Time for Sweet Melissa Sundays! We've been on a break and are just starting back up baking through the remaining 16 recipes of The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Our pick this week is Hazelnut Raspberry Layer Cake, chosen for us to try by Candy of Candy Girl, thank you Candy! You can find the recipe here at Candy's site if you do not have the book.
Although this was a fun baking project, this is a pretty complicated cake and took lots of time and patience to complete. It is definitely one of the more complicated cakes I've ever baked, and I've baked a lot! It is also very indulgent with 5 sticks of butter and 15 eggs between the cake and Italian buttercream (meringue cooked with hot sugar syrup) frosting -- you're probably thinking, "Whoa!," and that would be a correct statement regarding this cake :)
The cake features hazelnuts and raspberries, a combination I don't think I've had before (possibly in cookie form but never in a cake). Believe it or not, picky husband actually likes both hazelnuts and raspberries so I didn't feel too guilty making this, knowing he would at least try it, and I'm sure the kids will love it.
My five year old daughter declared the cake "so beautiful" and asked me to make it for her next birthday, still months away -- I told her that if after she tried she liked it, I would love to make it again for her special day :)
The raspberries in the frosting are soaked in a raspberry liquor before being blended into the buttercream.
This was a fun baking project even if it led me out of my comfort zone a little bit. I accidentally let the hot sugar syrup for frosting get 10 degrees higher than called for. It still seemed to come together just fine, I hope it didn't mess something up taste wise. We haven't tried this cake yet, it is for dessert after dinner, but I thought I'd better get it posted while I have a minute... 
The only tiny change I made to the recipe was to use three 9 by 1 1/2 inch pans instead of two 9 by 2 inch pans since I was a little worried the 9 1/2 inch pans I have wouldn't be tall enough for only two layers that needed to be sliced. So with that change my cake has only three layers and I didn't have to split any of them, whew!
I'll have to report back later on my family's reaction to this one but I have a feeling it will be positive, if not, just look at how pretty it is, that will have to be enough :)
The only tiny change I made to the recipe was to use three 9 by 1 1/2 inch pans instead of two 9 by 2 inch pans since I was a little worried the 9 1/2 inch pans I have wouldn't be tall enough for only two layers that needed to be sliced. So with that change my cake has only three layers and I didn't have to split any of them, whew!
I'll have to report back later on my family's reaction to this one but I have a feeling it will be positive, if not, just look at how pretty it is, that will have to be enough :)
9 comments:
WOW that is one beautiful cake! It has to taste good..I can't wait to hear what your family thinks! If liked...You will get to make it for your little girl again!
I agree with your daughter - this cake is so pretty! It was a bit challenging which is one of the reasons I picked it. Thanks for toughing it out with me this week. I can't wait to find out if your family thinks it tastes as good as it looks.
Your cake looks wonderful Andrea! It was a challenging one, though you were smart to buy the shelled hazelnuts. I had to shell mine, which was not only messy but time consuming... Hope your family enjoys it :)
Your cake looks gorgeous! I agree...this was a cake that took a lot of patience. Hope your family enjoys it.
Your cake is so beautiful! Looks almost to pretty to eat! The color is amazing!!
Gorgeous! I'm confident it will taste as good as it looks. :)
Wow! That cake is so beautiful! Looks pretty to eat!
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simply delicious
WOW I am definitely going to have t try making this cake!! It is beautiful! I love raspberries so i'm sure this will turn out splendid!
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