Chevron Cake + Chevron & Stache Party!

2013
80 Comments

Chevron & Stache Table via Sweetapolita

Something different today, friends! If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been recently, it’s been a whirlwind of chevron and staches in my kitchen for weeks. I’ve been preparing for Mary’s (my beloved sister-in-law) baby shower dessert table in honour of my soon-to-be-born nephew, and you know I loved every minute of this.

Chevron & Stache Dessert Table via Sweetapolita

image: Ted Sheppard

We celebrated this past Sunday at the lake, where the sun was shining and the house a buzz with Mary’s closest friends and family giddy with love and first-time-mom-to-be excitement. If ever there has been a woman meant to be a mom, it’s her, and we can’t wait to greet this cherished little man in May (and by greet I mean spoil beyond belief). And what better way to celebrate than with countless pounds of butter and sugar disguised as an array of little man mustaches and chevron cake?

Chevron & Stache Party via Sweetapolita

Mary loves blue of all shades, particularly turquoise, and she loves chevron. And her man loves all-things mustache, so it seemed like an obvious choice to embrace the recent trend of chevron and staches with a slight rustic twist, since the party was being held in cottage country. I did find some incredible inspiration (check out this unbelievable party) peppered all over Pinterest, so it wasn’t long before I found myself scribbling all sorts of dessert table details and sketches on paper.

I knew that a crisp graphic two-tier chevron cake was going to be part of the plan, so I spent a few weeks planning how I was going to execute that. I’ve never done a chevron cake, and I really wanted it to be super-clean and almost paper-like. Before we chat about chevron cake, I’d love to share a few photos from the rest of the dessert table:

Stache Cookies via Sweetapolita

I started with a big batch of mustache cookies using my favourite dark chocolate cookie recipe and my Fred and Friends Munchstaches Cookie Cutter/Stamps – I’ve been dying to use these! I also made a huge batch of salted chocolate chip cookies and saved a few scoops of the cookie dough to add to the cake filling. One of my new favourite buttercream variations, for certain.

Chevron & Stache Party via Sweetapolita

I made some lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd and topped with lemon frosting, along with some funfetti cupcakes and fondant-covered little man cookies.

Mustache Lollies via Sweetapolita

I couldn’t resist making some chocolate mustache lollies (my favourite ones are the “blonde” staches, for some unknown reason). I used candy melts this time, just for pure convenience really. They do yield a super-glossy and resilient stache!

Chevron & Stache Party via Sweetapolita

Cousin Leah made these adorable mustache cake pops, which were a big hit — especially with cakelet Neve who said these were her “most favourite thing on the party table.”

Chevron & Stache Party via Sweetapolita

Chevron & Stache Party via Sweetapolita

image: Ted Sheppard

I made a batch of cheesecake pops and topped them with some little mustache flags (I’m in love with these little flags!). I love cheesecake pops for a dessert table because you can make and freeze them ahead of time, I discovered. Since I couldn’t possibly make all of these treats at the last minute, it was important that I could do as much as possible in the weeks leading up to the party. I froze them in large plastic freezer bags, opened just a bit. I took them from freezer to fridge the day before the party and they held up so well during the travel and, most importantly, tasted fabulous.

Chevron Cake via Sweetapolita

image: Ted Sheppard

So, now let’s talk Chevron Cake! The cake was a 5-inch round atop an 8-inch round dark chocolate cake filled with cookie dough Italian Meringue buttercream and covered in vanilla buttercream, marshmallow fondant and finally chevron “panels” made from white and turquoise candy clay. A week or so before I started making the cake, I started looking for a chevron pattern I liked online, to use as a template — who knew there were so many, but the size of the chevron really does change the whole look of the cake. I knew I wanted it to be on the larger size because I liked the visual, but also because I wanted to apply the chevron pattern in panels, and I knew that if the pattern itself was too small there’d be more chance for misalignment — eek!

First I should say that the Candy Clay recipe is from the Wilton website, and I highly recommend it. Candy clay is essentially like a yummy playdough that boasts an amazing sheen, softens with the warmth of your hand, doesn’t dry out when exposed to air and cuts into shapes beautifully. It’s so easy to make (like scary easy) — it’s literally just melted candy melts and corn syrup stirred together — the corn syrup seizes the candy melts and, once it’s dried out a bit, you simply knead it into a modeling clay of sorts. And while you can’t cover a cake in it (it has no real stretch component), it’s amazing for decorating fondant-covered cakes. It doesn’t bend or distort like fondant does when you try to pick up small pieces or strips, making it ideal for this kind of a graphic design.

So I went with this pattern template, printed it out at 100% and then cut a section from it that would become my panel template (you could use any printable chevron pattern online or even chevron scrapbook paper). My cakes were 4.5″ high, so I cut the template piece at that height, one chevron wide. I decided to cut the chevron straight down the middle, resulting in two pieces, so essentially each panel was half of a chevron wide (1.75-inches). The circumference of my 8-inch cake was 26-inches, so I knew I needed 14 panels (26 divided by 1.75 = 14).

Using an awesome technique created by Jessica Harris, I simply placed waxed paper squares over the template paper (just a bit bigger than the template), applied a thin layer of shortening to the wax paper and lined up the bottom edges. I then placed strips of the candy clay (turquoise and white) along the lines of the template until it was covered, then trimmed the edges with a small sharp knife. I gently rubbed some shortening to the area of the cake where each panel would be applied, using a paper towel, and then carefully pressed each panel onto the cake, making sure each one was straight. Technically you could just do the turquoise (or colour of your choice) portion of the template, leaving the white as negative space, but I really wanted to fill in the white areas with white candy clay.

