Let’s create this bright and beautiful Lemon Raspberry Cake! First, prepare the oven and pans. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by cutting parchment paper circles to fit the bottoms. Spray the pans (bottom and sides) generously with nonstick cooking spray, place the parchment circles in the bottoms, and spray the parchment paper again. Thorough preparation prevents sticking. Set pans aside.

Begin the cake batter. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, packed light brown sugar, fresh lemon zest, optional lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed for a full 5 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Don’t cut this time short; proper creaming incorporates air essential for a light, fluffy cake. The mixture should look significantly lighter in color and fluffier.

Add the room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating well (for about 30 seconds) after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again. Set this wet mixture aside briefly.

In a separate medium or large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking well ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed just until barely combined – you should still see dry streaks and lumps. Turn the mixer off.

Add the room temperature whole milk, room temperature sour cream, and fresh lemon juice to the bowl all at once. Now, using a large rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold these liquids into the batter. Start from the bottom and fold up and over, rotating the bowl, until everything is just incorporated. Be very careful not to overmix; stop as soon as you no longer see big streaks of flour or liquid. A few small lumps might remain, which is fine. Overmixing will result in a tough, dense cake. Set the batter aside.

In another small bowl, gently toss the fresh or frozen (do not thaw!) raspberries with the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour until lightly coated. Add these flour-coated raspberries, along with any excess flour in the bowl, to the prepared cake batter. Use your rubber spatula to gently fold the raspberries into the batter, using just a few strokes until they are reasonably distributed. Again, minimal mixing is crucial here to avoid crushing the berries and overmixing the batter.

Divide the finished batter evenly between the two prepared 9-inch cake pans. Smooth the tops gently with your offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The cakes are done when the tops feel firm to a light touch, appear slightly golden, and a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist (but not wet) crumbs attached.

Let the baked cakes cool in their pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then, carefully run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edges to loosen them. Gently invert the cakes onto the cooling racks, peel off the parchment paper liners, and let them cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

While the cakes cool, prepare the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Ensure your cream cheese and butter are slightly softened but still cool (not warm or greasy). In a large bowl using an electric mixer (or stand mixer with paddle), beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for about 3 minutes until completely smooth, light, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently to ensure no lumps remain.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, about one cup at a time, mixing until just incorporated after each addition. Once all the sugar is added, add the fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, optional lemon extract, and salt. Mix on low until combined. Increase the speed back to medium and beat for about 2 minutes until creamy. Add the room temperature sour cream and continue beating on medium or medium-high speed for another 2-3 minutes until the frosting is very light, smooth, and fluffy. Check the consistency: if too thick, beat in a tiny bit more sour cream (1 tsp at a time); if too thin (unlikely if ingredients were cool), beat in a bit more sifted confectioners’ sugar (1 Tbsp at a time).

Assemble the completely cooled cake. Place one cake layer, flat side up, on your serving plate or cake stand. Spread about half of the lemon cream cheese frosting evenly over this layer. Gently spread the 1/2 cup of raspberry preserves evenly over the frosting layer – it’s okay if they swirl together slightly.

Carefully place the second cake layer on top, flat side down. Press down very gently. Place this semi-assembled cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to firm up slightly; this helps prevent sliding when frosting the sides. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with your offset spatula. Place the fully frosted cake back in the refrigerator for at least another 20 minutes to allow the frosting to set before decorating and slicing.

Decorate the chilled cake with fresh raspberries and thin lemon slices just before serving. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.