I wanted to prepare a dessert that I could enjoy with a cup of tea while staring out into the city, quietly judging everyone. For some reason, I like to do that. I don’t know why. I guess being an 100% Judging type per Myers-Briggs does that for you. But being a judgmental bitch aside, let’s talk about the cake. For this cake, we have a bee pollen-honey cake, which I baked into half spheres, just because I wanted the shape to almost mimic the raspberry that will be sitting on top of it. I later realized after actually plating it that it sort of looks like a really weird boob, and I apologize if you are offended by that. Whoops. The filling is a raspberry-Meyer lemon curd. I topped the cake with a simple glazed raspberry and a honey chantilly cream, because it was a Thursday, and I had work the following day not all of my recipes have to be super complex.

For the cake:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bee pollen
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons milk
a pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

Whip together the honey and butter. Loosen the mixture with the milk. Combine in other ingredients and mix until cohesive. Bake in silicone half dome molds at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before unmolding.

For the raspberry lemon curd:
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup water
juice and zest from 1 Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
a pinch of salt

Combine egg yolk, cornstarch, and honey. Reduce raspberries, water, lemon juice, and zest over high heat. Once the mixture is reduced by half, strain out the solids and temper the liquid into the egg-honey mixture. Put back over heat and whip until the mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove and add in the butter. Mix. Strain again and allow to chill down completely before using.

For the chantilly:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Whip into stiff peaks and transfer to a piping bag.

For the simple syrup
2 tablespoons mizuame
1 tablespoon water
a pinch of salt

Literally just mix together.

For assembly:
Fresh raspberries

Core out the cakes and add in the curd. Pipe the cream around the hole and place a raspberry in the center.