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Tomiko’s birthday is in early July, and since the whole family was working and busy on the actual day, we put off having the cake until the following weekend. I have made my own birthday cakes since I was 13, and I love making my family’s birthday cakes as well! They don’t seem to mind, apart from Karlos, who likes getting cakes from Dufflet Pastries.
As it now full-on summer, Tomiko decided to have a more delicate, fruity cake (apart from the dense, chocolaty, nutty cakes that I make in the fall or winter). Why not pair fantastic Ontario raspberries with creamy and sweet white chocolate? And frost with my favourite…whipped cream. Only this whipped cream has been infused with vanilla and is enriched with melted white chocolate.
Our aunt in Germany would make fabulous Torten for Tomiko’s and Karlos’ birthdays when we would spend the summer there. She always frosted her cakes with whipped cream, and this is actually her method for making flavoured whipped cream. It took me ages to understand, via our Mama who acted as interpreter, how the process of adding the chocolate to the cream actually worked. I’m glad to say, though, it is a raging success!
- 4 ounce white baking chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- 6 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 2¾ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup berry jam (I used a blueberry-raspberry-strawberry jam)
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- In a double boiler over medium heat, melt 4 ounces chopped white chocolate with ½ cup whipping cream, stirring constantly until smooth. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the melted mixture (save the leftover bean for vanilla sugar). Transfer to large bowl; stir in remaining 1½ cup whipping cream.
- Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The cream won't whip unless it's cold.
- Grease three 9-inch-diameter round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. In a double boiler over medium heat, melt 6 ounces white chocolate in ½ cup whipping cream over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ½ cup whipping cream, milk and vanilla. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
- In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
- Alternately add dry ingredients and cooled white chocolate mixture to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat until smooth.
- In a medium bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until foamy. Egg whites won't whip if there is any amount of fat or oil on the bowl or beaters. Add remaining 1 cup sugar, and beat on high speed until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter; pour into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in layers comes out clean. I only had two 9-inch cake pans, so I baked the layers for 35 minutes.
- Remove white chocolate cream from refrigerator. Beat at high speed with electric mixer until stiff and fluffy. Do not overbeat as mixture will begin to form clumps.
- Place first layer on serving plate. Spread with 2 tablespoons jam; top with ½ cup white chocolate cream frosting and sprinkle with ½ cup raspberries. Place second cake layer over frosting, spread with jam, frosting and raspberries. Top with remaining cake layer and spread with remaining white chocolate cream frosting. Decorate with remaining raspberries. Chill until serving time!
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