I have been wanting to make this cake for almost a month now. I pinned the recipe onto my Desserts board and it has been languishing there, tempting me each time I pin something new. I came across this recipe on The Little Epicurean – a lovely site filled with awesome recipes and photographs. I finally gave in, bought some almond flour (which is expensive, by the way), and baked this cake. It is the most fancy cake I have ever made! And it was divine!!!! The coolest thing about this cake: it uses muffin scraps. Yes. That’s right. You get to bake some muffins and then crush them up into muffin scraps. Or like The Little Epicurean, it was a happy accident since her muffins would not come out of the pan, she had to pull them out with her hands and not wanting to toss the tasty muffin scraps, she made this cake instead.
The original recipe called for raspberries (my favorite) but I was out, so I substituted with strawberries instead, and I did not have strawberry jam, so I used IKEA’s Lingonberry jam. The end result is to die for! Check it out for yourself. Try it. You will not regret making this cake. Warning: This is a hands-on baking experience 🙂
INGREDIENTS
- Raspberry Almond Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large yolk, room temperature
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp lemon thyme leaves, chopped, optional ( I did not have these)
- zest of half a lemon (forgot to use lemon zest)
- 2 cups raspberries (used strawberries instead)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, amount depending on desired consistency
- sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted
- raspberry jam (IKEA’s lingonberry jam is all I had on hand)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs and yolk. Add in sugar, melted butter, milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
- In three additions, pour wet mixture into large bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together until combined. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide batter into prepared muffin tin.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until muffins are golden in color and a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing and allow muffins to cool on wire rack.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add salt and vanilla. Mix until combined. Slowly add sifted confectioners’ sugar. Mix until smooth and desired consistency is achieved.
- Take an 8-inch cake ring and place on a slightly larger cake board. Alternatively, place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cut a 3-inch wide acetate strip to line the inside of the cake ring.
- Take the raspberry muffin scraps and divide it into three equal parts. Take one part of the scraps and make the first layer inside the ring. Use the palm of your hands, the bottom of a drinking glass, or a tamper to push the scraps together into a flat and even layer.
- Spread about 1/4 cup of raspberry jam in an even layer over the cake.
- Spread about 1/3 of cream cheese frosting over the raspberry jam layer.
- Add another layer of cake scraps. Repeat the process for the first layer. Add the third layer of cake and cover with the remaining 1/3 of cream cheese frosting. Garnish with toasted sliced almonds.
- Let cake rest in freezer for at least 1 hour. Gently remove cake ring and gently peel off the acetate strip while cake cold. Let cake defrost in fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
Your cake looks beautiful! Its so neat and clean! Thanks for pinning my raspberry almond cake! 🙂
Your cake looks beautiful! Its so neat and clean! Thanks for pinning my raspberry almond cake! 🙂
Maryanne, I am so excited that you visited my blog! Thank you for the compliment 🙂 I actually layered it in a springform pan hence the neat and clean 😀 Thank you for making your raspberry almond cake. It was, seriously, the best cake I have made till date.
i pinned it and shared it on facebook …. this is a beautiful delicious looking cake — can't wait to try it … thank you for sharing your recipe with us <3
Barbara, you are so welcome! Maryanne (the commenter above) is the original author of this recipe. I just adapted it to what I had at the moment 🙂 It IS a delicious-tasting cake. You will love it! Let me know how it turns out when you make it. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a sweet comment.
Yolanda, thanks for this great recipe. This cake looks delicious. Cannot wait to try it. Will also visit Maryanne's blog. I've pinned this on Pinterest too.
Yolanda, thanks for this great recipe. This cake looks delicious. Cannot wait to try it. Will also visit Maryanne's blog. I've pinned this on Pinterest too.
You are very welcome 🙂 It IS delicious! Please do return and let me know how it turns out. Yes, do visit Maryanne's blog. It is lovely.
You are very welcome 🙂 It IS delicious! Please do return and let me know how it turns out. Yes, do visit Maryanne's blog. It is lovely.
This looks amazing!!! I think I am going to try this this weekend!!! How much jam did you use?
This looks amazing!!! I think I am going to try this this weekend!!! How much jam did you use?
Thank you! I am sure you will love it 🙂 I only used a teaspoon or two of jam for each layer. I don't like really sweet things (I know, right), so I did not layer on too much. Jam is also quite potent in flavor and I did not want it to take away from the almond-y flavor, does that make sense? It is your preference, of course, how much jam you would like to use. Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you! I am sure you will love it 🙂 I only used a teaspoon or two of jam for each layer. I don't like really sweet things (I know, right), so I did not layer on too much. Jam is also quite potent in flavor and I did not want it to take away from the almond-y flavor, does that make sense? It is your preference, of course, how much jam you would like to use. Hope you enjoy it!
I cannot find almond flour. Can I substitute regular flour for it?
I cannot find almond flour. Can I substitute regular flour for it?
Question: How do you press down the additional layers of muffin scraps without squishing out the frosting & jam…? Or are you just sprinkling it on at that point?
Question: How do you press down the additional layers of muffin scraps without squishing out the frosting & jam…? Or are you just sprinkling it on at that point?
The cake looks delicious and I want it! I am not a baker nor a cook so here are some out of it questions … where did the muffin scraps come from? were the muffins crumbled after baking and used in layering the cake?
