. I decided to make a extra fun cake that had a raspberry filling. I love raspberries and thought this would make the perfect filling for an extra yummy birthday cake. I was so happy that I did because the cake turned out amazing and this cake filling made all the difference.

Since I live in Southern California, we are able to get fresh raspberries in the middle of December. I even tried to find frozen raspberries but after two stores, I couldn't find any so I went with fresh. This recipe would work great with frozen raspberries and using fresh worked perfect as well. If you are using fresh, make sure to wash them really well and remove any leaves that are still in them. I also love adding the lemon juice and zest to this filling. I think it really balances the flavor and adds a little punch to this making it a little more tart which is just what you want for a cake filling to balance out the sweetness of the frosting.  
After you have cooked down the raspberries with the sugar you are really going to want to strain it. There is so much more pulp and seeds than you think there will be and you will want a smooth filling for your cake. The seeds and pulp will take away from the texture that you want and so I would really encourage you to not skip this step. I believe that it is one of the most important to get the filling that you want for your cake. When you are straining it, you will also need to use some force to get all the juice through the strainer. Use that spatula and really push it through the strainer until all you are left is the seedy pulp. There shouldn't be any liquid left in the strainer.

Next, you will want to add that cornstarch slurry to the filling. Adding the water to the cornstarch before adding it to the filling is very important so that you don't get clumps of cornstarch in your filling. No one wants to find a ball of cornstarch in their piece of cake so make sure you make that slurry before adding it to the filling. This will ensure a perfect, smooth consistency.  Also, if you have ever made a cake with a filling and had it ooze out between the layers, you will know why adding cornstarch is so important. You will really want to thicken this up so that is doesn't ooze out and make a mess everywhere. Speaking from someone who has had this happen to them, it is so annoying and frustrating. Adding the cornstarch will make it nice a thick so that you won't have a disaster on your hands!

Once you add the cornstarch and put it back on the heat, it will thicken up nicely. Just continue to stir the mixture while it is thickening up so that it doesn't burn on the bottom. After it is nice a thick, just remove it from the heat and place it in a glass bowl. I like to make my fillings a few days before I make my cake because it really allows those flavors to come together. It also gets nice a cool and thick which makes it much easier to assemble your cake. 

Once your filling is nice a cool you can pipe or spread it between the layers. It will hold it's shape and not ooze out the sides. I do add a layer of frosting around the edges of the filling when I fill my cakes but that is really just overboard for this filling. After the oozing nightmare that I experienced, I am extra cautious when it comes to filling a cake but with this filling, it is not even necessary! This filling will definitely take your cake to the next level and everyone will be so impressed with your baking skills. You don't even need to tell them how easy it is to make!