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Lemon, Almond & Raspberry Layer Cake
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Lemon, Almond & Raspberry Layer Cake
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
 
Recipe adapted from The Caker
Servings: 10 -12
Author: Claudia Brick
Ingredients
Cake
  • 300 g butter , softened
  • 300 g caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 6 eggs
  • 300 g ground almonds
  • 75 g flour (or buckwheat flour to make gluten free), sifted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Icing
  • 225 g butter , softened
  • 375 g icing sugar , sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 150 g cream cheese
  • zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Pink Chocolate Ganache
  • 1/3 cup cream
  • 120 g white chocolate , chopped finely
  • a few drops pink gel food colouring (it needs to be gel as water-based colouring messes with the thickness and consistency of the ganache).
To Decorate: flowers of choice
Instructions
Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 3 x 15cm round cake tins with baking paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand beater or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  3. Fold in the ground almonds, sifted flour and baking powder.
  4. Fold in the lemon zest and juice.
  5. Divide the batter equally between the three tins, and dot the top of each with raspberries.
  6. Bake for 25-35minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out just clean.
  7. Remove and leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then remove to a cake rack to cool completely.
To make the cream cheese buttercream:
  1. Beat the butter with an electric or stand mixer until very pale, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the icing sugar and beat again until combined and very pale, another 5 minutes.
  3. Add the vanilla extract.
  4. With the mixture on a medium speed, gradually add the cream cheese, teaspoon by teaspoon, until just combined.
  5. Add the lemon zest and mix to just combine (optional)
To make the ganache
  1. Put the finely chopped white chcolate in a bowl.
  2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just reaches boiling point.
  3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave for 3-4 minutes. Stir with a fork to combine to make a silky ganache (if the chocolate hasn’t quite melted, carefully microwave for 5-10 seconds and stir again).
  4. Add the pink gel food colouring, a little bit at a time, until the ganache reaches the colour you want.
To assemble
  1. Place one cake layer on the plate, cakeboard or cake stand you plan to serve it on.
  2. Top with a spoonful of cream cheese buttercream and use an offset spatula to spread evenly over the cake at about 1/2 cm - 1 cm thick. (I try to get on eye level to make sure the icing is level, as this is key to a straight cake!). See photos above as a guide to icing thickness.
  3. Gently place a second cake on top. Repeat with the icing, then another cake layer, then icing again. If it is warm in your kitchen, at this point you may want to place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes to make it easier to ice the sides.
  4. Gently spread icing around the sides of the cake. I use an offset spatula as I find this makes it easier to get a smooth layer. It may take a little bit of patience to get it even and smooth.
  5. To drip the pink chocolate ganache down the cake, use a small teaspoon and do a trial drip to check the consistency of the ganache. Gently spoon ganache onto the edge of the cake and nudge over the side - the ganache should run down the side of the cake slowly, and stop before the bottom. If it is too thick, quickly microwave for 10 seconds and stir again. Continue adding drips around the side of the cake. Carefully fill in the top of the cake with the remaining pink ganache, smoothing the surface.
  6. If it is summer/warm, refrigerate for another 30 minutes to set the cake together.
  7. Decorate with edible flowers and serve.