Almond Raspberry Cake

Another week, another birthday! I told you all it’s a happy time of the year. Because you all know how much I love celebrating with fun people. Really, if I could make it a full time gig (well maybe with a bit of time to cook) I would!

But the difference between this one and the week before? This one is a REALLY BIG DEAL! Because someone I know might be 20 + 10 in 2010! Cue the parade, we’ve got a 30th birthday in the house!

Well, I wanted the parade, but the birthday girl did not. So instead, she agreed to let me make her a cake and I agreed not to have the parade show. Not that the restaurant would have allowed it (or the cake) in anyways. So it probably just worked out better this way!

I wanted to recreate one of Elizabeth’s all time favorites–an almond raspberry layer cake with a meringue buttercream. Luckily, my go to layer cake source, the always fantastic Sky High had a PERFECT recipe for a delicate white cake with a really big almond flavor. Thanks to the addition of almond paste–which as an aside, might be the single most dangerous ingredient I’ve ever worked with, since I could literally eat it from the can with a spoon!–there was nothing subtle about the almond in this cake, and it married perfectly with the raspberry filling and almond meringue buttercream. The birthday girl declared it delicious and we all had a happy night indeed.

Almond Raspberry Cake
Adapted from Sky High

The original recipe from Sky High, which I’ve printed below, makes a three layer 8 or 9 inch cake. Since we had a relatively small group celebrating, and Elizabeth didn’t want a whole half a cake to eat by herself afterwards, I instead halved the recipe to make three 6 inch layers. This halving of an 8 or 9 inch recipe works perfectly for six inch rounds, and normally leaves just enough batter to make a cupcake or two–or maybe this adorable micro bundt! Whichever size you decide to make, this cake will leave all of the almond lovers in your life happy, and maybe convert a few non-almond lovers too.

Ingredients:

For Cake:

4 1/2 cups cake flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup prepared almond paste (7 ounces)
2 2/3 cups sugar
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon almond extract
10 egg whites
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)

For icing:

1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites
3 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottom of each pan with parchment.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium/large bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until combined. Add almond paste in small pieces. Once all paste is added, increase speed of mixer and mix until there are no large visible chunks of almond paste (this took just about 4 minutes in my mixer). The mixture will be very light and fluffy.

Mix in the almond extract, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides after each addition.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Dust about a third of the dry ingredients over the batter and fold in with a large rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in about half the milk. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, fold in the last of the dry ingredients just until no streaks of white remain. Use a light hand and do not overmix. Divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester stuck into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out on to wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners and let them cool completely, about one hour.

While the cake is cooling, make your icing. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of a small saucepan. Add the sugar and the water to the saucepan and turn on the stove to medium. Allow the mixture to boil, without stirring it, until it reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees). In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium until they’re frothy. Continue beating while gradually adding the hot syrup in a slow stream (try to avoid the beaters so you don’t splatter!). When all of the syrup is in, increase the speed of the mixer to high and beat until the icing is very fluffy and the outside of the bowl no longer feels hot to the touch. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time. If it looks like the mixture is curdling, don’t panic, just keep whipping! After the mixture looks like icing, add the almond extract and mix until just combined.

To assemble: Place one layer flat side up on a cake stand or serving plate. Pipe a border of icing around the the edge of the cake, which will serve as your barrier to keep the filling inside! Spread 1/2 cup of the raspberry preserves over the cake, right up to the icing border. Repeat with the second layer, using remaining preserves. Add the third layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with icing. If you have any extra icing, using a decorating tip to pipe a border or a large number (say 30?) on top of the cake.

And let me just say it again since today is the actual day–HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH!

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