Raspberry Dessert Cake

Oneof my friends on Facebook the other day sent me a photograph of a dessert they had found and wanted to know if I had ever seen it, or made anything like it.  I managed to track the recipe down to this place.  It appears to be in German.  I tried to translate it, but had no luck, and so instead I set about recreating my very own version of something similar, and with (I have to admit) most delicious results!  Oh how I love the challenge of creating my own recipes from scratch!

It is composed of a white cake base, a raspberry filling, a whipped cream cheese filling and a final topping of crisp biscuits/cookies.  (Make sure you don't put the cookies on until just before serving because if you do it too soon, they will soften, which isn't bad, but isn't actually what you want.  You want a crisp topping.

The cake is an old handwritten recipe from my mom, simply entitled Alice's Plain Cake.  It was a cake she used to make me when I was a child that was considered suitable for a young child's digestion.  (My family all calls me Alice.)   This was the perfect base.  Moist and delicious, with a simple vanilla flavour.

For the raspberry filling I used both fresh and frozen raspberries.  I used the frozen berries, along with sugar and a cornflour/cornstarch paste to create a type of raspberry glaze/filling/pudding.   I used cornflour because it creates a transparent pudding.  Once cooked and cooled, I folded the fresh raspberries into this and then spread it over the baked and cooled cake layer.

For the creamy layer, I whipped some cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and a small amount of thick/double/whipping cream together until thickened enough so that I knew it would stand up to the rest of the dessert when chilled and which would cut easily.  I spread this over the raspberry layer.

The dessert was then covered tighty and refrigerated overnight.  (Six hours would do it as well, so if you made it in the morning, you could serve it that night.)

 

The final touch was crisp biscuit/cookies which were simplt laid out on top of the chilled dessert.  I had wanted to use Social Teas but couldn't find any square or rectangular ones when I went to the shops, only round ones and they wouldn't work at all.  SO I chose to use Nice Biscuits, which are a coconut type of plain biscuit, topped with a sugar coating.  They worked perfectly, and like I said, don't add them until just prior to serving, or they will soften.  I suppose it all depends on what you want.

The end result was a dessert which was so incredibly delicious that I didn't dare keep it in the house for very long.  Todd and I each had a square (Topped with some whipped cream and fresh berries.)  The rest was divided between my next door neighbor for her to share with her son, and sent down to our friend Peter Lee who was celebrating his 75th Birthday!  Both were very much appreciated!

This was a real show stopper, and yet so simple to make.  Especially when you break it down into its three element, and just create one at a time.   It isn't a fiddly dessert to make, and it sure was delicious!  A simple and yet elegant dessert that will have everyone scrambling for seconds!

 

*Raspberry Dessert Cake*

Makes one 8 inch cake 

A friend showed me a picture of something similar from a German website.  I studied the recipe and then created my own loosely based on what I saw.  It turned out delicious.  I hope you like it! 

For the cake layer:

30g white vegetable fat (1/8 cup crisco) softened

96g of caster sugar (1/2 cup)

1 large free range egg, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp lemon extract

120ml milk (1/2 cup)

140g flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

For the raspberry layer:

300g frozen raspberries ( 2 cups)

96g sugar (1/2 cup)

2 TBS corn flour (cornstarch)

1 1/2 TBS water

1 tsp raspberry liqeuer

150g fresh raspberries

For the cream layer:

1 250g package of cream cheese (8 ounces)

6 TBS sugar

100ml heavy cream

few drops vanilla

To finish:

flat square or rectangular biscuits such as nice or social tea

(Cookies)

whipped cream

fresh raspberries to garnish

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter and line an 8 inch square baking tin with paper, leaving an overhang. whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt to combine.  Cream together the white vegetable fat and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and extracts.   Beat in the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, alternating with the milk, to  give you a smooth batter.  Scrape into the prepared baking tin.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and top springs back when lightly touched.  (25 to 30 minutes) Remove from the oven and cool, while you are making the raspberry filling.

Combine the frozen berries and sugar in a saucepan.  Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the raspberries are broken down and the sugar has completely dissolved.  Stir in the raspberry liqeuer.  Whisk the cornflour and water together.  Whisk into the raspberries and bring to the boil stirring constantly, until thickend and clear.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Fold in the fresh raspberries.  Spread this over the cooled cake layer.  Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the cream layer.

Whisk the sugar and cream cheese together to combine completely.  Pour in the cream and vanilla.  Beat for a few minutes longer until thickened.  Spread over top of the raspberry filling. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight.   When ready to serve, top with the biscuits to cover.   Cut into squares to serve.  Top each serving with a splodge of cream and a few fresh raspberries.

I have to say I was immensely pleased and proud of the results of my experimentation and challenge.   I love it when it ends up being something which I know people are really going to enjoy!  I really hope you will give it a go!

I would feed this quite happily to company!   Bon Appetit!!