To ensure your pieces are all the same thickness (and to save you a lot of time and rolling), use a Pasta Machine at a nice thin setting to feed your rolled candy clay pieces through (it also works well for fondant and gumpaste too). I cut one “stripe” from a leftover piece of the template paper and used it to cut all of my chevron stripes with before placing on the wax paper.

In a perfect world, if your math is right, your panels should all line up, but remember that if each one is off even a tiny bit, then in the end you might end up with too much space or not enough for that last panel. (Trust me.) But, you can always have a “back” to the cake if you end up with an oopy with the final panel.

I made the cake topper by simply cutting five 1-inch patterned paper circles and threading them together and securing them to two skewers. I was inspired by this amazing cake, and it’s one of my favourite details!

And just in case you’re feeling the need to nestle your chevron cake among an array of other desserts, here’s a recap of the Chevron & Stache treats that were part of the party:

Chevron & Stache Dessert Table Menu: 

Party Detail Sources:

Little Man graphics (cupcake wrappers, signage, large table banner and cupcake toppers): thatpartygirl

Wooden Chevron & Mustache party forks: Sucre Shop

Mustache Flags (on cheesecake pops): Postscripts

Mustache Cookie Cutters: Fred and Friends Munchstaches Cookie Cutter/Stamps

Brown Parchment Cupcake Liners: Regency Tulip Baking Cups

Mustache Lolli Mold: Mustache Fun Face Lollipop Molds

Mustache Mold for Fondant Cookie Toppers: Accoutrements Mustache Ice Cube Tray

And that was that! (Exhale.)

I’ll see you soon with a super sun-shiney cake post. ♥

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Filed Under: Fondant Cakes Tagged With: , , ,

Raspberry Neapolitan Party Cake

2013
55 Comments

Raspberry Neapolitan Cake via Sweetapolita

Neapolitan is one of those words that makes me feel like a little girl the moment I hear it or think about it. And while I never actually ate Neapolitan cake as a child, I ate my fair share of Neapolitan ice cream (well, just the vanilla portion anyway). Chocolate and/or strawberry ice cream just wasn’t (and still isn’t) my thing, but I sure have fond memories of the visual — that big frozen block of tri-colour loveliness meant one thing and one thing only: a party (and where there was ice cream, there was usually cake).

And the thing is, you can really create so many variations using the beloved chocolate, strawberry and vanilla combination — remember this and these? Endless fun.

Raspberry Neapolitan Cake via Sweetapolita

So, because I’d never done it before, I decided to switch up the strawberry with raspberry for this version, and rather than use a “pink” cake layer, just filled the cake with the fruity raspberry Swiss buttercream and compote, and then covered it all in a mix of dark chocolate buttercream, vanilla and more of the raspberry. The cake does take a bit of time to make because there are four components, but it comes together surprisingly quickly — especially if you make the raspberry compote and Swiss buttercream ahead of time.

The frosting job was a little more rustic looking than originally planned, but I hadn’t done it this way before, and had a vision. But once I started frosting it, I was worried that if I kept smoothing for more of a blended look (like this, this and this cake), my chocolate and vanilla would soon look like chanilla, which I imagine to be a little less than magical (although I bet it would still taste pretty delightful). This sort of sectioned style of frosting the cake reminded me of the block of childhood ice cream I mentioned above, so I stuck with that.

Bunting via Sweetapolita

And nothing says party like a tiny cake bunting, right?  This is one that I had from several years ago that was actually one single garland, but I just re-purposed it by tying it to two white lollipop sticks. You’ve likely seen cake bunting all over Pinterest and the like, and you can either MacGvyer your own (pretty much anything colourful tied between two sticks and stuck in the cake would look charming) using twine, string, cord, etc. or buy one of the seemingly endless versions on Etsy.

Raspberry Neapolitan Cake via Sweetapolita

Party for one?

Raspberry Neapolitan Party Cake via Sweetapolita

Like a playful (and decadent) trip to childhood and back.

And before I go, I’d love to share my recent interview over at Best Friends For Frosting with you, where I got a chance to chat about my past life, balance and avoiding weight gain while surrounded by baked goods all day! ♥

Print
Raspberry Neapolitan Party Cake

Yield: One 4-layer, 8-inch round cake

Alternating layers of moist vanilla and dark chocolate cake, filled with raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream and smothered in a trio of dark chocolate, vanilla and raspberry buttercream.

