The Healing Remedy: Almond-Hazelnut Layer Cake w/Buttercream and Raspberries-Gluten Free

Tea time is the time to show off your baking creation. Almond-Hazelnut Layer Cake with Buttercream and fresh Raspberries is the one.

   You need:
== For Cake Layer
= 1 cup of Ground Almonds (Take 1 cup of Whole almonds. Grind them, it will give you more than one cup. Measure and save the rest for sprinkling)
= 2/3 cup of Ground Hazelnuts ( The same as with Almonds)
= 2/3 cup of Demerara organic sugar
= 7 Eggs Whites
= 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
= 1 teaspoon of Vanilla powder
= Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C)
     ~ 1. Finely grind Almonds and Hazelnuts in a blender.

~ 2. Measure 1 cup of ground Almonds and 2/3 cup of ground Hazelnuts.

~ 3. Place nuts into the bowl, add Vanilla powder and Cinnamon and mix all together.

~ 4. Grind to the powder 2/3 cup of Demerara sugar in the blender.

~ 5. Separate Egg Whites from egg yolks. Save Egg Yolks for a Buttercream.

~ 6. Add a pinch of salt into the Egg Whites. Whip them.

~ 7. Add gradually ground Demerara sugar powder to the egg Whites and whip until glossy and hold soft peaks.

~ 8. Gently fold (portion by portion) with a spatula the ground nuts into the whipped egg Whites.
Be careful not to flatten the mixture.

~ 9. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cake mixture into the plastic bag.

~ 10. Spread cake mixture evenly with a thin metal spatula.

Bake for 25-30 minutes till lightly browned. When the cake layer is ready, chill at least 1 hour.

== For Filling
= 340-400g fresh Raspberries and handful of ground Almonds/Hazelnuts mixture.

== For Buttercream
= 7 Egg Yolks
= 420 g of Organic Unsalted Butter
= 10 and 1/2 of Table spoon of Water
= 3/4 cup of Coconut sugar
= 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
= 1/2 teaspoon of Almond extract

~ 1. Place Coconut sugar into a small saucepan.

~ 2. Add 10 and a half of Table spoons of cold Water and mix all together.

~ 3. Put the saucepan on the stove (Medium Heat) and bring sugar/water to boil. Stir the mixture.If the syrup boils rapidly, reduce the heat. When the sugar has dissolved completely, you can increase the heat again. While it is boiling, the consistency of the syrup becomes more dense.

Boil till the syrup reaches the soft ball stage. How to check the soft ball stage? =>Prepare a cup with cold water and drop coconut sugar syrup into the cup.

When you touch the syrup drop, it will form a soft ball. The syrup is ready.

~ 4. While the syrup is boiling, mix the egg Yolks.

~ 5. Gradually, pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl INTO the egg Yolks.

~ 6. Beat constantly at high speed of mixer till the mixture becomes thick.

~ 7. Then gradually add the soften butter into the cool egg Yolks/syrup mixture.

~ 8. Beat till smooth and creamy.

~ 9. Add Vanilla and Almond extracts and beat again. Done. Light and fluffy Buttercream. One good thing about Buttercream is that it can be stored in a refrigerator for 1 week or in a freezer for up to 3 months.

== Putting the Cake all together.
~ 1. Cut in half the cake layer. One half is for the bottom and the other half is for the top of the cake.

~ 2. Cover the bottom of the cake with the Buttercream and sprinkle with ground Almonds/hazelnuts mixture.

~ 3.Arrange the raspberries over the Buttercream in parallel rows.

~ 4. Place Butercream into a plastic bag, cut a little hole at the end of the plastic bag and squeeze the Buttercream between the raspberries.

~ 5. Spread the Buttercream neatly and evenly between the raspberries. Spread the cream over the raspberries as well. Use small knife or spatula. Do not smash the raspberries.

~ 6. Top with the other half to cover the cake and lightly press the cake layer so that it sticks to the Buttercream.

~ 7. For the top spread I used 1 Table spoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of "Red Beet crystals" from "Salus" ( Absolutely wonderful product. You will get not only a great tasting and great magenta color but the goodness of beets as well)

~ 8. So, just mix well butter and the Red Beet crystals and spread over the top of the cake.

~ 9. Sprinkle ground Almonds/Hazelnuts on the top.If you have some chocolate. Shred the chocolate through the small holes of a box grater. Sprinkle on the top of the cake too.