Almond Raspberry Cake

This Almond Raspberry Cake consists of layers of almond cake filled with raspberry jam, frosted with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting. Full recipe: https://www.piesandtacos.com/almond-raspberry-cake/ Almond Cake 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour (300 g) 1½ tsp baking powder ¾ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (113 g) 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g) 3 large eggs, room temperature 2 tsp vanilla extract ¾ tsp almond extract ¾ cup almond flour (72 g) 1½ cups buttermilk (360 mL) Raspberry Jam 3 cups raspberries (420 g) ½ cup sugar (100 g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 1½ tbsp cornstarch 3 tbsp water Almond Simple Syrup ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g) ½ cup water (120 mL) ¼ tsp almond extract Almond Cream Cheese Frosting 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226 g) 2 cups cream cheese, softened (452 g) 6 cups powdered sugar (750 g) 2 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp almond extract 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk, if needed To decorate 1 cup sliced almonds ⅓ cup raspberries Instructions Almond Cake Grease three 8-inch pans and line bottoms with parchment. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat butter for 1 minute. Add sugar and beat 2 minutes until fluffy. Add oil and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl as needed. With the last egg, add vanilla and almond extract. Mix in almond flour. Add half the buttermilk, then half the dry ingredients. Mix briefly. Add remaining buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients. Fold gently. Divide batter evenly and bake 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans, then turn out onto racks to cool completely. Raspberry Jam Combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 5–10 minutes. Mix cornstarch with water. Add to raspberries and cook 1 minute until thick. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing firmly. Chill completely before using. Simple Syrup Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Cool completely. Almond Cream Cheese Frosting Sift powdered sugar. Beat butter until creamy. Add cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add powdered sugar on low, then beat on medium-high for 1 minute. Mix in extracts. Add cream or milk only if needed. Chill briefly and re-whip if too soft. Assembly Place one cake layer on a stand. Brush lightly with syrup if using. Spread a thin layer of frosting and pipe a ring around the edge. Fill center with about ⅓ cup jam. Repeat with remaining layers. Chill briefly if the cake starts sliding. Apply a crumb coat and refrigerate 30 minutes. Finish frosting and decorate with almonds and raspberries. Notes • Store-bought jam works well if you want a shortcut. • To make buttermilk, add 1 tsp vinegar to milk. • Do not overfill the cake; ⅓ to ½ cup jam per layer is ideal. • Frozen raspberries can be used without thawing. • If frosting feels loose, chill and re-whip instead of adding sugar.