Ingredients

    For the Chocolate Cake:
  • 1-3/4 cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (120 g) Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder
  • 2 teaspoons (11 g) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) salt
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) strong black coffee or espresso, hot
  • 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
    • For the Vanilla Cake:
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
  • 4 large egg whites (130 g), at room temperature
  • 1 whole egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1.75 ml) almond extract
  • 2-1/2 cups (288 g) cake flour, sifted
  • 1-1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
  • 1-1/4 tablespoons (16 g) baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt (6 grams)
  • 1-1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
    • For the Raspberry Compote:
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, divided
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) superfine or granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoons (15 ml) lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
  • Pinch of salt
    • For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  • 8 large fresh egg whites (240 g)
  • 2 cups (500 g) superfine granulated sugar
  • 5 sticks (575 g) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2.5 oz (75 g) premium dark or extra dark chocolate, melted and cooled
  • Few drops pink soft gel paste colour

Instructions

    For the Chocolate Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment and flour two round 8-inch pans. I use Parchment Paper Circles for ease.
  2. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift all dry ingredients. In a large measuring cup, combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
  3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients, increasing the speed to medium. Mix for 1-1/2 minutes (you may need the plastic splash-guard that comes with mixer) and divide among prepared pans (each pan will weigh ~590 g).
  4. Bake until toothpick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs, about 25 minutes. Try not to overbake. Cool on wire racks in pans for 15 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.
    5. For the Vanilla Cake:
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease, line with parchment and flour two round 8-inch pans. I use Parchment Paper Circles for ease.
  6. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir 1/3 cup of the milk, egg whites, whole egg, vanilla and the almond extract. Set aside.
  7. Sift cake flour twice. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, together on low-speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
  8. Add the butter blending on low-speed for about 30 seconds, then add remaining milk, and mix on low-speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1-1/2 minutes (90 seconds), but no more.
  9. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg/milk/extract mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
  10. Pour 1/2 of your batter (445 g) into each prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If possible, weigh the batter in the pans to ensure 2 even layers.
  11. Bake cake layers two-at-a-time in center of oven and 2" apart for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
  12. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best enjoyed day 1 or 2.
    13. For the Raspberry Compote:
  13. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1-1/2 cups of the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, water, and salt until the berries start to break down, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
  14. Lower the heat and simmer until compote coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.
  15. Remove from heat and let cool down slightly. Using an immersion blender (carefully) or counter-top blender, pulse until smooth. Push compote through a fine mesh sieve into a clean glass bowl and discard the seeded pulp from the sieve. Stir in remaining raspberries. Keep covered and chilled for up to 3 days.
    16. For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  16. Wipe the bowl and whisk of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
  17. Place bowl back on mixer and fit with whisk attachment. Whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 15 minutes, or longer). Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add softened butter one tablespoon at a time until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth).
  18. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
    19. Assembly of the Raspberry Neapolitan Party Cake:
  19. Divide buttercream in half. Add 3 tablespoons (one tablespoon at a time) of the raspberry compote to one half, along with a few drops of pink gel colour (if desired). Set aside.
  20. Take half of the remaining buttercream and add the melted chocolate, stirring until well incoporated. Leave the final portion of buttercream vanilla.
  21. Using a cake turntable if possible, place first chocolate cake layer face-up on a cake plate, cake board or pedestal and cover with ~3/4 cup of raspberry buttercream, spreading with a small offset palette knife, leaving about 1" clearance around the edges. Carefully place a few spoonfuls of compote on top, keeping it in the middle.
  22. Place a vanilla cake layer face-up on top and repeat with buttercream/compote. Repeat until you come to the final chocolate cake layer, which you will place face-down. Cover cake in plastic wrap, then use your hands to straighten any leaning or layers that aren't lined up. Chill for 30 minutes.
  23. Remove from refrigerator, remove wrap and cover cake a very thin layer of the vanilla buttercream. Chill for another 30 minutes.
  24. Cover top of cake with a smooth layer of raspberry buttercream (extending it over the edges), bottom third of the cake with chocolate buttercream and remaining area with vanilla buttercream. Using a medium straight spatula (or similar tool), smooth buttercream over the cake and create a blended look.
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Sweetapolita’s Notes:

  • You can make the raspberry compote from fresh or frozen raspberries, and can make up to 3 days ahead of time (keep chilled). 
  • You can make the cake layers a day ahead, wrapping them well in plastic wrap and leaving at room temperature.
  • You can make the Swiss meringue buttercream up to a week ahead and leave in the refrigerator, bringing to room temperature the night before you need it. You can microwave 1/3 of it for about 10 seconds, add it to the remaining buttercream and either whip in the mixer or with a rubber spatula until smooth and creamy.
  • You can also freeze the Swiss meringue buttercream for up to a month, bringing to room temperature straight from freezer.
  • You can also pre-flavour the buttercream before freezing/refrigerating.
  • The cake bunting in the photos was a bunting I had from a previous party –I trimmed it and tied to two lollipop sticks.
  • This cake can be left out for a day, but should be refrigerated after that and brought back to room temperature before serving (I recommend bringing it out about 4-5 hours before serving.

Good luck & enjoy!

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Vanilla Blackberry-Mascarpone Cake for Two

2013
96 Comments

Vanilla Mascarpone Blackberry Cake via Sweetapolita

So, are you still feeling the love from yesterday? Are you all stocked up on chocolate-ness? After much frolicking with the recent Vanilla Cream-Filled Double Chocolate Cake for Two (which actually became for one), I was feeling a serious need for vanilla and pastel. That, and Grant is a vanilla-man, through and through, so I thought I might make something for us to share to celebrate Valentine’s Day — something super vanilla, but made with a bit more love, a bit more going on and a whole lot of colour. This time, the colours took cue from the flavours, which I knew had to include blackberry compote and fresh blackberries. I’ve been craving this for so long, and I don’t know why I waited this long.

