Category: raspberry

Red Velvet Valentine’s Cake

Posted in buttercream, cake, chocolate, cream cheese frosting, raspberry, redvelvetTagged , , , Leave a comment

I´m not the biggest fan of Valentine´s Day, but it gives me a good reason to bake. So here’s my version of Red Velvet Cake, with raspberries and two versions of buttercream. Share it with someone you care about, today or some other day!

Ingredients
200 (7 oz) melted butter
200 (7 oz) sugar
3 eggs
300 (10,5 oz) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa
2,25 dl (1 cup) milk
1 tbsp red food color (no taste)

200 g (7 oz) frozen raspberries

Cream cheese buttercream
50 g (1,8 oz) butter (room temperature)
100 g (3,5 oz) cream cheese
250 g (8,8 oz) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar

Buttercream
150 g (5,3 oz) butter (room temperature)
75 g (2,7 oz) cream cheese
375 g (13,2 oz) powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 good squeeze of a slice of lemon

Grated dark chocolate


How to do it

  • Preheat the oven to 200ºC /390ºF.
  • Butter and line 1-3 round cake tins (22 cm/ 9 in) (and/or use parchment paper).
  • Melt the butter and let it cool down a bit.
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs together with sugar for a few minutes until you have a thick and fluffy mixture. I use a stand mixer with a whisk, but you may just as well use an electric hand mixer.
  • Mix in about 1/3 of the melted butter, and pour it into the mixture.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla sugar.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients and the rest of the milk to the mixture, and mix until you have a smooth batter.
  • Mix in the red food color. The batter should become bright red.
  • Transfer 1/3 of the batter to (each) cake tin.
  • Bake each layer in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until a skewer put in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • Let the layers cool down on a cooling rack.
Make a fluffy mix of eggs and sugar, then add the melted butter
Add the dry ingredients
Add the milk
  • Heat up the raspberries until boiling point. Let it cool down.

Cream cheese buttercream

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. I use a stand mixer with a whisk.
  • Add the cream cheese and mix well.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and the vanilla sugar. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and cream cheese.
  • Mix until you have smooth buttercream, and transfer to a separate bowl.

Buttercream

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter until it´s smooth. I use a stand mixer with a whisk.
  • Add the cream cheese and mix well.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and the vanilla sugar. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and cream cheese.
  • Add a good squeeze of a slice of lemon.
  • Mix until you have smooth buttercream, and transfer about half of the cake piping tool.

Put it all together

  • When the cake layers are cool, put one layer on a tray. 
  • Make a circle of buttercream around the edges of the layer (this will keep the cream cheese buttercream in place).
  • Cover the layer with half of the raspberries (see picture).
  • Cover the raspberries with half of the cream cheese buttercream (see picture).
  • Sprinkle some grated chocolate over the cream cheese buttercream (see picture).
  • Place the second layer over the first one, make a circle of buttercream around the edges, and cover it with the rest of the raspberries, the rest of the cream cheese buttercream and grated chocolate, just like on the first layer.
  • Place the third layer on top, and cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the rest of the buttercream.
  • I have decorated the cake with three balls of licorice covered in white chocolate, raspberry dust and chili. And a sprinkle heart.

Happy Valentine´s Day!

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Midnight Munchies – Chocolate Truffles

Posted in chocolate, confectionary, holidays, nuts, raspberryTagged , , , , Leave a comment

2018 is soon to be history, and 2019 is waiting impatiently to make its entrance. But before we do the countdown for the next year, say our “I love you”s and make promises to ourselves that we may or may not keep, here are some chocolate truffles – easy to make, and perfect on the side of tonight’s champagne.

Happy New Year, People!

Ingredients (makes about 25 truffles)
200 g (7 oz) chocolate
1 dl (0,4 cup) heavy cream

Decoration/topping
Chopped pistachios, chopped and roasted almonds, coconut, dried raspberries…

Chocolate and heavy cream
Pistachios, almonds, coconut, dried raspberries

How to do it

  • Melt the chocolate with the heavy cream.
  • Let the mix cool down in a refrigerator.
  • When the chocolate has cooled completely down and has a creamy texture, with a couple of spoons, make small “balls” out of the chocolate, and roll them in/ cover them with the topping you’d like. I’ve used chopped pistachios, chopped and roasted almonds, coconut and dried raspberries.
  • Store the truffles in a cold place until you serve them.

