Raspberry And Almond Mascarpone Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

500 g butter, softened
3 cups caster sugar
8 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 cup almond meal
1 cup milk
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted and finely chopped
400 g raspberries, fresh or frozen
400 g vienna almonds (optional, for decorating)
Mascarpone Cream
750 g mascarpone
300 g sour cream
1 cup icing sugar, mixture
80 ml Cointreau liqueur or 80 ml Grand Marnier

Preparation

Preheat oven to 160 degree C (or 140 degree C for fan forced).
Grease a deep 30cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric beater until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time.
Beat until just combined.
The mixture may appear curdled at this stage-don't worry!
Transfer mix to very large bowl and fold in the sifted flours, almond meal and milk.
Do it in 3 batches (1/3 flours, 1/3 milk etc) folding each batch inbetween.
Fold in the chopped almonds and raspberries.
Spread mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degree C (or 130 degree C for fan forced) and bake for another hour or until cake tests cooked.
Remove from oven and allow cake to stand for 20 minutes before removing from pan to cool on a cooling rack.
To make the mascarpone cream, beat the mascarpone, sour cream and icing sugar with electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Stir in the liqueur.
Split the cake crossways into 3 layers, using either a large serrated knife or special tool.
Place the base onto a serving plate and spread with 1/3 of cream.
Repeat layers ending with the mascarpone cream.
Decorate the cake with the vienna almonds.