Vanilla Blackberry Mascarpone Cake via Sweetapolita

So colourful swirls aside, what’s going in inside this cake? It’s 4 layers of a moist and fluffy vanilla cake, filled with a vanilla mascarpone whipped cream filling and a homemade blackberry compote, fresh blackberries and frosted in a whipped vanilla frosting (on the sweeter side). I recently started using this fabulous Princess Bakery Flavor, which I use in place of vanilla extract. It imparts the most nostalgic vanilla-almond, hard-t0-describe flavour and doesn’t look flavour while baking (remember my passion for the Red Velvet emulsion from this Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake?). Now I’m finding I use it in cookies, french toast, pancakes and pretty much anything I can manage to add it to. And with all of this vanilla-ness happening in this cake, I feel that the blackberries and mascarpone whipped cream create a balance, making it a glorious eclipse of childhood nostalgia and a grown-up palate.

Vanilla Blackberry Mascarpone Cake via Sweetapolita

Sure, I do call this a “cake for two” with its bitty 5-inch diameter, but it could definitely work for three or four (if you’re into that sort of thing). I just love a dessert that you can dig right into with someone .

Vanilla Blackberry Mascarpone Cake via Sweetapolita

Kind of like this. This was the iPhone snap of the test-run of this cake I made last week – there’s just something awesome about digging right in (and here’s another 6-second looped video of me doing just that). The first time I made it I added more compote and blackberries (which is reflected in the recipe below), and that was the way to go. Bursts of blackberries and clouds of mascarpone meringue in every bite — a must.

You might notice that the whipped cream filling that I used here (minus the mascarpone) is the same recipe from the past 2 cakes I’ve posted, and some of you have written me with issues of your cream falling apart when you add the gelatin mixture. Just a note that, although it’s a fairly straight-forward recipe, it’s crucial that you add the gelatin mixture very gradually while the cream in the mixer has just reached a soft peak. If you whip the cream past this point and then add the gelatin mixture, and/or if you add the mixture too quickly, it will flop (I did this). Once you get used to it, you’ll find that this filling is an amazing cream base that can be modified and flavoured in so many ways. I love that it’s not sweet, and that it’s so cloud-like.

Vanilla Blackberry Mascarpone Cake via Sweetapolita

For the swirly colour technique (previously shared in this early post with a similar cake, Pastel Swirl Cake {Video Tutorial}), I chose to work in a dark blackberry colour, and then tied it into a pastel version of the same colour and then some minty turquoise for interest. You can certainly work with any colours you like, but I felt that this was a neat way to hint at what flavours are ready to burst inside.

Vanilla Blackberry Mascarpone Cake via Sweetapolita

I’ve included the previous video tutorial, which you might find helpful if you’re making this cake. The good news is that you really can’t go wrong, as long as you choose colours that work nicely together. If you aren’t sure what colours to work well together, you can pull ideas and inspiration from almost anything around you. Pinterest is, of course, a great place to start.

So there we go! As you can probably imagine, the colour combinations are endless for this technique, which is one of the reasons it makes me so happy — no two cakes are ever the same.
Vanilla Blackberry Mascarpone Cake via Sweetapolita

Print
Vanilla Blackberry-Mascarpone Cake for Two

Yield: One 4-layer, 5-inch round cake

Four layers of light, moist and fluffy vanilla cake filled with blackberry compote, fresh blackberries, whipped vanilla mascarpone filling and covered in a sweet, creamy vanilla frosting.

Ingredients

    For the Cake:
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
  • 2 egg whites (65 g), at room temperature
  • 1 whole egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) *Princess Cake & Bakery Emulsion OR pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons (142 g) cake flour, sifted twice
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) salt
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) vegetable shortening
    • For the Blackberry Compote:
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, divided
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) superfine sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
  • Pinch of salt
    • For the Whipped Mascarpone Filling:
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) unflavoured gelatin (such as Knox brand)
  • 1-3/4 cups (420 ml) whipping cream (35-37% fat), cold, divided
  • 1/2 cup (63 g) icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
    • For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting:
  • 3 sticks + 2 tablespoons (375 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
  • 3.5 cups (400 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) milk
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
  • Pinch of salt
    • You Will Also Need:
  • Medium or Large Pastry Bag fitted with plain round tip (a resealable Ziploc bag will do in a pinch)
  • Soft Gel Paste Colours of your choice
  • Small Offset Spatula

