A Swiss meringue buttercream cake with an exotic look and taste — filled with tangy raspberry jam, it doesn't need refrigeration, so it's great for an outdoor picnic
Work in this order: raspberry jam → butter sponge → Swiss meringue buttercream.
Put the frozen raspberries, raspberry puree, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring.
Once it boils, add the pectin.
When it reaches a thick, jam-like consistency, turn off the heat, transfer it to a small bowl, and let it cool.
In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and salt with a hand mixer on medium speed.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract in 6–7 additions, beating on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go.
Add the sifted cake flour and baking powder and fold in gently with a spatula.
Add the warmed milk and mix lightly.
Divide the batter between 2 pans and bake in an oven preheated to 170°C for 25 minutes. If baking in a single pan, use one at least 7cm tall and bake longer; before taking it out, insert a skewer in the center to check that it comes out clean.
Turn the baked sponges upside down and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Cooling them upside down keeps the tops flat; if they aren’t flat, trim a thin layer off the top.
In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt by hand.
Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat to 75°C to dissolve the sugar. Whisk constantly the whole time so the whites don’t cook in patches, and use a deep bowl so no water gets into the whites.
Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and whip with a hand mixer on high speed.
Stop whipping once the meringue holds stiff peaks.
Add the cubed butter in 3 additions, whipping on high speed.
Stop once the butter and meringue come together and the cream turns firm. It will look soupy at first, but it gradually firms up as you keep whipping on high. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Spread buttercream over one cooled sponge layer, then top with the raspberry jam.
Place the second layer on top and spread buttercream over it with an offset spatula.
Decorate with cherries, assorted berries, and herbs if you like.
Tips
It looks like something out of a European baking book, and the Swiss meringue buttercream filling gives it an exotic flavor.
In winter, you can make the jam with strawberries instead of raspberries.
A cake made with butter sponge and buttercream is softer when eaten at room temperature.
In hot weather, keep it refrigerated and take it out 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off — it tastes better that way. At room temperature, it’s best eaten within 3 days.
Raspberry Buttercream Cake
Equipment: oven, mixing bowl, kitchen scale, sieve, pot
Ingredients (1 batch)
- raspberries 80g, frozen
- raspberry puree 100g
- sugar 40g
- lemon juice 10g
- pectin 1g (or 4g cornstarch)
- unsalted butter 140g
- egg 140g
- sugar 130g
- salt 2g
- cake flour 140g
- baking powder 6g
- milk 60g
- vanilla extract 3g
- unsalted butter 160g
- egg white 80g
- sugar 90g
- salt a pinch
- lemon 2g, zest
- vanilla extract 4g
Instructions
1. Work in this order: raspberry jam → butter sponge → Swiss meringue buttercream.
2. Put the frozen raspberries, raspberry puree, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring.
3. Once it boils, add the pectin.
4. When it reaches a thick, jam-like consistency, turn off the heat, transfer it to a small bowl, and let it cool.
5. In a bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and salt with a hand mixer on medium speed.
6. Add the eggs and vanilla extract in 6–7 additions, beating on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go.
7. Add the sifted cake flour and baking powder and fold in gently with a spatula.
8. Add the warmed milk and mix lightly.
9. Divide the batter between 2 pans and bake in an oven preheated to 170°C for 25 minutes. If baking in a single pan, use one at least 7cm tall and bake longer; before taking it out, insert a skewer in the center to check that it comes out clean.
10. Turn the baked sponges upside down and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Cooling them upside down keeps the tops flat; if they aren't flat, trim a thin layer off the top.
11. In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt by hand.
12. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat to 75°C to dissolve the sugar. Whisk constantly the whole time so the whites don't cook in patches, and use a deep bowl so no water gets into the whites.
13. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and whip with a hand mixer on high speed.
14. Stop whipping once the meringue holds stiff peaks.
15. Add the cubed butter in 3 additions, whipping on high speed.
16. Stop once the butter and meringue come together and the cream turns firm. It will look soupy at first, but it gradually firms up as you keep whipping on high. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
17. Spread buttercream over one cooled sponge layer, then top with the raspberry jam.
18. Place the second layer on top and spread buttercream over it with an offset spatula.
19. Decorate with cherries, assorted berries, and herbs if you like.
https://hong-recipe.pages.dev/en/recipes/raspberry-butter-cream-cake/
Hong's Recipe