Preparing the Cake

Step 1: Preheat and Prepare 🌡️

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and positioning a rack in the center. Take three 6-inch cake pans and ensure the bottoms are well-coated with non-stick baking spray. 🍰

Step 2: Infuse the Sugar with Fragrance 🌿🍬

• Measure the sugar into a bowl, and with a touch of aromatic finesse, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod. Work these seeds into the sugar with your fingers, creating an evenly fragrant blend that's a feast for the senses. 🍃✨

Step 3: Unifying the Dry Elements 🍪🧁

• Set a fine mesh sifter over the sugar bowl and sift in the cake flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Stirring with a whisk, effortlessly combine these dry elements, crafting a harmonious foundation. 🥮🌟

Step 4: Merging the Wet Ingredients 🥚🥛

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, milk, lemon juice, melted butter, and a hint of oil. The aim is a smooth amalgamation that embodies both texture and flavor. 🥄🍋

Step 5: Bringing It All Together 🤝🎂

• Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet concoction, whisking with purpose until a charming camaraderie is established. The batter may bear a few lumps, which is just fine—exercise caution to avoid overmixing. With finesse, divide this creation among the awaiting cake pans, delivering a few gentle taps against the counter to liberate any sizable air bubbles. 🌈💫

Step 6: Baking the Promise 🕒👩‍🍳

• The cakes venture into the oven, embracing their baking destiny for about 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye out for that definitive sign—a cake tester or toothpick emerging pristine from the center, and the tops yielding under a gentle touch. 🕰️🍰

Step 7: Awaiting Transformation 🌬️🍃

• Gently usher the pans to a wire rack and drape them loosely with a clean kitchen towel. As patience prevails, allow the cakes to cool completely, inching closer to their eventual transformation. Once ready to embark on the frosting and assembly phase, liberate the cakes from their pans. If necessary, wield a sharp, non-serrated knife to level the cakes, offering a smooth canvas for the next enchanting layer. 🧽🎂

Crafting the Luscious Buttercream

Step 1: Smooth Beginnings 🧈🎵

• In the embrace of your stand mixer, adorned with the trusty paddle attachment, let the butter take center stage. Engage in a gentle dance, beating the butter for a modest minute, coaxing it into a state of smoothness. 🎶🧁

Step 2: Gradual Symphony of Sweetness 🎶🍬

• With the mixer's gentle hum as your backdrop, initiate a low-speed symphony. Introduce the powdered sugar in spoonfuls, followed by the graceful entry of meringue powder and a sprinkle of salt. Observe the transformation, as the ingredients merge into a resplendent mixture, thick and harmoniously combined. 🎵🍰

Step 3: Elevating with Vanilla 🌟🧁

• In a poetic crescendo, invite vanilla into the ensemble. Elevate the mixer's speed to a gentle medium, allowing the buttercream to whip and unfurl its charm for 4-5 minutes. During this ballet of flavors, tenderly graze the bowl's edges several times to ensure no hidden treasure goes unattended. 🍦✨

Layering the Delight: Assembly

Step 1: Creating a Foundation 🎨🍰

• Begin by placing one of the cake layers atop a sturdy cake board. With a sense of purpose, lavish the layer with a sumptuous coat of buttercream, aiming for a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Now, employing the back of a spoon or the gentle sweep of your icing spatula, embark on an artful endeavor. Thin the center of the buttercream, anointing it with a delicate touch that gives birth to a "well." Around this newfound well, craft a protective "dam" to lovingly cradle the upcoming raspberry jam infusion. 🎨🍓

Step 2: The Raspberry Symphony Unfolds 🎶🍇

• With a measure of flair, grace the well you've created with 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam. This is where the magic of raspberries joins the buttercream canvas. Crown this captivating ensemble with the second cake layer, setting the stage for a repeat performance. Relive the previous steps in this charming dance, as the cake layers intertwine with layers of flavor. 🎶🍰

Step 3: A Chill in the Air 🌬️❄️

• Before the final crescendo, let the cake take a leisurely sojourn in the refrigerator, embracing a 45-minute chill. During this brief interlude, the cake gathers its strength, poised to unveil its allure in full bloom. 🎂❄️

Step 4: Infusing Raspberry Whispers 🎶🍓

• In the wings, a transformation occurs as 1 1/4 cups of buttercream embrace a tablespoon of raspberry jam. Stirring with purpose, these elements fuse into a symphony that holds the promise of delightful contrasts. 🍬🎶

Step 5: The Culmination of Artistry 🎨🍰

• Gently yet assertively, spread a final layer of the enchanting vanilla buttercream over the cake's awaiting canvas. As the finale draws near, sweep the pink raspberry-infused buttercream along the sides of the cake, employing a bench scraper as your artistic tool. With this rhythmic motion, the cake's contours emerge pristine and resplendent. 🎨🍰

Step 6: A Flourish of Finale 🎉🍇

• To crown this masterpiece, honor the top of the cake with a flourish of fresh raspberries. In this final touch, the ensemble reaches its zenith, a delightful marriage of taste and aesthetics that's sure to captivate all who behold it. 🎉🍰