Instructions

    For the Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease, line with parchment, butter and flour two round 5-inch pans.
  2. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, egg, 2 tablespoons of the milk and emulsion (or vanilla). Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, together on low speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the butter and shortening, and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds, then add remaining milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1-1/2 minutes.
  5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg/milk mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium for 20 seconds after each addition.
  6. Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the batter in the pans to ensure 2 even layers (they should each weigh about 270 g).
  7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals.
  8. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
    9. For the Blackberry Compote:
  9. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1-1/2 cups of the blackberries, sugar, orange juice, water, and salt until the berries start to break down, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
  10. Lower the heat and simmer until compote coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.
  11. Remove from heat and let cool down slightly. Using an immersion blender (carefully) or counter-top blender, pulse until smooth. Push compote through a fine mesh sieve into a clean glass bowl and discard the seeded pulp from the sieve. Stir in remaining fresh blackberries. Keep covered and chilled for up to 3 days.
    12. For the Whipped Vanilla Mascarpone Filling:
  12. In a small bowl, place the cold water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of the cream just to a simmer, then stir into the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until cool but not set, about 8 minutes.
  13. In a chilled stainless steel bowl with a chilled whisk attachment (for stand mixer), beat the remaining whipping cream, icing sugar, vanillla and salt until it thickens just slightly and soft peaks begin to form, about 1 minute. Very gradually add the gelatin mixture and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form (should be thick enough to spread). In a large bowl, soften mascarpone and gently fold in whipped cream mixture. Keep covered and chilled until ready to use.
    14. For the Whipped Vanilla Frosting:
  14. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.
  15. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy and fluffy. Separate into 3 bowls and tint with your favourite gel paste colours. Best used right away (for ideal spreading consistency).
    16. Assembly of the Vanilla Blackberry & Mascarpone Cake for Two:
  16. Cut your 2 cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 4 layers. Place your first cake layer, face-up, onto a small plate or cake stand (or 5-inch round foil cake board).Fill your pastry bag with about a cup of the Whipped Vanilla Frosting (un-tinted) and pipe a dam around the perimeter of the cake layer (this will keep our compote and Whipped Mascarpone Filling in place). Spoon a few tablespoons of the compote and berries inside of the dam, along with a few tablespoons of the whipped filling. Gently spread the filling using a small offset spatula.
  17. Repeat until you come to your final cake layer, which you will place face-down. If you find the cake too soft and unstable, put in refrigerator for a few moments to firm it up, then resume. If you see any spots where the compote is peeking through or starting to ooze out (ahh!), use your piping bag to squeeze more frosting over it, between the layers. Use your clean offset spatula to carefully smooth the frosting so it's flat against the cake.
  18. Cover the entire cake gently with plastic wrap (I like Press n' Seal), and then, once covered, use your hands to carefully ensure the cake is lined up straight and flattening any lumps or bumps of frosting. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  19. Once cake is stable and chilled, apply an even layer of frosting to the entire cake, to seal in crumbs. Chill again until frosting is firm, about 30 minutes (at least). While the cake is chilling, you can divide remaining frosting into 4 small bowls, and tint 3 of them with your soft gel paste. Keep one bowl of frosting un-tinted.
  20. Place cake plate/board with cake onto a turntable, if possible. Be sure your frosting is smooth and fluffy, working it with a rubber spatula for a few moments. You can even warm in microwave for a few seconds to soften it up. Apply a thick layer of your darkest colour to the bottom third of your cake, then another above it over the middle of the cake, and finally your final colour of frosting all over the top and upper third of cake. Add the un-tinted frosting in a few areas, to add interest. Using a metal spatula blend the colours together by smoothing frosting all over cake, as you would a typical one-colour cake. Be careful to not overblend. For textured effect (as in photos) you can use a small metal spatula, holding it with one hand on an angle starting at bottom of cake, keeping it fairly still, move the turntable with the other hand, slowly letting the spatula move up slightly with every turn.

Notes

*You can make the compote up to 2 days ahead. **Keep cake chilled for up to 2 days, but serve at room temperature. [blackberry compote recipe adapted from Globe & Mail]

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Sweetapolita’s Notes:

  • I used this Princess Bakery Flavor for the vanilla cake, which is an amazing emulsion that gives the cake a vanilla-almond sort of flavour and doesn’t lose taste when baked. You can simply use vanilla if you can’t find this.
  • I use this MAC Knife for all of my cake layering. It’s super sharp and makes clean cake layers, ideal for building not-so-crumby layer cakes.
  • To achieve the colours on this cake, I started with the darkest purple, using a mix of Regal Purple, Super Red, Violet and Electric Purple. You will have to play around for a few moments, adding more and more colour — if it’s getting too drab, add quite a bit of electric purple. If it’s too blue violet, add more red. You’ll find eventually you’ll end up with this deep dark blackberry colour. Then I took about a teaspoon of the mixture and added it to one of the bowls of un-tinted frosting, creating a pastel version of the same colour. Finally, I added a drop or two of Sky Blue for the pastel minty turquoise colour.
  • You’ll want to keep this cake in the fridge between servings for up to two days, but it’s best served at room temperature and day 1.

Good luck & enjoy!

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Vanilla Cream-Filled Double Chocolate Cake for Two

2013
98 Comments

Vanilla Cream-Filled Cake for Two via Sweetapolita

Hi, guys! This post might be a teaser of sorts with its iPhone-only photos, but the good news is that this recipe is one that I couldn’t go another day without sharing. I had planned to do “official” photos of this cake, and I still might when I make it again for my man on Valentine’s Day, but for now let’s talk about how much I want you to make this cake. (I also think this is perfect best-friend-sharing cake for two!)

What exactly is going on in that little 5″ round tower of gooey decadence? It’s 6 layers of a deep, dark (super-moist) chocolate chip devil’s food cake stacked and filled with a fluffy vanilla cream and smothered in a glossy, satiny, super-chocolaty glaze. I say it’s “for two,” but of course you both might surrender before  it’s all done and save some for later. You can smother it in the glaze and then let it set, but I think it’s much sexier and decadent to pour the warm gooey glaze all over it and embrace the messy deliciousness digging right in — this is no time for cutting pristine slices.

I made this little super-simple chalkboard cake topper to profess my love by cutting out two chalkboard labels with a tag cutter (but you could use scissors) and taping to each side of bamboo skewer that I cut to size. So easy!