Best wishes for the new year!

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Raspberry Cupcakes

Posted in berries, buttercream, cupcake, raspberryTagged , , , 2 Comments

As you may have noticed, I’m a big fan of raspberries. They are sweet, but still have some bitterness to them. Thus, perfect for baking. Here are some raspberry cupcakes, before it´s time to really get into the festive season.

Ingredients
175 g (6,2 oz) softened butter
150 g (5,5 oz) sugar
3 eggs
250 g (8,5 oz) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar
200 g (7 oz) frozen raspberries
0,5 dl (1/4 cup) milk

Buttercream
125 g (4,4 oz) softened butter
250 g (8,5 oz) powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1-2 tbsp milk
red food colour

Decoration
Licorice marshmallows, fresh or dried raspberries, sprinkles, white chocolate…

How to do it

    1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 390ºF.
    2. Beat together the butter with the sugar in a large bowl. I use a stand mixer, but you may just as well use an electric hand mixer.
    3. Add the eggs, one by one.
    4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar.
    5. Slowly add the mixed dry ingredients to the mixture.
    6. Add the frozen raspberries to the mixture.
    7. Add the milk to the mixture until you have a smooth batter.
    8. With a couple of spoons, transfer the batter to cupcake liners in a cupcake form, or into cupcake “cups”.
    9. Bake the cupcakes in the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until a skewer put in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean.
    10. Take the cupcakes out of the oven, and let them cool down on a cooling rack.

Buttercream

    1. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth. Use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
    2. Slowly add the lemon juice and then the milk, and mix until you have smooth mixture. Keep an eye on the mixture, so that it doesn’t get too fluid.
    3. Add some red food color to make the buttercream pink.
    4. When the cupcakes have cooled down, cover them with the buttercream using a cake piping tool, a knife or a spatula.

I have decorated the cupcakes with some licorice marshmallows from The Mallows, but you may just as well Decorate the cupcakes with berries (fresh or dried), white chocolate, sprinkles…

Bon appétit!

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Salty Tricks or Sweet Treats – Chocolate Cake with Rasperries and Licorice

Posted in berries, cake, chocolate, halloween, holidays, licorice, raspberryTagged , , , , , Leave a comment

A few days to Halloween, and do you want to know one of my (baking) tricks? I very often try to find something slightly bitter to “break” the sweetness of the cakes. Whether it´s adding a few drops of lemon juice to buttercream frosting, or using raspberries with a chocolate cake, I find that adding some bitterness makes the cake taste “fuller”. And to this cake I’ve even added some salty licorice, so prepare to put your taste buds to the test. Salty Tricks or Sweet Treats? Yes, please!

Ingredients
225 gram (7,9 oz) melted butter
3 eggs
3 dl (1 1/4 cup) sugar
6 dl (2 1/4 cup) plain flour
4 tbsp cocoa
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp vanilla sugar
2, 25 dl (1 cup) milk (and maybe add a little red color to get you in that Halloween mood)

Raspberry cream
2 dl (1 cup) heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
200 gram (7 oz) raspberries
2 tsp licorice powder

Chocolate buttercream
150 gram (5,3 oz) melted chocolate
100 gram (3,5 oz) softened butter
200 gram (7 oz) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
3 tbsp milk/heavy cream

Decoration
Licorice, sprinkles.

