This tender, light cake is delicious blend of many flavors. Toasted walnuts are added to the batter to provide a nutty taste; the cake layers are filled with sweet raspberry preserves and then filled and frosted with a cream cheese frosting. Decorate with a handful of fresh raspberries and you’ll receive oohs and aahs when this cake is served.

Walnut Raspberry Torte

Ingredients:

Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pans

Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs, separated

1 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Fruit Filling:

1 cup raspberry preserves

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6½ cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar

Topping and Decoration:

½ cup walnuts, broken by hand

Few fresh raspberries

Tip: Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^o degrees F. Prepare three 9-inch round layer cake pans; lightly grease the pans with shortening and dust with flour. Tip: to make baked cake easier to remove from pan, lightly grease the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust the pan with flour.
   
   Batter:
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda; sift or whisk together to mix.  Set aside.
   
   
3. In a small mixing bowl, stir the buttermilk and vanilla together. Set aside.
   
   
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
   

Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color.

With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter mixture, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.

5. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. Each egg yolk should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg yolk, taking about one minute to blend in each egg yolk.
   
   
6. With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended.  Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the buttermilk mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
   
   
7. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the walnuts into the batter.
   
   
8. In a medium mixing bowl and using clean beaters, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a balloon type whisk or large rubber spatula, gently fold about ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten the batter, and then fold in the remaining egg whites.
   
   Bake:
9. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 25 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then remove cake from the pans and place the cake on the wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
   
   Fruit Filling:
10. In a small saucepan, heat the raspberry preserves over low heat until slightly warmed.
    
    
11. Spread the warm preserves over the top of two cake layers. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    
    Cream Cheese Frosting:
12. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla; use an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture is smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat until frosting is smooth and creamy.
    
    Assembly:
13. Place one raspberry topped cake layer on a serving plate. Using an offset spatula, spread with some of the frosting. Repeat with the second raspberry topped cake layer. Top with the plain cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of cake. Tip: when spreading the frosting over the raspberry layers, drop small amounts of frosting onto the raspberry layer, and gently spread with the spatula or your fingers.
    
    Topping and Decoration:
14. By hand, bread the walnuts for the topping into ¼ inch pieces. Sprinkle over the top of the cake. Tip: Breaking the walnuts by hand reduces the amount of small crumbs.
    
    
15. Slice a few raspberries in half with a sharp kitchen knife, blot with paper towels to remove excess juices. Gently press the raspberry halves around the bottom of the cake. Place a few whole raspberries on top of cake.
    
    
16. Cover cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
    
    Tip: Serve cake using a pretty cake plate and cake server for a delightful presentation.
    
    Makes 8 to 10 servings.
    
    TheBakingPan.com
    
    Adapted From: The Taste Of Home Baking Book, Reiman Media Group, Wisconsin, 2007
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