And this is one of those cakes that you can infinitely modify with new flavours. I love the idea of adding liqueur to the glaze (I did Grand Marnier for a hint of orange), and you can even go ahead and add some orange zest to the cream filling. I love the idea of an espresso theme — you could add Kahlua to the glaze, and even add a bit of coffee extract to the cream filling. What I do recommend, though, is always using the best chocolate you can, especially with the glaze. I used an extra dark chocolate with 72% cocoa solids, but you can use any kind you like. You’ll just want to stay away from milk chocolate, as it’s just a bit too sweet for this kind of glaze.

I opted out of using a ganache (chocolate and heavy cream) because the cake filling is made from heavy cream, and I find that much ganache on top of this much cake and cream filling a bit over the top, but you could definitely give that a try if you’re feeling rebellious. The glaze is made from chocolate, butter, a bit of light corn syrup, splash of liqueur (optional) and a pinch of sea salt (I also love how easy it is to make.) and, like ganache, takes to pretty much any flavouring you love.

So you might see another version of this cake soon, along with a few other upcoming cake delights, but in the meantime here is the recipe for this ooey gooey, super-chocolaty cake for two. Oh, and if you’d like to check out me digging into this cake for real (and I realize it’s just me . . . not two), you can watch it here, taken via my new favourite iPhone app, “Vine.” An app kind of like Instagram, but rather than viewing snippets of life in images, you see 6-second looped video clips — way too much fun. ♥

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Vanilla Cream-Filled Double Chocolate Cake for Two

Yield: One 6-layer, 5-inch round cake

Moist, dark and decadent chocolate chip devil's food cake stacked high and filled with vanilla cream and covered in a rich and super chocolaty glaze . . . for two.

Ingredients

    For the Cake:
  • 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1-1/3 cups (300 g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (145 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) Dutch-process dark cocoa powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk, shaken and warm
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) coffee or espresso
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup premium dark or extra dark chocolate chips
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) white vinegar
    • For the Vanilla Cream Filling:
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) unflavoured gelatin (such as Knox brand)
  • 1-3/4 cups (420 ml) whipping cream (35-37% fat), cold, divided
  • 1/2 cup (63 g) icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
    • For the Chocolate Glaze:
  • 6 oz (180 g) premium dark or extra dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light corn syrup
  • Splash of liqueur of choice, optional (grand marnier, spiced rum, kahlua, etc.)
  • Pinch of sea salt (regular salt, if necessary)

Instructions

    For the Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter three 5-inch round cake pans, line with parchment rounds, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until lighter in color and slightly increased in volume, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a medium bowl. Add the salt to the dry ingredients after sifting, and whisk dry ingredients.
  4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the coffee and buttermilk. Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture into creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated, then fold mayonnaise into batter with a whisk, until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda (it will foam) and quickly add to batter, mixing until just combined.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. If possible, weigh the batter in each cake pan for 275 g each (excluding the pans--you will want to tare the scale each time.) This ensures even layers. Smooth with small offset palette knife, and bake for about 25 minutes, rotating once after 20 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick or skewer comes out clean. Try not to over-bake.
  6. Let pans cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks, gently, peeling away parchment rounds. Let cool completely.
    7. For the Vanilla Cream Filling:
  7. In a small bowl, place the cold water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of the cream just to a simmer, then stir into the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until cool but not set, about 8 minutes.
  8. In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the remaining whipping cream, icing sugar, vanillla and salt until it thickens slightly and soft peaks form. Very gradually add the gelatin mixture and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form (should be thick enough to spread). Keep covered and chilled until ready to use.
    9. For the Chocolate Glaze:
  9. Place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. Stir the mixture using a rubber spatula until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in liqueur and salt.
    10. Assembly of the Vanilla Cream-Filled Double Chocolate Cake for Two:
  10. Cut your 3 cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 6 layers.
  11. Place your first layer face-up on a plate and cover with an even thin layer of the Vanilla Cream Filling, taking it right to the edge. Place another cake layer face-up and spread another layer of the filling on top. Repeat until you come to your final cake layer, which you will place face-down. If you find the cake too soft and unstable, put in refrigerator for a few moments to firm it up, then resume.
  12. Cover the entire cake gently with plastic wrap, and then, once covered, use your hands to carefully ensure the cake is lined up straight. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  13. Pour the warm chocolate glaze all over cake. Dig in.

Notes

[vanilla cream filling adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts]

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Sweetapolita’s Notes:

  • I used three 5 x 2 Inch Round Cake Pan for this cake. These pans are super cute and so handy for small layers cakes. It feels unnatural spending money on three of the same pan at first, but it’s so worth it if you like building multi-layer cakes. 
  • I used 72% Bittersweet Chocolate  for my chocolate chips in the cake itself and the glaze, which really a dark and intense chocolate. You can use any premium dark or extra dark chocolate you might have on hand or prefer.
  • I use this MAC Knife for all of my cake layering. It’s super sharp and makes clean cake layers, ideal for building not-so-crumby layer cakes.
  • I recommend chilling the wrapped cake layers for about 30 minutes before slicing them to build the cake, and then chilling the filled cake (you can carefully cover with plastic wrap) for about an hour before covering with the glaze and eating. It’s not required, but if you find your cake is wobbly, this helps set the filling, keeping it more stable.
  • Leftover cake (is there such a thing?) should be refrigerated, because of the whipped cream filling and served at room temperature. I love this chocolate cake because it stays unthinkably moist even after refrigeration.
  • For the cake topper, I used this Tag Punch and cut from something similar to this Black Chalkboard Vinyl and then just trimmed the end for a plain rectangle. (The tag punch is also awesome for making these photo gift tags, among other fun ideas.)

