Almond Passion Fruit Cake

I love any reason to bake a cake: a wedding shower, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Tuesday afternoon. But birthdays are my favorite. This summer I got to celebrate Susie turn one on a beautiful farm with an almond cake filled with passion fruit buttercream. 

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Almond Layer Cake with Passion Fruit Filling
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Almond Cake
4 1/2 cups cake flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup prepared almond paste (7 ounces)
2 2/3 cups sugar
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter,               at room temperature
1 tbsp almond extract
10 egg whites
1 1/2 cups whole milk

**makes a 9" triple layer cake

Passion Fruit Curd
4 egg yolks
3 oz. sugar
2 oz. passion fruit puree
1/2 stick (2 oz.) butter, room temperature, diced

Buttercream
1.5 cups unsalted butter, at room temp
4.5 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
passion fruit curd, to taste
 

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

Place the almond paste and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low to break up the almond paste. Increase to medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until the paste is broken into fine particles.

Add the butter and almond extract and beat well, then add the egg whites, two at a time, just long enough to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to make sure it is evenly mixed.

Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the mixture and fold with a large rubber spatula until combined. Fold in half the milk. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, fold in the last of the dry ingredients until no streaks of white remain. Divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Make the curd: Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a glass bowl. Whisk in the passion fruit. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (a double boiler) and stir with a wooden spoon (or whisk) for 7-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and no longer falls in a quick stream back into the bowl.

Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve, if needed. Add the butter and stir until combined. Chill until room temperature. This will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Make the buttercream: Beat the butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar until fully combined. Add vanilla. Gradually add cooled passion fruit curd until desired flavor is reached.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroon Torte

I have mentioned this before but I am not a fan of modifying desserts to make them flour/gluten free. If you need to steer clear of flour or gluten, I suggest simply baking items that do not call for those elements in the first place. And I promise, there are tons of wonderful recipes out there (like these almond cookies or  lemon almond meringues or this clementine cake).

Another amazing option is this chocolate hazelnut macaroon cake from Smitten Kitchen: 100% flour/gluten free, 100% delicious, and 100% perfect for a summer barbecue.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroon Torte
from Smitten Kitchen (link has a wonderful tutorial!)

Make macaroons: Preheat oven to 325°F. Outline four 8-inch circles on individual pieces of parchment paper. Turn each sheet of parchment over so your ink lines don’t transfer onto the macaroon, place each piece of parchment paper on large baking sheets, and lightly coat each piece of parchment with oil or butter (or spray oil).

Mix hazelnut flour, 1 cup sugar, and salt until fully combined. Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Slowly add vanilla extract, then slowly add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat until stiff but not dry. Gently fold nut mixture into egg whites in 1/3 increments.

Using a spatula (offset, if you have it), spread 1/4 of macaroon batter evenly within each circle. Bake layers until golden and dry to the touch: 20-23 minutes but check on the earlier side as every oven is different. Cool macaroons on their sheets on a cooling rack.

Make chocolate filling: Heat half of the chocolate, water, and coffee in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in second half of chocolate chunks until melted. Let the mixture cool a bit to lukewarm and then spread chocolate evenly over tops of meringue rounds. Cool each disc until chocolate is set: speed up the process by placing each meringue in the freezer for a few minutes until firm.

Make whipped cream: Beat cream with sugar and vanilla in a bowl with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.

Assemble torte: Peel the parchment off the back of each macaroon round. Arrange your first macaroon on your serving plate. Spread 1/3 cup whipped cream over the first disc. Repeat with second and third macaroon rounds, then top with final round. Frost top and side of torte with whipped cream.

Macaroons
Oil or butter for greasing parchment rounds
1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
6 large egg whites
2 1/2 cups hazelnut flour/meal
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Filling
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tsp instant coffee 

Whipped Cream for Frosting
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla

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Sparkly Cake (Banana Cake with Salted Honey Peanut Butter Frosting)

There are some amazing reasons to throw a party and eat cake: your birthday, a wedding, a Tuesday morning. But throwing a party to celebrate your friend having a baby definitely ranks high on that list. 

I had the honor to do just that for a dear friend, her closest friends and family, and her baby belly. And what better reason to make a three layer cake, covered in fondant and sparkles and topped with a tier inspired by the soon-to-be-mama's current craving of butterfinger blizzards.

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Banana Cake with Salted Honey Peanut Butter Frosting
from Baker by Nature

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9" round cake pans (I would also suggest using parchment paper, as well). Mash bananas and place them in a small bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat melted butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Fold in bananas. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. 

Make the frosting: Cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth in a bowl of a stand mixer. Add honey and sea salt. Add 3 tablespoons of half and half. Add sugar one cup at a time and beat on low until combined, adding more half and half as needed. Once all the sugar has been added beat on high speed until frosting is smooth.

Cake
1 1/4 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 large bananas)
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream

Frosting
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
6 tbsp half and half
5 cups powdered sugar​

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