French Vanilla Butter Cake With Raspberry Filling

Total Time: 25 hrs Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour (or cornstarch)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cultured unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla sugar
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt, greek-style preferred
• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup meringue powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 2 cups shortening, softened
• 2 tablespoons raspberry puree or 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup vanilla sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup meringue powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 1 cup cultured unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup shortening, softened
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon shortening

Recipe

• 1 ---cake---.
• 2 preheat oven to 350f, grease a 10" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• 3 in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• 4 in a large bowl, cream together butter and vanilla sugar until fluffy.
• 5 add egg yolks, honey and vanilla, beating well.
• 6 in a cup or small bowl, stir together buttermilk and yogurt until smooth.
• 7 beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate additions of flour and buttermilk mixtures, beating well after each one.
• 8 with clean beaters, whip egg whites until soft peaks, fold into the batter.
• 9 pour into the prepared pan.
• 10 bake on the lowest rack of the oven, covering with foil halfway through, 55-60 minutes, until it tests done.
• 11 cool in the pan 1 hour, then refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour before unmoulding.
• 12 ---vanilla-raspberry filling---.
• 13 dissolve the sugar and salt in the boiling water. cool to room temperature.
• 14 add the meringue powder and use a mixer to beat on slow speed until the powder is dissolved and the mixture is foamy.
• 15 increase the speed and beat 3-4 minutes longer.
• 16 beat in the vanilla followed by the icing sugar.
• 17 add the butter and shortening a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the puree and lemon juice.
• 18 chill 30 minutes before use.
• 19 ---very vanilla buttercream frosting---.
• 20 dissolve the sugar and salt in the boiling water. cool to room temperature.
• 21 add the meringue powder and use a mixer to beat on slow speed until the powder is dissolved and the mixture is foamy.
• 22 increase the speed and beat 3-4 minutes longer.
• 23 beat in the vanilla followed by the icing sugar.
• 24 add the butter and shortening a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. continue beating until mixture is thick, creamy and fluffy.
• 25 chill 30 minutes before use.
• 26 ---ganache---.
• 27 in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt together chocolate, cream and shortening until smooth.
• 28 remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes. gently re-warm if necessary for even spreading.
• 29 ---assembly---.
• 30 level the top of the well-chilled cake and slice horizontally into three even layers.
• 31 place bottom layer on a cake round.
• 32 with an offset spatula or palette knife, spread ½ of the vanilla-raspberry filling in an even layer over the bottom round and top with the second layer.
• 33 spread second layer with remaining ½ of the filling and place the final layer on top.
• 34 using some of the remaining frosting, apply a thin “crumb coat” over the entire outside of the cake.
• 35 refrigerate 1 hour.
• 36 finish covering the top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting, making it as smooth as possible.
• 37 freeze 30 minutes.
• 38 pour ganache gently onto the centre of the top of the cake and spread to form “drips” or a “shadow” effect down the sides.
• 39 allow cake to set at room temperature, then keep in the refrigerator until serving.