Vanilla Bean Cake with Raspberry Filling and Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting {Octopus Birthday Cake}

Just a short post today guys, I have a sick husband on the couch to tend to. I wanted to share two wonderful recipes that go along with this cake. I made the cake for a birthday party I attended this weekend. As you can see, it was inspired by my friend's love for octopi (??).

I didn't want it to be extremely 'under the sea'-themed because she is really just into octopi, so I kept the decorations simple. A fondant cut out of the octopus and 'star' fishes and a few buttercream additions.

But the real star here is not the decorations but the cake itself. I made a vanilla bean cake with a fluffy whipped vanilla bean frosting, both recipes from Sweetapolita. I added a layer of raspberry compote inside the cake for a little extra flavor and it complemented the light and airy vanilla cake very nicely.

This is a recipe that will go down in my books for a great vanilla birthday cake and bakery-style frosting!

Here is the recipe:

Vanilla Bean Cake with Raspberry Filling and Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting

Yield: One 4-layer 8-inch cake

Source:  Adapted from Sweetapolita

Ingredients

For Vanilla Bean Cake:

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 whole egg, room temperature

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

¼ teaspoon lemon extract

2 ½ cups cake flour, twice sifted

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ¼ tablespoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature and  cut into cubes

For Raspberry Filling:

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

Pinch of salt

For Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting:

3 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, scraped

Pinch of salt

Directions:

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Grease and line two 8-inchround cake pans with parchment paper circles. Grease parchment and set aside.

Whisk together a third cup of the milk, egg whites, egg, lemon extract and vanilla bean paste.

Sift the cake flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients including the sugar and stir together on low speed for 30 seconds

Add the butter one piece at a time and blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Then add the remaining milk, and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium and mix for 1½ minutes. Be careful not to overmix. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the egg/milk/extract mixture in 3 separate batches mixing on medium speed after each addition until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center of cake.

Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire racks.

For Raspberry compote:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the berries start to break down, about 10 minutes. Stir often.

Lower heat and simmer until the compote thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 15 minutes.  Let cool. Use as filling.

For the Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting:

Whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. The butter will become pale and creamy

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low speed for 1minute. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes until the frosting is very light, creamy and fluffy.

Best used right away.

Notes:

- To assembly the cake, slice each cake to have 4 layers. Fill layers with buttercream and raspberry compote.

- I did not blend the compote because I wanted a little bit of texture in the compote so I kept the seeds in. But if you dislike the seeds, just blend the compote in a blender and push through a fine sieve.

- The buttercream is smooth and colors very nicely so start with a drop or two of gel paste coloring.