Raspberry and Almond Cake

Almond Cake

Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease and line the bottom of two 6” pans with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and almond flour. Set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ cup almond flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), cream together the butter, sugar, and oil on medium high speed for 3 minutes. ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil

Scrape down the sides, then add the eggs, and both extracts and beat for another minute. Scrape down the sides again.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract

Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, pour in the buttermilk, then add the remaining flour mixture. Mix on low until just combined.½ cup buttermilk

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and gently mix once more by hand, then divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Smooth it out evenly.

Bake for 32-36 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without any wet batter and the sides have slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan.

Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours, or overnight.

Frosting

Add the bowl and whisk attachment to the freezer for 15 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with a handheld mixer), whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and hold on the tip of the whisk without falling. Remove into another bowl and place in the fridge.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

To the stand mixer bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat (with the paddle attachment) on medium low speed until very creamy and no chunks remain. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.6 oz full-fat cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

Add half of the whipped cream and fold it together until completely smooth and loosened slightly. Add the second half of the whipped cream and fold again until completely combined. Take care not to mix or else it will push all of the air out of the frosting.

Assembly

Place one cake round on a serving platter. Add a large dollop of frosting and spread evenly to meet the edges. Add about ½ cup of frosting to a piping bag and cut of a 1 cm tip. Pipe a circle around the entire inside edge of the cake. Fill the well with ½ cup raspberry jam and spread evenly to meet the frosting circle.¼ cup raspberry jam

Add the second cake layer. Add two large dollops of frosting to the top of the cake. Spread it over the top, working it down the sides to the bottom so the cake is completely covered with a thin layer (the crumb coat). Add additional frosting, if necessary, to get full (but thin) coverage. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.

While the cake chills, toast the almond slices in a large pan over medium heat, tossing every 15-20 seconds until evenly toasted. Transfer to a plate to cool completely.¾ cup sliced almonds

Repeat the same outer frosting process, this time making a thicker layer of frosting. Smooth out the sides and top until smooth. Use a cake scraper for the smoothest sides and top. Press toasted almonds halfway up the cake the whole way around.

Use any additional frosting to pipe decorations to the top of the cake, if desired. Top with fresh raspberries.fresh raspberries