As the name suggests, this cake is inspired by one of the best things ever created - the sugar-coated jam and cream donut. In cake form, brown butter gives the sponge a nutty, caramelized depth, while cinnamon leans into that familiar bakery warmth. Layered with mascarpone-thickened cream, raspberry jam and a scattering of Fresh As freeze-dried raspberries, it’s comforting, indulgent and very hard to stop at one slice.
Prep time: 1.5 hours
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ready in time: 3 hours
Serves 12
For the cake:
150g butter, at room temperature
200g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 free range eggs
50ml light olive oil
150g ground almonds
100g plain, white all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup whole milk
150g fresh or frozen raspberries
For coating:
4 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
For the filling:
250ml double cream
30g icing sugar
250g mascarpone
1 tsp vanilla paste, optional
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4 tbsp good quality low-sugar raspberry jam
1 tbsp boiling water
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20g of Fresh As freeze-dried raspberries
1. First, make the brown butter. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. It will begin to foam and the color will progress from yellow to golden to a toasty-brown. Once you smell a nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and transfer the browned butter into a bowl and place in the fridge to solidify for around 45-60 minutes. Keep checking it, and take out of the fridge when it reaches the softness of butter at room temperature.
2. Next, preheat the oven to 170C fan bake. Grease 2 x 22cm bundt tins very well.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the cooled brown butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the oil.
4. Combine the ground almonds, flour, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Fold in the dries in 2 parts.
6. Finally fold in the milk. Be careful not to over mix.
7. Evenly divide the batter between the 2 cake tins and spread out to the sides. Dot in the raspberries and press down lightly into the batter.
8. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. The cakes are ready when golden in color, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Allow the cakes to cool for around 10 minutes in the tins before turning out onto a cooling rack.
10. Meanwhile, make the whipped mascarpone cream. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk (or by hand using a whisk), whip the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. In a separate bowl, gently stir together the mascarpone and vanilla, then fold this into the whipped cream. Continue beating briefly until thickened to firm peaks. Take care not to overbeat, as the mixture can split.
11. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
12. In another bowl, stir the jam with the boiling water to loosen.
13. Once the cakes are completely cool, place them on a baking tray and generously coat all over with the cinnamon sugar.
14. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate, rounded side down. Pipe or spoon most of the cream onto the flat surface, reserving a little for finishing. Spoon over the thinned jam and scatter with crushed freeze-dried raspberries, saving a few for decoration. Top with the second cake layer, flat side down.
15. Finish by piping small dots of cream on top and decorating with the remaining crushed freeze-dried raspberries.
Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.