Raspberry Mango Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, freeze dried raspberry powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and oil and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (about 3mins). Reduce speed and add egg whites one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.

Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Add color gel if desired.

Bake for 40-45mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack.

Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**

Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.

Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).

Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.***

Remove 2 cups of buttercream and color it pink. You can also add some freeze-dried raspberry powder to this if you like. Set aside.

Add freeze-dried mango powder to the remaining buttercream and whip until smooth. Add color gel to achieve desired color.

Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of the mango buttercream. Press some slices raspberries into the frosting if desired. Repeat with remaining layers and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.

Combine some of the pink and mango buttercream to make a third color (about 1/2 cup each or as desired).

Starting with the bottom and the pink color, spread roughly onto bottom third of cake with a small offset spatula.

Clean spatula and do the same with the combined raspberry/mango buttercream on the middle section.

Clean spatula add the remaining mango buttercream to the top of the cake and upper third. Try to ensure all sections of frosting have the same amount of thickness.

Take a bench scraper or a large offset spatula and smooth the sides and blend colors. Use a small offset spatula to create a swirl pattern on the sides and top.

Decorate with fresh and/or freeze-dried raspberries if desired.