Sunday, August 4, 2013

Fresh Raspberry Cake


This cake was made in honor of my youngest sister's 21st birthday. Happy Birthday Jenny!! Her favorite flavor is raspberry and it just so happens raspberries are in season right now. That gives me a perfect excuse to make a cake. This is a delicious, from scratch moist white cake with almond and fresh raspberry flavor running throughout the layers. Then, frosted with the most delicious, fluffy, fresh raspberry buttercream icing. And did I mention there's raspberry pie filling in between the layers? Yummy!

Ingredients:

(recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's white raspberry cake)
For the cake
2 c. sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, divided
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries (8 ounces)
2/3 c. raspberry pie filling or seedless jam

for the frosting
6 cups powdered sugar
2 cups butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
2-4 Tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat three 8 inch round cake pans with butter then coat with flour set aside. Whisk together flour, salt, and 1/2 cup of sugar. In a separate bowl, combine cream, milk, baking powder, and egg whites. Whisk in vanilla, almond extract, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Fold in flour mixture. Fold in raspberries, then divide batter among pans. Bake until golden and top springs back when touched, about 25 minutes. (Each cake layer will be approximately 1/2 inch in height). Remove from oven; let cool completely on a wire rack. 

For the frosting:
Cream butter and sugar together until fully combined. Stir in vanilla, mix well. Stir in raspberry jam with spatula. If mixture is too thick add heavy cream in 1 Tablespoon amounts until desired consistency. 

Assembly:
Place cake layer on cake stand. Spread half the pie filling over top of cake layer, then spread a generous amount of frosting on top of filling and sandwich with another layer. Repeat this process until no cake layers remain. Swirl frosting over top and sides of cake. Decorate as desired. Enjoy!