Mixed Berry Chiffon Cake With Almond Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

MIXED-BERRY CHIFFON CAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For almond cream filling: Pour half and half into medium saucepan.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring cream to simmer.
• Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes.
• Blend sugar and flour in medium bowl.
• Whisk in eggs, then warm half and half mixture; return to same pan.
• Add almond paste.
• Whisk over medium heat until almond paste dissolves and custard boils, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add white chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth.
• Press plastic wrap onto custard; chill 3 hours.
• Remove vanilla bean.
• Beat cream to peaks; fold into custard in 3 additions.
• Cover; chill at least 6 hours.
• (This part can be done 2 days in advance--keep chilled.) For cake: Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
• Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup lukewarm water into dry ingredients; beat in oil, egg yolks, both extracts, and peel.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• Fold whites into batter in 3 additions.
• Measure 4 2/3 cups batter into 1 prepared pan and 3 1/3 cups batter into second pan.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for thinner cake and 30 minutes for larger cake.
• Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes.
• Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Place thinner cake on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom.
• Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly.
• Chill until filling is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut larger cake horizontally in half.
• Place 1 half, cut side down, atop chilled filling.
• Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly.
• Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.
• Cover cake and remaining filling; chill 3 hours.
• For almond cream cheese frosting:.
• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and both extracts in large bowl to blend.
• Beat in 3/4 cup remaining filling.
• Spread 1 cup frosting thinly over sides and top of cake.
• Spread cake with remaining frosting, building high rim around top edge.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.).
• Mound berries on top of cake.
• Brush top of berries with warm jelly to glaze.
• Serve immediately, or chill up to 6 hours.

MIXED-BERRY CHIFFON CAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For almond cream filling:
• Pour half and half into medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes. Blend sugar and flour in medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, then warm half and half mixture; return to same pan. Add almond paste. Whisk over medium heat until almond paste dissolves and custard boils, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Press plastic wrap onto custard; chill 3 hours. Remove vanilla bean. Beat cream to peaks; fold into custard in 3 additions. Cover; chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup lukewarm water into dry ingredients; beat in oil, egg yolks, both extracts, and peel. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Measure 4 2/3 cups batter into 1 prepared pan and 3 1/3 cups batter into second pan.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for thinner cake and 30 minutes for larger cake. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Place thinner cake on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Chill until filling is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut larger cake horizontally in half. Place 1 half, cut side down, atop chilled filling. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down . Cover cake and remaining filling; chill 3 hours.
• For almond cream cheese frosting:
• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and both extracts in large bowl to blend. Beat in 3/4 cup remaining filling. Spread 1 cup frosting thinly over sides and top of cake. Spread cake with remaining frosting, building high rim around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.)
• Mound berries on top of cake. Brush top of berries with warm jelly to glaze. Serve immediately, or chill up to 6 hours.

NAKED BERRY CHIFFON CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and two 6-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment; butter parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together oil, egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds. Whisk egg-yolk mixture into flour mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one-third of egg white mixture into batter. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining egg-white mixture with a rubber spatula. Transfer batter to prepared pans: 2 cups batter in each 6-inch pan and 4 cups batter in each 9-inch pan. Bake until golden and tops spring back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes for 6-inch cakes and 30 minutes for 9-inch cakes. Let cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment. Let cool completely, upside-down.
• Whipped Cream:In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together cream and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes flat. Split each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Place a 9-inch cake layer, bottom-side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups whipped cream evenly over top. Repeat process with remaining 9-inch cake layers, spreading 1 1/2 cups whipped cream between each layer and leaving top layer (bottom-side up) uncovered. Refrigerate while you work on the second tier. Repeat process with 6-inch cake layers, spreading 1 cup whipped cream between each layer.
• Insert a wooden dowel or skewer into 9-inch tier; trim dowel so that it?s 1/4 inch taller than height of tier. Trim 2 more dowels to same height. Arrange dowels in a circular pattern, about 3 inches from edge of cake. Center 6-inch tier over 9-inch tier, pressing gently to secure. Insert a dowel into 6-inch tier; trim dowel to height of tier.
• Garnish cake with berries and flowers, scattering on top of each tier and around perimeter of serving platter. Using a small, fine sieve, sift confectioners' sugar over berries. Serve immediately.