Recipe courtesy of Susana Mijares
Almond Cake with Key Lime Buttercream and Raspberry Compote
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 837
- Total Fat
- 46
- Saturated Fat
- 25
- Carbohydrates
- 101
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 77
- Protein
- 10
- Cholesterol
- 211
- Sodium
- 253
- Total: 2 hr 30 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr 50 min
Ingredients
Almond Cake:
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus for greasing pans
1 1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs, separated
1 cup almond meal
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup almond liqueur
Almond Liqueur Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup almond liqueur
Key Lime Buttercream:
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
Raspberry Compote:
1 pint raspberries
1/2 pint blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Juice of 1 lime
Decorations:
Blackberries
Raspberries
White chocolate curls, fans, etc., optional
Powdered sugar
Directions
- For the almond cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line with parchment.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, fully combining before each addition. Keep mixing until light and pale. Add the almond meal and mix to combine.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder to combine. Set aside.
- Combine the evaporated milk and almond liqueur. Set aside.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding one-third of the flour mixture and one-half of the evaporated milk mixture to the creamed butter. Start and end with the flour, and do not overmix.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Gently fold into the batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops are golden and spring back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes, then run a paring knife or mini offset spatula around the pans and unmold the cakes onto a rack. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes.
- For the almond liqueur simple syrup: Whisk the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the burner and let cool for about 20 minutes
- Once cooled, stir in almond liqueur. Reserve.
- For the key lime buttercream: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and then add the lime juice and zest. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 5 minutes, until satiny and fluffy. Reserve.
- For the raspberry compote: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the raspberries, blackberries, sugar, water and lime juice. Cook until you can start to crush the berries with the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Cook for another 5 minutes to thicken a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To assemble: Slice each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Place the first layer, cut-side up, on a cake board. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface with about 3 tablespoons of the almond syrup.
- Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip and pipe a border around the edge of the cake.
- With a mini offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream in the center of the cake layer. Then, staying inside the piped border, spread a thin layer of the raspberry compote on top of the buttercream.
- Place another cake layer, cut-side up, on top. Repeat with the rest of the layers.
- To decorate the top of the cake: Pipe a border of buttercream beads around the edge and then spread with a thin layer of buttercream. Top with blackberries, raspberries, and white chocolate decorations if using. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and enjoy.