Good luck & enjoy!

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Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake

2013
134 Comments

Raspberry & Red Velvet Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

Cake! It’s been a little while since I’ve shared a cake with you, I just realized. But don’t worry, it’s not for lack of making them. I’ve been experimenting with red velvet layer cake for about 2 weeks now (which usually means a lot confused looks from my husband), because I somehow became rather fixated on creating the most addictive version I could. I made one a day for about 8 days, and then spent a few days coming up with what I felt would be the yummiest flavour and texture combination. (Don’t worry, the runner-up versions are now frozen and eagerly await turning into red velvet cake pops).

I know we’ve chatted about red velvet before (you might remember this Red Velvet & Cinnamon Layer Cake or these Black Velvet Cupcakes with Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting), and as much as I loved those recipes, I just felt compelled to experiment. A lot. And then it happened — just in time for Valentine’s Day, I fell in love. I fell in love with layers of super-moist red velvet cake, fluffy pink whipped vanilla cream filling with fresh raspberries, creamy marshmallow cream cheese frosting , satiny Belgian chocolate frosting and a pile of fresh raspberries on top.

Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

So what is red velvet cake? Well it’s was said to originate at the Waldorf Hotel in New York, but has become a southern staple. Essentially it’s a vanilla buttermilk cake with a touch of cocoa powder and then boosted with heaps of deep red colour (and typically paired with a classic cream cheese frosting). I have always made the cake using the traditional vanilla extract and super red gel colour paste, but my flurry of red velvet attempts this month were inspired by this Red Velvet Cake Bakery Emulsion Flavor. It’s a colour and flavour all-in-one, but the flavour has this amazing citrus-y-ness to it, that I find rather addictive and pleasing. I love emulsions of this kind because they keep their taste even through baking, yielding the most delicious cakes and cookies. You can certainly make this recipe without it by substituting vanilla extract and red colour, but I feel it’s worth trying. I’ll likely use it every time I make the beloved red velvet cake from now on.

The thing was I couldn’t decide if I wanted the cake to be a towering 6-layer cake with seemingly endless layers of alternating filling (as it is with this cake I made some time ago), or if I wanted to keep those 3 cake layers as they were and make it a little simpler with a really generous layer of each type of filling sandwiched inside. So . . . I did it both ways.

Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

This is the 6-layer version, which is essentially the same 3 layers split into two each, so each version technically has the same amount of cake, but more filling. I should tell you that this, as far as I can remember, the only cake in the history of Sweetapolita from which my husband has eaten more than one piece. Can you even dream of something so unthinkable? The man doesn’t really like cake. Or chooses not to, I’m not sure. But we’ll try to overlook that (good thing he’s so hot). He said that he couldn’t quite figure out what it was about it, but he couldn’t stop. Yes! Now is that too much to ask on a regular basis?

Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

One of my favourite components of this cake is the light-as-air pink whipped vanilla cream and fresh raspberry filling. With the moist density of the red velvet cake, the tangy sweetness of the marshmallow cream cheese filling and depth of the dark chocolate frosting, that hit of cloud-like raspberry cream balances every bite.

Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

So why did I have to make so many cake layers before settling on a winner? Well, I found that if they were butter cakes, they would dry out, especially when I refrigerated them, which wasn’t going to work since this cake should be refrigerated (due to the whipping cream, raspberries and cream cheese). I tried a few that were oil-based, like my favourite one-bowl chocolate cake recipe, but as moist as they were, they tasted so oily to me — almost like carrot cake minus the carrots. Maybe that’s just my heightened taste buds, but I couldn’t get past it.

So I knew I had to go back to a butter-based cake, and then I remembered the devil’s food cake from my Inside-Out Neapolitan Cake — it’s moist and decadent. So I started with that and gave it the old red velvet treatment by altering the quantities and incorporating the flavor emulsion, an extra hit of red colour, etc. With a mix of brown and white sugar along with a dollop of mayonnaise, the cake is so flavourful and moist.

Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

Here’s the 3-layer version, which is no less delightful, but rather a tad shorter and has more cake representation with its thicker layers.

Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake via Sweetapolita

Trust me that what this dessert lacks in neat-and-tidyness, it makes up for in taste and addictive messiness. ♥

Print
Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake

Yield: One 6-layer (6 thin cake layers + 5 thin filling layers) 8-inch round cake *or* one 3-layer, 8-inch round cake

Super-moist and decadent red velvet cake filled with pink whipped vanilla cream with raspberries, creamy marshmallow cream cheese filling and smothered in a satiny and fluffy chocolate frosting topped with more fresh raspberries.