How to do it

  • Preheat the oven to 200ºC /390ºF.
  • Butter and line 1-3 round cake tins (22 cm/ 9 in) (and/or use parchment paper).
  • Melt the butter and let it cool down a bit.
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs together with sugar for a few minutes until you have a thick and fluffy mixture. I use a stand mixer with a whisk, but you may just as well use an electric hand mixer.
  • Add the melted butter to the mixture.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and vanilla sugar.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients and the milk to the mixture, and mix until you have a smooth batter.
  • Transfer 1/3 of the batter to (each) cake tin.
  • Bake each cake/layer in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until a skewer put in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • Let each cake/layer cool.
  • For the raspberry cream: if you use frozen raspberries, heat them to boiling point, and let them boil for a few minutes (this to make sure that the berries don’t contain any bacteria). Let the berries cool to (at least) room temperature.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, sugar and vanilla sugar to whipped cream. Use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. The whipped cream should “well done” rather than fluid (because you´re going to add raspberries, which will bring quite a bit of fluid to the mix).
  • Add the cooled raspberries and blend them in with a spatula.
  • Mix in the powdered licorice with a spatula, and keep the cream in a cool place while making the chocolate buttercream.
  • For the chocolate buttercream: beat the butter and add some of the powdered sugar. Use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
  • Mix in the melted chocolate, and then slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar and the vanilla sugar. Then add the milk/heavy cream while mixing until you have a smooth buttercream (it should be quite soft – the buttercream will become stiff when the melted chocolate has cooled down).
  • When the cake layers are cool, put one layer on a tray. Make a circle of buttercream around the edges of the layer (this will keep the raspberry cream in place), then cover the layer with half of the raspberry cream (see picture).

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  • Place the second layer over the first one, and cover it with buttercream and raspberry cream just like on the first layer.
  • Place the third layer on top, and cover the entire cake (top and sides) with chocolate buttercream.
  • Decorate the cake with licorice and sprinkles, or maybe with some fresh raspberries.

Happy Halloween!

Pink Power – Raspberry Cake

Posted in berries, cake, cream cheese frosting, raspberryTagged , , , , Leave a comment

October is breast cancer awareness month. With this cake I want to bring attention to, and honour, everyone who is in any way affected by breast cancer or any other type of cancer, whether you are a survivor, a fighter, a family member or friend, doctor, nurse or in any other way work to fight this disease. Please support your national or local breast cancer foundation, organization or charity. Power to the Pink, and F*** Cancer!

Ingredients
150 gram (5,5 oz) softened butter
100 gram (3,5 oz) sugar
2 eggs
200 gram plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar
200 gram (7 oz) frozen raspberries

2-3 tbsp milk

Cream Cheese Frosting
30 gram (1 oz) softened butter
200 gram (7 oz) cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla sugar
4 tsp powdered sugar

Decoration
Raspberries (fresh and dried), raspberry dust.

How to do it

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390ºF), and butter and line a round cake tin, 20 cm (8 in).
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar. I use a stand mixer, but you may just as well use an electric hand mixer.
  3. Add the eggs to the mixture, one by one.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together the plain flour, baking soda and vanilla sugar.
  5. Slowly add the mixed dry ingredients to the mixture. 
  6. Add the frozen raspberries, and stir until you have a smooth, pink batter.
  7. Transfer half of the batter into the cake tin.
  8. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer put in the centre of the cake comes out clean. 
  9. Let the cake (first layer) cool down in the cake tin for a few minutes before taking it out of the tin and laying it on a cooling rack.
  10. Butter and line the cake tin again, then transfer the rest of the batter into the tin and bake for about 20 minutes in the middle of the oven.
  11. Let the second layer cool down in the cake tin for a few minutes before taking out it of the tin and laying it on the cooling rack.
  12. Moisten both layers with some milk while they are still a bit warm. I use about a tablespoon for each layer.
  13. For the frosting, mix together cream cheese and softened butter. Carefully add vanilla sugar and powdered sugar into the mix until you have found the preferred sweetness and texture.
  14. When the layers are cool, put one of the layers on a serving tray and cover the top with about 1/3 of the frosting. Sprinkle on some fresh raspberries.
  15. Place the second layer of the cake over the first one.
  16. Cover the cake with the rest of the cream cheese frosting.
  17. Decorate with raspberries (fresh and dry) and perhaps some raspberry dust.

Btw…
The top of the layers of the cake can be a bit uneven. To give yourself a straight surface on top of the cake, just turn the second layer upside down (with the bottom up) when placing it over the first layer.

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