Raspberry Hazelnut Cake with Cannoli Cream Frosting
Fresh raspberries and hazelnuts take a simple cake from plain to fancy. Finely chopped hazelnuts coat the cake pans and ground hazelnuts are added to the cake batter making an attractive and nutty cake. Fresh raspberries are placed in the cake pan so they baked right into the cake layers. To top it off, this raspberry hazelnut cake is finished with a rich and delicious cannoli cream frosting. Yum!
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
28 minutes
Serves:
12
Perfect for:
New Years
Mothers Day
Birthday Parties
Wedding DIY
Park Picnics
Mothers Day
Ingredients
- 3 Cups part-skim ricotta
- 2 1/4 Cups confectioners' sugar, divided
- 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Cup heavy cream
- 1 Package (6 ounces) Driscoll's Raspberries
- 1 1/2 Cups chopped, toasted and peeled hazelnuts, divided
- 2 Packages (6 ounces) Driscoll's Raspberries
- 1 Package (18.25 ounces) French Vanilla cake mix
- 1 1/3 Cups water
- 3/4 Cup egg substitute
- 1/3 Cup corn oil
- 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
Directions
- LINE a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth or paper towels.
- PLACE strainer over a bowl.
- PLACE 3 cups ricotta cheese into strainer and ALLOW to drain 20 minutes.
- TRANSFER ricotta cheese to a mixing bowl.
- ADD 2 cups confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- BEAT ingredients using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.
- TRANSFER ricotta mixture to a large bowl and SET ASIDE.
- POUR 1 cup heavy cream into mixing bowl.
- ADD remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar.
- BEAT ingredients using an electric mixer about 1 minute or until stiff peaks form.
- FOLD whipped cream mixture into ricotta mixture.
- COVER frosting and REFRIGERATE until ready to use.
- PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
- GREASE bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans.
- LINE bottoms of pans with parchment paper.
- CHOP ½ cup hazelnuts into fine pieces.
- COAT sides of cake pans with chopped hazelnuts.
- PLACE remaining 1 cup hazelnuts into food processor or blender and blend until very fine.
- PLACE dry cake mix into a large bowl.
- RESERVE 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts and SET ASIDE for garnish.
- ADD remaining finely chopped hazelnuts to dry cake mix.
- ADD 1 1/3 cups water, 3/4 cup egg substitute, and 1/3 cup oil.
- BEAT ingredients using an electric mixer at low speed until moistened.
- SCRAPE DOWN sides of bowl and BEAT at medium speed for 2 minutes.
- STIR IN 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
- SPRINKLE 1 package raspberries into bottom of each cake pan.
- POUR cake batter over raspberries, DIVIDING batter evenly between pans.
- BAKE 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- COOL cake in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes.
- REMOVE cakes from pans and DISCARD parchment paper.
- COOL cakes completely on wire rack.
- PLACE one cake layer, raspberry side up, onto a serving plate.
- SPREAD 1 ½ cup frosting onto cake layer to 1/2-inch from edge.
- SPRINKLE 3/4 cup raspberries evenly over frosting.
- PLACE second cake layer, raspberry side up, onto cake.
- SPREAD remaining frosting to 1/2-inch from edge.
- SPRINKLE remaining raspberries evenly over top of cake.
- SPRINKLE reserved chopped hazelnuts evenly over top of cake.
- SERVE immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