Ingredients

    For the Cake:
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (225 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) *red velvet flavor
  • 1 teaspoon super red soft gel paste, optional
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (55 g) cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon (8 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon (8 g) kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk, warm
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
    • For the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 1/2 cup (63 g) icing sugar (confectioners' or powdered), sifted
  • 1/2 cup butter (115 g), at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 jar (106 g) marshmallow cream (such as Marshmallow Fluff)
  • A pinch of salt
    • For the Pink Whipped Vanilla Cream Filling:
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons unflavoured gelatin (such as Knox brand)
  • 1-3/4 cups (420 ml) whipping cream (35-37% fat), cold, divided
  • 1/2 cup (63 g) icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • A drop or two of red or pink gel paste
    • For the Chocolate Frosting
  • 2 cups (454 g)(4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups (500 g) icing sugar sifted
  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 8 oz (250 g) quality dark or extra dark chocolate, chopped, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream (35-37% fat)
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries, washed and dried

Instructions

    For the Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter the bottom of three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment rounds, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugars, red velvet flavor, and red gel paste on medium-high speed until lighter in color and slightly increased in volume, about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Add the salt to the dry ingredients after sifting, and whisk dry ingredients. Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk into creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated, or finish by hand gently. Fold in mayonnaise.
  4. In a small cup or bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda until it fizzes, then quickly add the batter and whisk until blended.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. If possible, weigh the batter in each cake pan for 460 g each (excluding the pans--you will want to tare the scale each time.) This ensures even layers. Smooth with small offset palette knife, and bake on top of a baking sheet (two pans on sheet for first round, then the final pan) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Try not to over-bake.
  6. Let pans cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks, gently, peeling away parchment rounds. Let cool completely.
    7. For the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting:
  7. In an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter and icing sugar on low until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and salt and mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
  8. Add marshmallow cream and cream cheese and beat until combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
    9. For the Pink Whipped Vanilla Cream Filling:
  9. In a small bowl, place the cold water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of the cream just to a simmer, then stir into the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until cool but not set, about 8 minutes.
  10. In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the remaining whipping cream, icing sugar, vanillla and salt until it thickens slightly and soft peaks form. Slowly add the gelatin mixture and food colouring and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form (should be thick enough to spread). Keep covered and chilled until ready to use.
    11. For the Chocolate Frosting:
  11. In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Add vanilla and salt, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute.
    12. Assembly of the Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake:
  12. On an 8"inch round cake board (or cake plate), put a small dollop of frosting.
    13. For a 3-layer cake (3 cake layers + 2 layers of filling):
  13. Place your first layer face-up on the board (or plate) and spread the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting, leaving about 1/2" around the edge, using an offset palette knife. Place the second cake layer face-up and repeat with a thick layer of Pink Whipped Vanilla Cream Filling. Gently press a layer of fresh raspberries into the filling, slightly spaced apart. Top with another thick layer of the Pink Whipped Vanilla Cream Filling and spread evenly using your offset palette knife.
  14. Place your third cake layer atop the pink filling, face-down. Gently adjust the cake so that it is straight and lined up properly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
  15. Stir the Chocolate Frosting well with a rubber spatula to remove air bubbles, and then frost the entire outside of the cake until you have a smooth layer, sealing in all crumbs. Refrigerate until the frosting firms up, about 30 minutes. Repeat with thick and even layer of the frosting, adding some swirls or patterns using a large spatula. Top with fresh raspberries and a sprinkling of icing sugar, if desired.
  16. Keep refrigerated (this cake will stay moist!) but serve at room temperature.
    17. For the 6-layer version:
  17. Cut your 3 cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 6 layers (layers will be thin).
  18. On an 8"inch round cake board (or cake plate), put a small dollop of chocolate frosting. Place your first layer face-up on the board (or plate) and cover with 1/6 of the Pink Whipped Vanilla Cream Filling, leaving about 1/2" clearance around the edge. Gently press a layer of fresh raspberries into the filling, and then cover with another 1/6th of the filling, spreading until even. Place another cake layer face-up and cover with 1/2 of the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting, spreading until even.
  19. Repeat until you come to your final layer, which you will place face-down. If you find the cake too soft and unstable, put in refrigerator for a few moments to firm it up, then resume.
  20. Cover the entire cake gently with plastic wrap, and then, once covered, use your hands to carefully ensure the cake is lined up straight. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  21. Stir the Chocolate Frosting well with a rubber spatula to remove air bubbles, and then frost the entire outside of the cake until you have a smooth layer, sealing in all crumbs. Refrigerate until the frosting firms up, at least 30 minutes. Repeat with thick and even layer of the frosting, adding some swirls or patterns using a large spatula. Top with fresh raspberries and a sprinkling of icing sugar, if desired

Notes

I have recently started using Lorann Red Velvet Flavor, which gives the cake its dark, red colour and just slightly-citrus taste that doesn't fade once the cake is baked. If you can't get this ingredient, you can replace with 1 oz of red liquid food colouring, or 1-2 tablespoons of a super red gel paste colour along with 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.

[whipped cream filling adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts]

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Sweetapolita’s Notes:

  • I now swear by this Lorann Flavoring Oil Red Velvet Cake Bakery Emulsion Flavor – with its concentrated colour/flavour all in one, it’s worth it (to me).
  • I always bake layer-by-layer (so 3 cake pans for 3 layers). For this cake I used three of these: 8″ Round Cake Pan – it’s a bit of an expense dishing out for 3 pans at once, but if you’re like me, you’ll find they’re always in use!
  • I also use these Parchment Rounds for ease and convenience.
  • If you don’t have access to Marshmallow Fluff (or other marshmallow creme), for the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Filling, you can simply omit it from the recipe and replace with extra cream cheese.
  • You can watch me frost a cake and add the same large frosting border in this video tutorial post.
  • This cake stays incredibly moist even after being refrigerated. Be sure to not leave it out for more than about 4 hours at room temperature (due to the fresh raspberries). Just be sure to remove the cake about two hours before serving, so that it’s at room temperature when eaten.

Good luck & enjoy!

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