Our contributor, Tessa Huff, is sharing a fresh summer cake recipe today…
Berry season has arrived, and with it comes the bright, juicy fruits that make summer baking so irresistible. Whether picked up at the farmer’s market or found at your local grocery, plump raspberries and strawberries bring natural sweetness and vibrant flavor to any dessert. They work beautifully sliced with whipped cream, folded into batters, or layered into cakes for a refreshing summer treat.
For this recipe I chose red raspberries paired with a vivid blood orange glaze. The tartness of the raspberries and the bright citrus of blood orange contrast the tender, buttery cake and silky buttercream, creating a cake that tastes light, fresh, and perfectly suited to long summer evenings. The glaze adds color and a punch of flavor that complements the berries and lifts the whole dessert.
RASPBERRY BLOOD ORANGE CAKE
a recipe by Tessa Huff
For the Blood Orange Scented Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
zest of 2 small–medium blood oranges
1/4 cup fresh blood orange juice
4 eggs
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare pans and set aside. This recipe will fill three 8-inch pans, five 6-inch pans, or three extra-tall 6-inch pans (if using 6-inch rounds, baked layers can be sliced to create additional layers).
- Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Rub the blood orange zest into the granulated sugar to infuse it with the orange oils.
- Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth.
- Add the zest-infused sugar to the butter and beat until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the blood orange juice until combined.
- With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately in 2–3 batches, mixing until the batter is smooth and the flour is fully incorporated.
- Divide the batter among prepared pans and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 22 minutes for 8-inch rounds). Cool completely before assembling.
For the Buttercream:
6 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1–2 tablespoons raspberry preserves (to taste)
2/3 – 1 cup fresh raspberries
- Combine egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Set a saucepan with an inch of water over medium heat and place the mixing bowl on top to create a double boiler.
- Whisk the egg-sugar mixture occasionally until it reaches about 160°F (71°C) and is hot to the touch.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to the mixer. Whisk on high with the whisk attachment until the bowl returns to room temperature and the mixture becomes light and voluminous (this makes a Swiss meringue base).
- Swap to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low, add the softened butter a little at a time and the vanilla, mixing until the buttercream is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Reserve about two-thirds of this vanilla buttercream for the exterior frosting.
- To the remaining buttercream, stir in raspberry preserves to taste and mix in about 1/3 cup fresh raspberries, breaking them down slightly to create a textured raspberry filling.
For the Blood Orange Glaze:
2–3 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice
1–2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Whisk the blood orange juice with confectioner’s sugar until you achieve a thick but pourable glaze. It should be viscous enough to hold on the cake top while still allowing a few drips down the sides. Adjust with more juice or sugar to reach the desired consistency.
Assembly:
- Level and torte cooled cake layers as needed. The example shown used five 6-inch rounds with four layers of filling.
- Spread a layer of the raspberry buttercream on the first cake layer, then add halved fresh raspberries into the filling for texture and bursts of fruit.
- Repeat with remaining layers until the cake is stacked.
- Frost the exterior with the reserved vanilla buttercream and chill briefly (about 10 minutes) to set the crumb coat.
- Carefully spoon and spread the blood orange glaze across the top, allowing it to drip slightly over the edges for a decorative finish.
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
My Raspberry Earl Grey Cake
My Lemon Meringue Cake
My Orange Creamsicle Cake
My Banana Choco Hazelnut Cake
My Rose Buttercream Cake