Pink Strawberry Almond Cake with Rosé Frosting

I’ve done many baking experiments in the past with alcohol, spirits, liquors, cider, beer you name it but one alcohol beverage I have struggled with is wine. Don’t get me wrong, my Red Wine Chocolate Cake is to die for but champagne, white wine and sparling…I have tried these beverages in recipes and every time have failed.

You would think vanilla and champagne cupcakes would work well…but they taste as bland as plain cupcakes can be.

The main issue is I don’t really like wine so when the idea of wine in baking keeps getting thrown at me I continually experiments and am not left impressed with the result.

For something different this time I decided on Rosé. Knowing the flavour profile and complementary ingredient possibilities I managed to get it right this time with baking success.

The success funnily enough has come from the wine itself. I don’t even like Rosé but this icing was absolutely decadent and moreish. 

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 375g strawberry jam
• 285g butter, softened
• 240g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 75g almond meal
• 250g plain flour
• ½ tsn bicarb of soda

Frosting:

• 500ml pink rosé
• 125g strawberry jam
• 130g butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 3 drops pink food colouring

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes or until creamy and pale with electric beaters.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
4. Puree the jam in a food processor until smooth, leave aside.
5. In a separate bowl combine the almond meal, flour and bi-carb of soda, stir.
6. Sieve the flour mix into the butter mix along with half the strawberry jam puree. Beat with electric beats until just combine.
7. Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Wait 5 minutes then invert the cake onto a cake tray to cool completely.
9. Meanwhile make the icing by place the wine in a saucepan on medium heat until it reduces to 25ml, set aside to cool.
10. Using electric beaters whisk the butter, sugar, colouring, remaining strawberry jam puree and rosé reduction for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
11. Cut the top of the cake horizontally to even the surface then cut the cake in half horizontally.
12. Spread the icing on the bottom cake layer, place the 2nd layer on top, ice the top cake layer and sides – enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

step 4