Description
Pink heart raspberry cake made with a moist raspberry cake, homemade raspberry compote, raspberry mascarpone frosting, and pink raspberry buttercream (for a 6-inch cake - serves 8).
Ingredients
Raspberry Cakes
- 169 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, very soft
- 250 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated white sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 165 g (5 large) egg whites, at room temperature
- 65 g (1/4 cup) raspberry purée
- 170 g (1 1/3 cups) cake flour
- 1 tsp (6 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) baking soda
- 180 g (3/4 cup) buttermilk
- Pink or red food coloring
Homemade Raspberry Compote
- 400 g (3 cups) fresh or frozen raspberries
Raspberry Mascarpone Frosting
- 100 g (1/2 cup) cold mascarpone
- 88 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) cold heavy cream
- 25 g (2 tbsp) raspberry purée
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry Buttercream
Instructions
Raspberry Compote
- Place the fresh or frozen raspberries in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a thick raspberry compote.
- Reserve about 80 g (1/3 cup) of the compote for filling the layer cake.
- Blend the remaining compote with an immersion blender or a regular blender, then strain it through a fine sieve to get a smooth, seedless purée. Let it cool completely.
Raspberry Cake Layers
- Preheat your oven to 165°C (325°F). Grease a heart cake pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar for 3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla extract, and beat for at least 5 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and volumized.
- Incorporate the cooled raspberry purée and mix until the batter is uniform.
- Gradually and alternately fold in the sifted dry ingredients— cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt—and the buttermilk.
- Gently mix with a spatula until you get a smooth pink batter. (Add a touch of pink or red food coloring if you want a more vibrant cake.)
- Weigh the cake batter and divide it into 3 portions (bake in 3 separate batches using the same pan). Pour one portion into the prepared heart cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes without opening the door.
- Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.
- Run a knife gently around the edges of the cake to help release it from the pan, then let the cake cool upside down on a wire rack. (Once cooled, use a knife to carefully trim the crust if you want.)
Raspberry Buttercream
- Prepare the raspberry buttercream according to the recipe and let it to room temperature before assembling the cake. Transfer the buttercream into a large piping bag.
Raspberry Mascarpone Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients: cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, cold raspberry purée, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Whip with an electric mixer on low speed for 1–2 minutes until the frosting is smooth and firm.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and keep it refrigerated.
Assembling the Layer Cake
- Place one cake layer on a cake board, then set it on a cake turntable.
- Pipe a border of raspberry buttercream around the edges of the heart-shaped sponge.
- Fill the center with a layer of raspberry mascarpone frosting, followed by raspberry compote.
- Add the second cake layer and repeat the process with the final layer.
- Coat the entire cake with a thin layer of raspberry buttercream (crumb coat) and smooth it with an offset spatula to seal in the crumbs.
- Apply a second, thicker layer of buttercream and smooth it with a metal icing scraper.
- Transfer the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.
- Pipe a shell border along the top edge of the cake. Use the same tip to create another border along the bottom edge, then switch to a smaller star tip to pipe a second border for a vintage effect. (Add more pink food coloring to create contrasting shades for the borders if desired.)
- Refrigerate the heart cake until ready to serve or enjoy immediately.
Notes
Storage: Keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Tips:
- Always use a digital kitchen scale instead of measuring cups for the best accuracy and results.
- Let the raspberry purée cool completely before using it in your preparations.
- Ensure the sponge cakes are fully cooled before assembling. You can place them in the fridge to speed up the cooling process and make assembly easier.
- Microwave a small portion of buttercream for a few seconds and mix it back into the rest to make the buttercream smoother.
- Pipe a thick border of buttercream to fully seal the raspberry compote in the center and prevent it from leaking out.
- Don’t skip the crumb coat—it helps trap crumbs and ensures a clean, smooth finish.
- After chilling, take the layer cake out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream for easier slicing.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Category: cake, dessert
- Cuisine: American