Mixed Berry Chiffon Cake With Almond Cream Cheese Frosting Food

MIXED-BERRY CHIFFON CAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For almond cream filling:
• Pour half and half into medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes. Blend sugar and flour in medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, then warm half and half mixture; return to same pan. Add almond paste. Whisk over medium heat until almond paste dissolves and custard boils, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Press plastic wrap onto custard; chill 3 hours. Remove vanilla bean. Beat cream to peaks; fold into custard in 3 additions. Cover; chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup lukewarm water into dry ingredients; beat in oil, egg yolks, both extracts, and peel. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Measure 4 2/3 cups batter into 1 prepared pan and 3 1/3 cups batter into second pan.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for thinner cake and 30 minutes for larger cake. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Place thinner cake on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Chill until filling is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut larger cake horizontally in half. Place 1 half, cut side down, atop chilled filling. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down . Cover cake and remaining filling; chill 3 hours.
• For almond cream cheese frosting:
• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and both extracts in large bowl to blend. Beat in 3/4 cup remaining filling. Spread 1 cup frosting thinly over sides and top of cake. Spread cake with remaining frosting, building high rim around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.)
• Mound berries on top of cake. Brush top of berries with warm jelly to glaze. Serve immediately, or chill up to 6 hours.

CREAM CHEESE AND BERRY CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spray 9-loaf-cup baking pan with cooking spray; sprinkle lightly with flour.
• In medium bowl, sift together 1 cup flour, the salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until creamy. Add half of the 1 cup granulated sugar in 2 stages, beating on medium speed about 2 minutes after each addition until butter and sugar are pale and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, one at a time, beating well and scraping side of bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla just until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into butter mixture until combined.
• In medium bowl, toss 1 tablespoon flour with berries. Fold flour-coated berries into batter. Let berries stand while making cream cheese mixture.
• In clean large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat until well combined. Beat in 1 egg, scraping side of bowl. Beat in 1 tablespoon flour.
• Divide Pound Cake batter evenly among loaf cups. Divide Cream Cheese Mixture evenly over batter in cups. Using butter knife or off-set spatula, gently make a few strokes through batter for a subtle swirl; smooth tops.
• Bake in center of oven 25 to 30 minutes or until cakes are golden brown around edges and toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan on cooling rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out of pan onto cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cakes can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Wash a 10 inch angel food tube pan in hot soapy water to ensure it is totally grease free.
• Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into sifter. Sift into bowl. Make a well; add oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon flavoring to the well in the order that is given. Set aside. Don't beat.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff. Set aside.
• Using same beaters, beat egg yolk batter until smooth and light. Pour gradually over egg whites, folding in with rubber spatula. Do not stir. Pour batter into angel food tube pan.
• Bake for 55 minutes. Increase heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake 10 to 15 minutes until done. Invert pan until cool.

MIXED-BERRY CHIFFON CAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For almond cream filling: Pour half and half into medium saucepan.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring cream to simmer.
• Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes.
• Blend sugar and flour in medium bowl.
• Whisk in eggs, then warm half and half mixture; return to same pan.
• Add almond paste.
• Whisk over medium heat until almond paste dissolves and custard boils, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add white chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth.
• Press plastic wrap onto custard; chill 3 hours.
• Remove vanilla bean.
• Beat cream to peaks; fold into custard in 3 additions.
• Cover; chill at least 6 hours.
• (This part can be done 2 days in advance--keep chilled.) For cake: Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
• Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup lukewarm water into dry ingredients; beat in oil, egg yolks, both extracts, and peel.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• Fold whites into batter in 3 additions.
• Measure 4 2/3 cups batter into 1 prepared pan and 3 1/3 cups batter into second pan.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for thinner cake and 30 minutes for larger cake.
• Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes.
• Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Place thinner cake on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom.
• Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly.
• Chill until filling is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut larger cake horizontally in half.
• Place 1 half, cut side down, atop chilled filling.
• Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly.
• Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.
• Cover cake and remaining filling; chill 3 hours.
• For almond cream cheese frosting:.
• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and both extracts in large bowl to blend.
• Beat in 3/4 cup remaining filling.
• Spread 1 cup frosting thinly over sides and top of cake.
• Spread cake with remaining frosting, building high rim around top edge.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.).
• Mound berries on top of cake.
• Brush top of berries with warm jelly to glaze.
• Serve immediately, or chill up to 6 hours.