You guys know I love concocting cake recipes and always look forward to a special occasion to do so. Whenever there’s a reason to celebrate, there’s always going to be a cake in our house. And I figured this naked raspberry cake would be the perfect choice as a Valentines day recipe! When I think of that little chubby guy with wings and a bow and arrow, I picture chocolate, strawberries, raspberries, roses and champagne. I wanted to keep it simple and I wanted an amalgamation of simple flavours in perfect balance. I wanted just the right amount of sweetness to celebrate those sweet moments in your life. And to help you do that, I made this raspberry cake, which has chopped pistachios and rose water Swiss meringue buttercream with chocolate dipped raspberries on top. All that’s missing is maybe a glass (or bottle?) of Champagne.
Raspberry cake
I pulled out a couple of hairs trying to figure out whether I should use fresh raspberries or preserves for this cake. I tried fresh raspberries first, but the flavour wasn’t as strong as I would’ve liked and the final texture was a little “gloopy” for my liking. Raspberry preserves on the other hand had more concentrated flavour and the sweetness and tartness that I desired and it also had the right consistency. I used my basic vanilla cake recipe and adapted it for the raspberries and sugar content. I have always wanted to try making a “naked” cake and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. I loved it so much, that I think I just might keep doing all my future cakes like this. P.S. if you love raspberry flavor in cakes, you can also check out my lemon cake with raspberry buttercream (and lemon curd filling)!
Ground pistachios
The chunky pistachios added a wonderful crunch and flavour, especially when placed between the smooth sweet Swiss meringue buttercream and the fruity cake layer (they also make a lovely pairing with marshmallows like in these orange blossom marshmallows with pistachios). I wanted the green pistachios to add a nice contrast of colour as well. I do have to confess however that I haven’t always been a big fan of raw pistachios. Which is a bit surprising considering my parents absolutely love pistachios. I do love them in baked goods and desserts like cakes, pastries, ice creams etc. But I have to say I’m definitely warming up to raw pistachios now though! I even make my own homemade pistachio paste now, and these Italian pistachio cookies are also a holiday favourite! You may notice that I have sprinkled some pistachios on each cake layer before adding the buttercream. However, looking at the end result I feel like I may have used too little of the pistachios for this purpose. I would have loved a more visible layer of pistachios, so if you do give this a try, make sure to add more than what I have.
Rose water Swiss meringue buttercream
I am a buttercream advocate. I love them all! I really do. Check out my frosting recipes for all the glorious frostings and fillings I love to make. But if you asked me for my favourite, I wouldn’t hesitate a second to tell you that it’s Swiss meringue buttercream. Which in itself is interesting, because the first time I tried to make it, it turned out to be bit of a disaster and I swore that I will never try to make it again. But hey, that attitude isn’t going to get you far in life, is it? So I told myself that first impressions aren’t always the best and even though the recipe can sound a bit intimidating, I was going to get it right. Since then, Swiss meringue buttercream and I have had an amazingly wonderful relationship. So much so, I’ve even shared my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, as well as cheat’s recipes that I’ve developed for easy swiss meringue buttercream and easy chocolate swiss meringue buttercream! Plus I can’t help but LOVE the moment I get my meringue perfect with those beautiful stiff peaks!
Rose water
Rose water is a truly amazing flavour, if used correctly. Especially for this cake, all you need is a hint of rose water (add too much and you’ll feel like you’re eating a flower bouquet). When my husband tasted this buttercream for the first time, his eyes got big and he said it tasted just like falooda! Falooda is a very unique milkshake that is extremely popular in Sri Lanka and parts of South Asia. Falooda ice cream or falooda milkshake is an absolute kid-favourite. I’ve also used rose water to make this amazing white chocolate cocktail and rose mocktail (blushing ginger fizz), as well as this rose syrup. But best of all, I’ve also used this rose swiss meringue buttercream to frost this spectacular magnolia cake (ginger cardamom cake)! The word “vintage” popped into my head several times while making, decorating, cutting and then eating this cake. That and a host of strange nostalgic memories that really had nothing to do with cake or even food for that matter. The sweet scent of rose water took me back to the times when I was little and I would go through my grandmother’s armoire, rummaging through her clothes, jewellery and perfume. The dull pink colour of the fruity cake layers reminded me of old faded pink dresses I owned and the faded pink of my old “security pillow”. And the buttercream tasted just like one of our absolute favourite milk shakes (Faluda) from many years ago like I’ve already mentioned. It’s amazing how a subtle scent or a flavour can trigger connections like that deep in your brain and recall memories that are so near and dear to you. So yes, I would absolutely use the word vintage to describe this beautiful cake. The only thing that’s missing is maybe a string of pearls wrapped around it. Mr K and I both loved this cake! The flavours were just perfectly balanced. The raspberries add a very nice fruity sweetness which is complemented well by the floral scent and flavour of rose water. The pistachios provide a nice crunch and an earthy flavour. Oh and the buttercream! It was melt-in-your-mouth soft and smooth and the raspberries buried in the buttercream gave little bursts of tart fruity flavour. The cake isn’t overly sweet at all, so you’re not left feeling like you had something too indulgent. What have you got planned for Valentine’s Day? You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and GOOGLE-PLUS where I share pictures of what’s happening in my kitchen and there is a lot going on these days! I do share other amazing recipes that I come across every day too. Just by entering your email in the box below or on the side bar, you can make sure that you receive notification of all my recipes when they appear on the blog, so you don’t miss a thing!
