WHITE ALMOND CAKE FROM SCRATCH RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch pans
• IMPORTANT: for this recipe you will need to add a circle of wax paper or parchment paper to the bottom of the cake pans to prevent sticking
• Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove top, do not let it boil. Add the white chocolate that has been cut into very small pieces. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to soften, then stir until melted and smooth. Let this cool down before using.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk for 30 seconds to blend and set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, mix the butter until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and mix on medium speed 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture lightens in color and becomes fluffy
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow is blended in.
• Add the vanilla.
• Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk/chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk mixture).
• Mix until just combined, do not over mix and do not mix above medium speed.
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, it is done. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans and turn out.
• Works well for cupcakes
• Makes 6 cups cake batter
• Completely thaw the frozen raspberries. If in a hurry, and your raspberries are in a plastic bag you can thaw them more quickly by placing the bag in a bowl of hot water. Once thawed, puree the raspberries in a blender.
• Place a fine wire strainer over a bowl. Pour the pureed raspberries into the strainer and let the juice drain into the bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press the raspberries into the strainer to force the raspberry pulp into the bowl. It will take several minutes of pressing the raspberries. When finished be sure to scrape off raspberry pulp that will be clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl. Discard the remaining seeds and pulp that would not go through the strainer. You should get from 1/2 to 3/4 cup of juice and pulp. Add enough water to this to make 1 1/4 cups.
• In a small saucepan, combine the raspberry juice, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Whisk to blend. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.
• Remove from the heat and add the raspberry extract. Stir well and allow to cool. Can be refrigerated in a covered container for a week.
• Makes 1 1/4 cups
• Cut/chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, put into a microwave safe bowl and add 4 Tablespoons milk or cream.
• Microwave for 15 seconds let sit for a minute or two, stir and microwave again 15 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate. The chocolate will continue to melt as it is stirred. Let the chocolate cool down before using.
• Mix the butter until softened and smooth, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add the white chocolate and milk mixture. Add vanilla. Add another Tablespoon milk if needed. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes and it will become smooth and creamy.
• Makes 5 cups frosting. Makes enough to frost a 2 or 3 layer eight inch cake. If you will be doing a lot of decorative piping, you will need additional frosting.
• If you do not have cake flour, you can use all purpose flour and the following substitution: for each cup of flour in the recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe measure out 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, remove 5 Tablespoons and replace with 5 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend.
• Spread your layers with a thin layer of the raspberry filling. The raspberry filling is fairly thick and so piping a buttercream ring/dam around the filling isn't essential, although you should frost all the way to the edge. (See photo)
• Next, spread over the raspberry filling with a layer of White Chocolate Buttercream frosting.
• Frost the cake as usual. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (This recipe uses the reverse creaming method.)
• Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch round pans
• In a separate bowl, combine eggs, strawberry puree, vanilla, strawberry extract, pink coloring (as desired). Blend together with a fork.
• In the bowl of your mixer, hand whisk the dry ingredients (cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt) for 30 seconds to combine. With your mixer on low to medium speed, add the pieces of butter, a few pieces at a time, also add the oil at this time. Mix until the dry ingredients form moist crumbs that look like coarse sand.
• Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Method is important when using Reverse Creaming, so with the mixer on LOW speed, SLOWLY add 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes, the batter will be thick and fluffy.
• Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating 20 seconds after each. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and pour into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 10 min. then turn out.
• Makes 7 1/2 cups batter IF USING FONDANT: If using fondant to cover the cake, our first choice is to cover the cake in ganache for a nice firm shell before laying on the fondant. You could also use all butter buttercream, that is well chilled to firm it up before the fondant.
• Cupcakes: This recipe will work for cupcakes, they will have only a slight dome**We frosted our cake with this Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. (I piped spirals of frosting in varying sizes with my Wilton star tip 21.)