Mixed Berry Almond Cake Recipes

MIXED BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
• Add almond paste, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat on high for three minutes.
• Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to almond mixture and beat until just combined. Pour 2 1/4 cups of batter into prepared pan, gently smoothing to edges.
• Evenly sprinkle berries across batter. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter on top of berries and sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the inside edge of pan and release springform circle. Lightly dust with powdered sugar. finish cooling on rack or serve slightly warm. This cake is equally delicious served cold.

MIXED BERRY ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• Combine white sugar, almond paste, and butter in mixing bowl; beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high for 3 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to almond paste mixture and beat until just combined. Pour 2 1/4 cups of batter into prepared pan, gently smoothing to edges. Arrange blueberries and raspberries atop the batter layer; top with remaining batter. Sprinkle almonds over the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the inside edge of the pan and release springform circle.
• Lightly dust cake with confectioners' sugar.

ALMOND BERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 3 (8-inch) round baking pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Brush with butter again and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Place 1 tablespoon flour, the almonds, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
• Fill a pot (large enough to set the bowl of an electric mixer in it without the bowl touching the bottom) with 1 inch water and bring to a simmer over low heat.
• Place the eggs, egg whites and sugar in the bowl and gently whisk to incorporate. Place the bowl over the pot of steaming water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Return bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale yellow, thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla and gently stir to combine.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold almond mixture into batter. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. The centers will rise and fall during baking. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes and turn them out onto a flat plate or cardboard round. Peel off parchment and invert onto another plate or round. Cakes should be right-side up. Cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap if not using immediately.
• In a chilled metal bowl, whip the mascarpone and creme fraiche, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until it holds its shape and is not at all runny. Add the lemon zest, confectioners' sugar and liqueur, if using, and beat to combine well. Add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar, to taste, if you choose.
• Place one of the cakes on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 of the mascarpone filling and 1/3 of the berries. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers, leaving the prettiest berries for the top. If not serving right away, chill until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

ALMOND-BERRY COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: Whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and almonds in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs ranging in size from small peas to marbles. Sprinkle with almond extract; toss to combine.
• Make the cake: Use cooking spray to coat a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Place pan on a baking sheet. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Fold raspberries into jam in a small bowl.
• Put butter, sugar, and zest into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Mix in half the reserved flour mixture, followed by the sour cream. Add remaining flour mixture; beat until just combined.
• Spoon half the batter into prepared pan. Mound berry mixture in a ring in center of batter. Top with remaining batter. Using a small offset spatula, smooth top. Sprinkle with the topping.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pan to loosen. Pull up on tube to lift cake from pan. Let cool on rack 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a baking sheet, removing tube portion, then reinvert onto rack to cool completely.

ALMOND AND MIXED-BERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Whisk egg white and 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Mix in almonds.
• Blend 1/2 cup sugar and almond paste in processor until fine meal forms. Add flour, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and ginger; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms; transfer to large bowl. Whisk egg yolk, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, tossing until moist clumps form. Using floured hands, gather dough together.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces; roll each into 2-inch ball. Place balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 to 3 inches apart. Gently press top of each ball to flatten slightly. Divide almond topping (including egg white) among biscuits; spread to cover. Bake biscuits until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 26 minutes (biscuits will spread). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)
• Combine berries, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Stir in preserves. Let stand until juices form, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place bottoms on plates. Top with berry mixture, cream, and biscuit tops.
• *Available in specialty foods stores and in the baking products section of most supermarkets.

MIXED-BERRY CHIFFON CAKE WITH ALMOND CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For almond cream filling:
• Pour half and half into medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring cream to simmer. Remove from heat; cover and steep 15 minutes. Blend sugar and flour in medium bowl. Whisk in eggs, then warm half and half mixture; return to same pan. Add almond paste. Whisk over medium heat until almond paste dissolves and custard boils, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and butter; whisk until melted and smooth. Press plastic wrap onto custard; chill 3 hours. Remove vanilla bean. Beat cream to peaks; fold into custard in 3 additions. Cover; chill at least 6 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup lukewarm water into dry ingredients; beat in oil, egg yolks, both extracts, and peel. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Measure 4 2/3 cups batter into 1 prepared pan and 3 1/3 cups batter into second pan.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for thinner cake and 30 minutes for larger cake. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes and turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Place thinner cake on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Chill until filling is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut larger cake horizontally in half. Place 1 half, cut side down, atop chilled filling. Spread with 1/2 cup preserves, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Spoon 1 1/2 cups filling in dollops atop preserves; spread evenly. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down . Cover cake and remaining filling; chill 3 hours.
• For almond cream cheese frosting:
• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, and both extracts in large bowl to blend. Beat in 3/4 cup remaining filling. Spread 1 cup frosting thinly over sides and top of cake. Spread cake with remaining frosting, building high rim around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill.)
• Mound berries on top of cake. Brush top of berries with warm jelly to glaze. Serve immediately, or chill up to 6 hours.

MIXED-BERRY COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom and side of 9-inch round cake pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in milk just until blended. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Spread batter in pan.
• In medium bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Add berries; toss with cinnamon-sugar mixture until well coated. Spoon berry mixture over batter. Sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
• In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake. Serve warm.