Raspberry frosting for cake

[munchymom]

My son, who turns three on Saturday, has requested "Vanilla cake with raspberry frosting" for his birthday. I think I can handle the cake, but raspberry frosting? Do I just make up a batch of buttercream and add raspberry...puree? Jam? Extract? I bake a cake about once a year, so I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. Can anyone give me an idea of what would work best?

[sanrensho]

My son, who turns three on Saturday, has requested "Vanilla cake with raspberry frosting" for his birthday.  I think I can handle the cake, but raspberry frosting?  Do I just make up a batch of buttercream and add raspberry...puree?  Jam?  Extract?  I bake a cake about once a year, so I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing.  Can anyone give me an idea of what would work best?

←

I usually add strained raspberry puree to taste. Most jams or preserves would be too sweet, although it might be a nice idea to add a layer of strained jam/preserves between the cake and filling layers.

[Tweety69bird]

I think that you could get away with using jam or puree that has had the seeds removed.....mixing a bit into your buttercream, but not too much as you don't want the bc to get too soft... you could always add in some red colour to get the right effect. You could always stick some frozen raspberries in between the layers too. I hope your son has a great birthday!!

[McDuff]

I've been making raspberry buttercream at work lately using Rose Levy Beranbaum's suggestion of zapping the puree in the microwave. For 28 oz of swiss meringue b/c, I use 10 of puree that is reduced on hi power on three 5 minute cycles, or whatever it takes to make it thicken. Don't forget the lemon juice. the buttecream has an astonishing color and a really nice taste.

[munchymom]

Is the 10 oz. before or after reducing?

[Fernwood]

I've been making raspberry buttercream at work lately using Rose Levy Beranbaum's suggestion of zapping the puree in the microwave. For 28 oz of swiss meringue b/c, I use 10 of puree that is reduced on hi power on three 5 minute cycles, or whatever it takes to make it thicken. Don't forget the lemon juice. the buttecream has an astonishing color and a really nice taste.

←

I make a delicious raspberry buttercream a la RLB ("Neoclassic Buttercream" + raspberry puree). What is so effective about the recipe in Cake Bible is that she reduces just the clear juice of the berries, then adds that syrup back to the flesh. This gives a concentrated puree, without the jammy flavor you get from cooking the whole fruit.

I don't have the book here, but the basic method is:

Thaw frozen raspberries in a strainer and collect the clear juice that runs off without pressing. Boil down the juice (I use the greased pyrex in the microwave approach). Puree/strain berries to remove most seeds. Add reduced juice back to berries along with sugar, lemon juice, maybe liqueur.

As with a number of Beranbaum's recipes, this is extra fuss, but a great result--the flavor is intense and bright. I make a batch of this stuff and freeze it to use as needed for a variety of desserts. And it does make a pretty, pink, luscious buttercream. If it wasn't apple pie season, I'd be planning a cake right now!

I should note that I find the color of the frosting is best the first day; it does fade in storage, though it still tastes great.

Fern

[RuthWells]

I've been making raspberry buttercream at work lately using Rose Levy Beranbaum's suggestion of zapping the puree in the microwave.

←

Looooooooove this stuff. I try to always have some in the freezer. It does amazing things when mixed with bittersweet ganache, also.....