Valentine’s Raspberry Cake
White Chocolate raspberry cake covered in an ombré pink Italian buttercream and delicate hearts.
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (230g)
- 1 cup granulate sugar (136g)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (heaping)
- 1 tsp baking powder (heaping)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature, 170g)
- 3 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120ml)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (105ml)
- 6 oz raspberries (fresh or freeze dried)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 ½ cup unsalted butter (room temp, 315g)
- 4 ½ cups confectioners sugar (648g)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (melted and cooled, 168g)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup raspberries (fresh)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 sheets printable hearts (Or pipe them free-hand)
- 1 1/2 feet parchment paper
- ½ cup candy melts (84g)
- 4 egg whites (large)
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 Pinch kosher salt
- 16 ounces unsalted butter (454g, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup water (70g)
Instructions
- 1
For the Cake:
- 2
Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch pans. I use cake strips on my pans for more even baking as well.
- 3
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a large bowl then whisk together and set aside.
- 4
Beat the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add lemon zest.Don't worry if your still have small chunks of butter, it will all work out!
- 5
Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in dried raspberries at the very end and mix until just combined.
- 6
Divide the mixture evenly into the cake pans.
- 7
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
- 8
For the White Chocolate Buttercream:
- 9
In a small saucepan over medium low heat combine raspberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Mash and heat for a minute. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half, or about three minutes. Strain and transfer to a small bowl and chill.
- 10
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter.
- 11
Add confectioners sugar and salt. Beat until creamy.
- 12
Add in melted and cooled white chocolate. Mix until incorporated and smooth.
- 13
Divide batter in half.
- 14
Add vanilla to one batch.
- 15
Add 2 1/2 tbsp of the reduction to the other batch of buttercream. If the consistency become runny, mix in confectioners sugar 2 tbsp at a time until thickened.
- 16
Transfer both batches to separate piping bags with the tips snipped off. Add the 2 piping bags to another piping bag fitted with a large round tip or with the tip snipped off.
- 17
For the Italian Buttercream:
- 18
Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar, slowly add in 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
- 19
As the eggs are beating add the remaining sugar and 1/3 cup water to a medium saucepan then place on medium-high heat.
- 20
Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear.
- 21
Maintain at medium-high heat until temperature reads 235-240F.
- 22
Drizzle the sugar into the mixer immediately.
- 23
Run mixer until meringue is cool/tepid.
- 24
Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time.
- 25
Add the salt and vanilla if using
- 26
Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
- 27
Divide into 5 bowls. Keep one bowl white. Add food coloring to each batch to achieve a gradient look.
- 28
Whip the frosting and transfer to separate piping bags JUST before using.
- 29
For the Hearts:
- 30
Line up 3 printable heart sheets to use as a guideline or stencil. Add a layer of parchment paper over the sheets.
- 31
Microwave candy melts. Transfer to a piping bag and snip off the tip.
- 32
Pipe hearts according to the stencil.
- 33
Let the hearts cool and harden.
- 34
For the Assembly:
- 35
Pipe the pink/white chocolate buttercream combo between each cake layer.
- 36
Cover the cake with a thin crumb coat and chill for about 10-15 minutes.
- 37
Once the cake has chilled, start the Italian buttercream gradient with the white, then work your way up from bottom to top.
- 38
Carefully smooth with an offset spatula.
- 39
Add hearts to the cake.