The cake looks delicious and I want it! I am not a baker nor a cook so here are some out of it questions … where did the muffin scraps come from? were the muffins crumbled after baking and used in layering the cake?
Sorry, I don't think so. It has to do with the consistency, I think.
I actually layered the whole thing in a springform pan. That way, I could squish the layers and the sides of the pan held it all in. Then I would spread the layer of frosting and jam using a spatula, and layer it again with the muffin scraps. Once done, because I would stick it in the fridge to firm up, the pan holds and molds the whole cake.
Thank you! You first make the muffins (recipe included), and then you crumble them up into scraps once they are baked and cooled. Yes, you use the muffin scraps to layer the cake. I am not much of a baker either but this recipe was easy and fun to make.
I missed the part too, where you crumble the muffins…. was thinking you were going to stack them whole.
I missed the part too, where you crumble the muffins…. was thinking you were going to stack them whole.
Oh so sorry for the confusion. Yes, please crumble the muffins once they are baked and cooled. I know it seems like destroying your hard work but trust me, the resulting cake is to die for 🙂
Oh so sorry for the confusion. Yes, please crumble the muffins once they are baked and cooled. I know it seems like destroying your hard work but trust me, the resulting cake is to die for 🙂
I have made this twice now. I was wondering if you use the giant muffin pans because instead of 12 – it made 20 regular muffins each time. (Love this cake, by the way!)
So delicious! And mine turned out looking like yours! That's not something that normally happens…ha ha. Thanks for posting!
Wow, twenty – really? I use the regular muffin pans, but hey, if you have extras, I hope no one is complaining 😉
I am so glad you liked it! Trust me, mine doesn't always turn out so pretty either 😀 Enjoy and thanks for commenting here. I love reading people comments!
This looks so heavenly! Can someone tell me what an acetate strip is?
A must try!
Just curious….where is the lemon zest supposed to go? I zested my half lemon and when I put my cake in the freezer to firm up, I remembered I hadn't used the zest either! WONDERFUL recipe by the way!! This is my second time to make it!
Thank you for making it and multiple times, too! Okay, that is funny that you forgot the lemon zest, as well! It is supposed to go in the muffin batter when you add the milk, sugar, melted butter, etc. I am sure you will make it again 🙂 let me know if you can taste the difference with the lemon zest in it the next time. Thanks again!
LOVELY! SO crazy delicous!
I am new! Mind checking out, or well, subscribing… to my blog?
all advice and tips are accepted
http://www.packthefork.wordpress.com
Thanks, Lorena! Glad you liked it! Happy to check out your blog 🙂 Good luck!
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#6 Under "Layer Cake Assembly" is confusing. I don't have a clue what that whole step is instructing to do.I am dying to try this recipe. I apologize for sounding stupid.
why do you have to crumble the muffins? Couldn't you maybe make into a bundt cake and cut into 3 layers? Just curious?
Trying this recipe this weekend…looks delicious!
Trying this recipe this weekend…looks delicious!
I HAD THE SAME QUESTION. WENT TO WEB. IT IS USED IS FANCY SHOPS TO LINE THE CAKE RING SO THAT THE FINAL PRODUCT CAN BE SLID OUT FROM THE RING AND LEAVE A SMOOTH EDGE. I COPIED WHAT I SAW, HOPE I CAN INSERT HERE THE PICTURE THEY SHOWED IS A ROLL OF PAPER…BUT THIS PLACE I FOUND THAT HOME BAKERS CAN BUY SHEETS OF ACETATE AND MAKE STRIPS TO LINE THE CAKE MOLD. I WOULD HAVE USED A SPRINGFORM PAN AND USED WAX PAPER, BUT GUESS I WILL LOOK FOR THE ACETATE SHEETS. HERE'S WHAT WAS SHOWN ON WEB.
Chill/Freeze
A common technique used in professional pastry kitchens is to use acetate liners to line cake rings when making chilled or frozen entremets.
For home bakers, you can cut pieces of acetate sheets to fit the circumference and height of the ring and use this as a liner for your ring moulds. What is the reason for doing so? One reason is it acts as a release mechanism between the entremet and the cake ring. With acetate liner in place, you simply lift or push the entremet out of the ring mould and you get a very clean finish. Without acetate lining, you would require a heat gun (or hairdryer) to melt the sides of the ring to release the entremet from the mould.
By exclusively using cake rings for cake and entremet making, I essentially eliminate the need to purchase many different types of pans which will ultimately save me money and space in the long run.
If you’re interested in purchasing high quality cake rings, you can go the following shops in Malaysia and Singapore:
Maryanne and Yolanda, I going to make this right now! It looks so luscious. I was looking for a different flavor that has almond. This recipe caught my attention. Thank you.
So fun to see something that is different!!
Thanks for sharing…
do you think a springform pan would work ? looks so good!
That's exactly what I used – that's why it looks so neat..hahah! So, go for it!
Thank you! Hope you try it and like it!
So late to reply to this but I hope you tried it and enjoyed it!
Mary, so sorry to reply to this so late! I finally fixed the glitch that was not notifying me of comments! I had no idea there were so many comments! To answer your question, great idea! I just followed the recipe, and besides, crumbling the muffins was a lot of fun – haha 🙂 If you do end up making this your way, I'd love to hear how it turned out!