Raspberry Ombré Cakes

RASPBERRY OMBRÉ CAKES 

Raspberry and vanilla, can you go wrong with these flavours? Add hearts and pink ombré tones, they turn into a perfect Valentine’s Day bake! 

Why not spread out Valentine’s Day and share the love for longer? These cakes are just how to do it, with a raspberry sponge and light vanilla buttercream! 

Preparation : 30 minutes

Baking Time : 18 – 20 minutes 

Makes : 3 cakes (11cm x 10.5cm, 3 tiered)

Ingredients

– For the Cupcakes –

• 330g Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat) 

• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

• 275g Caster Sugar

• 55g Coconut Sugar

• 100g Dairy-Free Butter

• 335g Plain Flour

• 1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda

• 1 tbsp Freeze-Dried Raspberry Powder

• A Few Drops of Pink or Red Food Colouring

– For the Buttercream –

• 120g Dairy-Free Butter

• 600g Icing Sugar

• 6 tbsp Diary-Free Milk (I used Oat)

• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

• A Few Drops of Pink or Red Food Colouring

– For Decoration –

• Freeze-Dried Raspberry Powder

• Freeze-Dried Raspberry Pieces

Method

– For the Cakes –

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan and grease your heart tins (I used three 11cm x 10.5cm heart shaped tins).

2. In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and leave it untouched whilst you make the rest of the cake batter (the aim is for it to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds!)

3. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the flour, bicarbonate soda, freeze-dried raspberry powder and mix. 

4. Slowly add in the milk mixture, making sure to mix it until it’s all combined into the cake batter. Be careful not to over-beat the batter, as too much air in the mix can cause the cakes to sink in the centre when they come out of the oven (something that I’ve done too many times!) 

5. Divide the mixture into thirds in separate bowls and add varying amounts of red or pink food colouring to each, to create the ombré tones.

6. Take one of the bowls with a third of the mixture and divide that further into thirds. Place a third in each of the tins and bake in the oven for 18 – 20 minutes. 

7. Once baked, carefully take the cakes out of the tin and place them on a wire rack to cool, whilst you make the other cakes.

8. Repeat the same process with the remaining two thirds of the mixture, leaving all the cakes to cool before assembling and decorating them.

– For the Buttercream –

1. Cream the butter to soften it, then add the icing sugar, whisking until combined (I use a standing mixer on a high speed with a whisk attachment). 

2. Once creamed, add the dairy-free milk (half a tablespoon at a time), vanilla extract and continue to whisk.

3. Divide the buttercream into quarters, combining two quarters together (into 1/4, 1/4 and 1/2 for three bowls of buttercream). Add varying food colouring to each bowl, remembering the largest amount of buttercream will coat the outside of the cakes).

4. Decide which way you would like the ombré tones to travel in the cakes and pipe the buttercream in the opposite direction (I placed the lightest cake on the bottom with the darkest buttercream on the bottom).

5. Assemble the tiers and gently spread the remaining buttercream around the outside of the cakes. 

6. Finish with sprinkling freeze-dried raspberries and freeze-dried raspberry powder over the cakes and enjoy! 

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• If you make this, please tag me on Instagram @thecharlotteemilyy or use the hashtag #cebakes •

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