Raspberry Charlotte Birthday Cake

Raspberry Charlotte Birthday Cake

Makes 8-10 servings

partially adapted from TASTEBOOK

INGREDIENTS

Raspberry Puree

1 - 16 ounce bag of frozen unsweetened raspberries

1/4  granulated white sugar, or to taste

Sponge Cake

6 large eggs

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 4 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Raspberry Cream

3/4 cup raspberry puree

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 envelopes of unflavored powdered gelatin

Plus 

1/4 cup raspberry puree

Topping

1/2 cup blackberries

1-2 packages White chocolate sticks (Cadbury's chocolate fingers) {POCKY}

DIRECTIONS

Raspberry Puree: 

• Put the unsweetened frozen raspberries in a large bowl and thaw. It's gonna take between 2 and 3 hours. 
• Once thawed, put the raspberries and their juice in the bowl of a blender and mix the berries until they are pureed. Pour the puree into a 2 cup measuring cup. You need 2 cups of puree. 
• Add the sugar to the puree and stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Leftover puree you can refrigerate for about 3 days and use for ice cream toppings or for mixing cocktails.

Sponge Cake: 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. 
• Butter and line the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper. 
• Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about five minutes, or until they are fluffy and light colored.
• Add the vanilla extract and beat until it's smooth. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Sift 1/2 of the flour over the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula or whisk. 
• Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold in. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the batter into the melted butter (to lighten it) and then gently fold the butter mixture back into the rest of the batter. 
• Pour immediately into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. 
• Run a spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pan and then invert the cake onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper.

Raspberry Cream:

• Chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup stir together the gelatin and 1/4 cup of the raspberry puree. 
• Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes and then microwave for a few seconds to dissolve the gelatin. Once the gelatin has dissolved, stir the gelatin mixture into the remaining raspberry puree. 
• Set aside while you whip the cream.

Remove the mixing bowl and whisk from the freezer, and beat the cream until soft peaks form. 

Add the raspberry puree mixture and continue to beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Taste and fold in a little sugar, if needed.

To assemble the Charlotte Cake:

• Cut the cake into 2 layers. For cutting the sponge cake into 2 layers use a piece of sewing yarn. It's much easier than cutting with a knife. Just take a piece of yarn, hold it with both hands and place it from one end of the cake to another, cross your hands, while you pull the yarn trough the cake.
• Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate.
• Spread 1/4 cup  of raspberry puree on top of the layer. Spread 1/2 of the raspberry cream on top.

You can also cut the cake into 3 layers, like I did, but 2 layers also look nice.

Maybe you have to wait, until the mixture is creamy enough to frost the cake, but don't wait to long, otherwise the cream is to stiff and its not gonna work.

• Set the second layer on top and spread the rest of the raspberry whipped cream evenly on the top and the sides of the cake, using a spatula.
• Press white chocolate sticks all around the cake. 
• Sprinkle blackberries on top of the cake.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill for about 2-3 hours so the cream has time to set. 

Enjoy...