White Chocolate, Almond and Raspberry Cake

Instead of trying to describe this cake myself, I'm just going to include what someone wrote on my Facebook wall about this cake:

"Thanks so much for the best b-day cake I ever had!! It's truly a work of art, and it's a shame that everyone can't have a piece .... oh, well, more for me. I'm not really a fan of chocolate, and Allison went out of her way to make me a GREAT cake. There's 1 piece left (I can't believe it), and I think I'll take it home to enjoy later.... Thanks, again, Allison!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ingredients

almond cake
½ recipe raspberry purée
½ recipe stabilized whipped cream

1 ½ containers fresh raspberries
white chocolate cream cheese frosting
melted bittersweet chocolate, for garnish
whole almonds, for garnish
more fresh raspberries, for garnish

Equipment
cake leveler or large serrated knife
pastry brush
10” cardboard round or platter
strips of parchment paper
large frosting spreader

Directions
1. Even out tops of cakes with a cake leveler or large serrated knife. Brush away any crumbs
2. Brush tops with raspberry purée.
3. Transfer one cake half, purée side up, to a cardboard round or platter. Line bottom with parchment strips.
4. Spread 1 cup of whipped cream over top of cake, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edges.
5. Press raspberries into whipped cream.
6. Place second cake layer, purée side down, on top. Brush away any crumbs.
7. Frost with a thin layer of white chocolate frosting. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Dollop cake with frosting and frost top and sides as desired. Remove parchment strips.
9. Decorate cake as desired.

Yields 1 2-layer 9” round cake

© 2009 by Allison Lattman

Almond Cake

This cake is eggy in texture and fruity almond in taste. It is so perfect, you can just eat it by itself or create an amazing white chocolate, almond and raspberry cake. Delicious!

Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
7 ounces almond paste
1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment
dry measuring cups
dry measuring spoons
medium bowl
whisk
food processor fitted with bottom chopping blade
rubber spatula
2 9” × 2” metal round cake pans with straight sides, lightly greased with butter, bottom lined with parchment, lightly greased again and lightly floured
cake tester
cooling racks

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, cream the sugar and almond paste until well mixed.
4. Add the butter and process until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, pulsing after each addition.
6. Add the dry ingredients, in fourths, to the wet ingredients, processing until well mixed. Scrape down between each addition.
7. Add vanilla and process until mixed.
8. Pour batter into prepared pans.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until top springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester comes out almost clean.
10. Move cakes, in pans, to cooling racks. Allow to cool in pans for 20 minutes.Turn cakes out, flip right side up. Allow to cool completely.

Yields 2 9-inch round cake layers

© 2009 by Allison Lattman

Raspberry Purée

Don't bother with the expense of fresh raspberries for this. You're just puréeing them anybody. And often, especially in the off-season, frozen raspberries are better anyway. Just be sure to purchase frozen raspberries that do not have any added sugar. Even though there is sugar in the recipe, I find that I never end up adding it. The raspberries are sweet enough on their own.

Ingredients
1 12-ounce bag thawed frozen raspberries
squeeze fresh lemon juice
granulated sugar, if needed

Equipment
food processor fitted with bottom chopping blade
sieve
rubber spatula
small bowl

Directions
1. In a food processor, purée the raspberries.
2. Push through a sieve with a rubber spatula into a small bowl to remove any seeds.
3. Mix in a squeeze of lemon juice and sugar, if the sauce needs sweetening.

Yields about 1 ½ cups

© 2009 by Allison Lattman

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Stabilized whipped cream is whipped cream with added corn syrup. The corn syrup helps keep the whipped cream from melting for a long period of time, making it ideal for filling and frosting cakes.

Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup light corn syrup

Equipment
stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer and a large bowl
dry measuring cups
liquid measuring cup

Directions
1. Beat whipped cream until soft peaks form, adding confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract.
2. Beat in light corn syrup until stiff peaks form.

Yields about 4 cups

© 2009 by Allison Lattman

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

This is an amazing soft frosting with a beautiful finish. Gorgeous enough for any wedding cake.

Ingredients
12 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
13 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon almond extract)

Equipment
chef's knife
cutting board
double boiler or sauce pot with medium bowl
rubber spatula
stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer and a large bowl
liquid measure shot glass

Directions
1. Fill bottom of a double boiler with some water; set it to simmer.
2. Put finely chopped white chocolate in top bowl of double boiler. Set over simmering water, stirring with double spatula until almost all of the chocolate is melted.
3. Remove from top of double boiler, continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. With mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
5. Gradually add melted white chocolate, beating until well blended.
6. Add vanilla (and almond, if using) and beat until thoroughly mixed.

Yields enough frosting to fill and frost 1 9-inch 2 layer round cake

© 2009 by Allison Lattman

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Eggs that won't peel? Yucky grey film around the yolk? You won't find those here!

Ingredients
eggs (store eggs in the refrigerator narrow side down to center the yolks before cooking)
water
ice

Equipment
cooking pot with lid (large enough to fit your eggs on the bottom)
slotted spoon
large bowl

Directions
1. Place eggs in the bottom of the cooking pot.
2. Fill pot with water until eggs are covered by at least 2 inches.
3. Place pot on high heat. Allow to boil uncovered.
4. As soon as the water boils, cover the pot with the lid and turn the burner off. (If using an electric range, move the pot off the burner.)
5. Let eggs cook for 10 minutes.
6. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
7. When the eggs have cooked for 10 minutes, immediately remove eggs from pot with a slotted spoon to the ice bath.
8. Let sit until cooled. Peel and serve or remove from water and store in the refrigerator.

© 2009 by Allison Lattman

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto

This dish is so easy. It's just chop, bake, boil and process. The toughest part is roasting the peppers, but, really, that's easy, too.

Ingredients
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
fine sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 eggplant
2 zucchinis
2 portabella mushroom caps
remaining head of garlic (after cloves above are removed)
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound whole grain pasta (whole wheat, brown rice, whole spelt)
pesto sauce*

Equipment
large pot of water with pasta insert or colander
tongs
paper lunch bag
small bowl
small whisk
garlic press
chef’s knife
cutting board
large glass baking dish
pastry brush
aluminum foil
large bowl

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450˚F.
2. Boil large pot of water.
3. On bare stovetop, roast bell pepper over open flame, turning as each side becomes charred.
4. Move charred peppers to paper lunch bag. Close and set aside.
5. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic cloves, basil, salt and pepper.
6. Cut eggplants, zucchinis and mushrooms into large chunks.
7. Brush glass baking dish with olive oil mixture.
8. Line baking dish with vegetables.
9. Drizzle remaining olive oil mixture. Toss to coat. Place in oven.
10. Take remaining head of garlic, cut off top, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and place directly on oven rack.
11. Salt boiling water, add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.
12. Remove charred skins and seeds from peppers. Cut into large chunks.
13. As veggies start to roast on one side, turn over for even cooking.
14. Cook until soft, but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
15. Drain pasta and run (in colander) under cold water to stop cooking process.
16. In a large bowl, combine pasta, roasted vegetables, roasted garlic (squeezed from casing) and pesto*. Toss until ingredients are well distributed. Serve immediately.

* The thing to remember with pesto is that a little goes a long way. Start by adding half of the pesto and mix. If you would like more, add as desired.

Serves 6

© 2009 by Allison Lattman