The last few months were a baking frenzy for me, 8 cakes and that was a lot, don’t you think so? Well… I guess not for many of you but, for me it was quite different from my usual baking routine, which was no more than a cake a month. I usually bake when I have something to celebrate, and this time… YES, it was my Husband’s Birthday! And the best part about this birthday post was its photoshoot, he posed for my photos!! I couldn’t be happier… Unlike my usual style of photography which includes hand modelling at times, it was my longtime dream to try out something different and I’m glad he finally agreed.

To celebrate his birthday I baked this Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting (which is his favorite). Last year it was a Tiramisu Swiss Roll which was a big hit at our party and this year we kept it simple with a Vanilla cake and prettied it up with props and other decos.

The cake is unbelievably soft and moist, perhaps the best I’ve done so far. If you guys read my posts regularly, you would know that I repeat this sentence every time, but trust me…that’s the truth. I’m still an amateur at baking and each episode of baking is a learning in itself, the results amaze me… be it the texture, moistness and the sweetness. So for all the beginner and amateur bakers out there, just keep trying n experiment new flavors, and you will make wonders!

The frosting of this cake is thin between the layers and on its outer side. I preferred it to be thin so as to balance the extra sweetness of the caramel drip. But you can double the measurement of the frosting if you like; to give it a thicker coat, decorate with rosettes, or design other shapes & styles. Now talking about the caramel drip, this was my first time preparing a caramel sauce, and Sweet Lord… one finger lick of it and it took me back to my childhood memories; Alpenliebe, Parrys Caramel Candy, and all those caramel toffies just sprung back to my mind! Never realized it was so easy to make, I infact thought of buying some toffee wrappers and make a few homemade caramel candy. And the final topping to the cake was the fresh raspberries; Awwweee. I just loved it… perfect to balance the sweet tooth.

As you read through the ingredients and instructions, it may seem intimidating but just follow them as is. I’ve tried to explain the cake assembling, key points, and notes to my best possible. So if you have any questions, just let me know in the comment section.

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

Print

Vanilla Raspberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Caramel Drip

Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting, topped with a Silky Caramel Drip and Fresh Raspberries…!! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, caramel drip, naked cake, raspberry cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 18 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup + 3tbsp unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup whole milk (at room temperature)

For the buttercream frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1½ - 2 cup powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the caramel drip

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (cubed)
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line three 6 inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar, beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with whole milk and beat until they combine well. The cake batter will be dense, but that’s completely ok.
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

For the buttercream frosting

• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.

Assembling the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand.
• Apply a little frosting on the center of the cake base and spread. This helps the cake to stay tight and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides, if any.
• Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the third cake. Using a spatula, level the top and the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake to form a thin and evenly covered crumb coating.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes for the crumb coating to set properly.
• Now apply the final coat of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes before pouring the caramel sauce.

For the caramel drip

• Make sure all your ingredients are ready before you start preparing the caramel sauce.
• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat sugar and water on medium heat until it completely dissolves and begins to brown. Swirl the pan while it starts boiling so that it melts evenly.
• Turn of the heat and while leaving the pan on the stove, add the cubed butter. Whisk until melted.
• Once the butter has completely melted, turn on the heat back to a low and add milk cream slowly by whisking it in parallel. Bring it to boil.
• When the mix start to thicken up, remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes before using. For a later use, transfer to air tight glass bottles and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
• This recipe measurement is enough for a semi naked /naked cake caramel drip. Once it cools down and thickens, pour slowly over the cake to create the drip effect.
• Decorate with fresh Raspberries.

Notes

• Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
• Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
• Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
• Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting from the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate the crumb coated and fully frosted stages of cake to set properly before topping with caramel. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
• Finally, ensure the cake is brought back to a room temperature before serving.

The post Vanilla Raspberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Caramel Drip appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Pepper Delight has entered its 10^th month of limelight, and I know that’s a long time for not having a cocktail recipe so far. I guess I was just prolonging it till I got the right ingredients and that’s when this bag of berries landed in my hands. Berries make a great combo with anything you try, and with a hint of lime you get that refreshing sweet tangy flavour. And there you go, a triple berry treat.

I still have plenty of berries left, so stay tuned for more recipes. Something special with a berries compote coming soon…!

Enjoy, Chill…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cup berries (I used frozen berries, thawed; raspberries, blackberries, & blueberries)
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¾ cup water
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• ¼ cup triple sec
• ½ cup tequila
• 1 cup ice cubes
• lime wedges (to garnish)
• coarse salt (to rim the glass)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Puree the berries in a blender along with water, lime juice and sugar. Strain the puree to a bowl, which will give you about 2 cups of concentrated berry syrup.
2. Combine triple sec, tequila, berry syrup, and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake well.
3. Prepare your serving glass by running a lime wedge along its rim, and then dip the rim in coarse salt (optional).
4. Pour the drink from the shaker into the glass.
5. Garnish with a lime slice (optional).

The post Berry Margarita appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Its berry season and a wonderful time to bake delicious desserts with these colorful fruits which are a pleasure to your eyes and taste. A cobbler to me is the right start… Cake crust with fruits; Yummm, my favorite kind of dessert!

I had previously uploaded a Peach cobbler recipe, but this is a different preparation as the berries are naturally sweet.

Another twist I have tried to introduce is replacing flour with wheat flour, which results in a denser dish… perfect for a quick filling.

This whole wheat berry cobbler is the right combination of sweet and sour flavour. You can either use a mix of different berries or even pick just one, whichever suits your choice and taste. The berry mix on the base is crusted with a cake mix and sprinkled with sugar on top… overall… Delicious…!!!

And to serve, make it a combo with Vanilla ice cream… a picture perfect summer dessert …!!!

Prep time: 30 – 45 minutes
Serves: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups mixed berries
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ cup quick cooking oats
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Apply some butter on the baking pan and keep aside.
3. Combine berries with lemon juice and set aside.
4. In a bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, oats, baking powder and salt. Whisk it by adding melted butter until crumbly. Add milk and stir it to aerate the batter.
5. Spread the berry mix in the pan.
6. By using a large spoon, drop the batter on top of the berries.
7. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
8. Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until the crust become golden brown. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

The post Whole Wheat Berry Cobbler appeared first on Pepper Delight.