For the Cake:

1. Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk milk and vanilla in a bowl; set aside.
3. Cream butter, sugar, zest, and juice together. One by one, add the eggs, beating well each time.
4. Alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches, and wet ingredients in 2 batches. (If you’re using an electric mixer, be sure to initially drop to a low speed for this… unless you like a messy kitchen. Which is totally cool. It’s your kitchen, after all!). Beat until batter is smooth.
5. Divide batter equally between cake pans. Tap pans lightly on a solid surface to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
6. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; remove, and allow to cool completely (ideally on a wire rack).

For the Lemon Curd:

1. Whisk sugar, zest, juice, and eggs in a saucepan until smooth.
2. Place over medium heat; cook, stirring the mixture until it thickens to a consistency similar to that of a watery pudding (approx.10 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in butter until melted and smooth.
4. Pour curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar; chill until ready to use.

For The White Chocolate Swiss Buttercream:

1. Place sugar and egg whites in a bowl, over a pot of simmering water; stir mixture until egg whites register 140° on an instant-read thermometer.
2. Remove bowl from double boiler; beat on high speed until meringue stiff peaks form. Gently mix in softened butter to meringue; beat until smooth. Stir in white chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt.

To Assemble:

1. Place one cake layer, curved side down on a cake stand and spread with ½ cup lemon curd; place top layer curved side up. Use the white chocolate buttercream to ice the cake as you please using a cake spatula (or a large spoon if your kitchen is as bare bones as mine!), and a piping bag if needed.
2. Garnish the top of the cake with fresh raspberries.
3. Refrigerate to allow the icing to set (about 45 minutes). Serve at room temperature.