Almond Cake With Raspberry Buttercream Food

RASPBERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, spray the parchment, and set pans aside.
• Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds, until very creamy. With mixer still on medium speed, add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Continue beating until very well combined.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract, baking powder, and salt and beat to combine.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again. Turn mixer to low and beat in half of the flour, followed by half of the milk. Mix until just incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in the remaining flour and remaining milk until just combined.
• Divide batter between the prepared cake pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
• Cool in pans for 20 minutes then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Run a knife around the edge of the pans a couple times to loosen the cake layers first.)
• Cool cake layers to room temperature before filling and frosting.
• Puree the berries in a blender or food processor. Pour into a small saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
• Turn heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until puree reduces by about half (8 or 9 minutes). You'll have about a 1/2 cup of puree.
• Remove from heat and transfer a scant 1/4 cup of the puree into a small bowl.
• Pour the rest into a second bowl through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Use a rubber spatula to press the puree through the sieve, extracting as much of the raspberry juices as possible. (This is what you'll use in the frosting.)
• Set both bowls aside to cool to room temperature.
• Once puree is cool, place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very smooth.
• Add the seedless puree, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and the salt and beat to combine. (Depending on how sweet your berries are, you may want to add a little more salt than this recipe calls for.)
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then turn mixer to medium and beat until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin. If frosting is too thick, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.
• If your cake layers have domed, use a long serrated knife to trim them.
• Set 1 cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle and spread the puree (with seedon top, without going all the way to the edge of the cake. Top with the second cake layer.
• Frost the top and outside of the cake with the frosting and decorate as desired. Slice and serve.

ALMOND CAKE WITH KEY LIME BUTTERCREAM AND RASPBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• For the almond cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line with parchment.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, fully combining before each addition. Keep mixing until light and pale. Add the almond meal and mix to combine.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder to combine. Set aside.
• Combine the evaporated milk and almond liqueur. Set aside.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding one-third of the flour mixture and one-half of the evaporated milk mixture to the creamed butter. Start and end with the flour, and do not overmix.
• With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Gently fold into the batter.
• Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops are golden and spring back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let cool for about 5 minutes, then run a paring knife or mini offset spatula around the pans and unmold the cakes onto a rack. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the almond liqueur simple syrup: Whisk the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the burner and let cool for about 20 minutes
• Once cooled, stir in almond liqueur. Reserve.
• For the key lime buttercream: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and then add the lime juice and zest. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 5 minutes, until satiny and fluffy. Reserve.
• For the raspberry compote: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, blackberries, sugar, water and lime juice. Cook until you can start to crush the berries with the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Cook for another 5 minutes to thicken a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• To assemble: Slice each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Place the first layer, cut-side up, on a cake board. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface with about 3 tablespoons of the almond syrup.
• Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip and pipe a border around the edge of the cake.
• With a mini offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream in the center of the cake layer. Then, staying inside the piped border, spread a thin layer of the raspberry compote on top of the buttercream.
• Place another cake layer, cut-side up, on top. Repeat with the rest of the layers.
• To decorate the top of the cake: Pipe a border of buttercream beads around the edge and then spread with a thin layer of buttercream. Top with blackberries, raspberries, and white chocolate decorations if using. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and enjoy.