Fluffy cardamom chiffon, rich dark chocolate ganache, tart crushed raspberries
On what occasion would someone want a cardamom bear cake?
a. A birthday party (of a bear)
b. A birthday party (of a human)
c. A baby shower
d. A beary shower
e. Any social gathering ever? Who wouldn't want a bear-shaped cake?? Plus it tastes amazing. One might call it beariful...
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tbsp cardamom
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
7 egg yolks, room temperature
7 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
For the filling:
2 cups dark chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups raspberries, roughly chopped
For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 tbsp cardamom
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare two loaf baking pans with parchment paper and butter.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla until frothy.
Fold egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
Whip together egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
In 4 even increments, fold egg whites into the cake batter.
Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly.
Let cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.
Whisk together the melted chocolates and heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl. Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes. Beat the cooled chocolate mixture until it becomes creamy and airy. Separate 1/2 cup of this mixture into a bowl. Fold the chopped raspberries into the main mixture.
To prepare the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter separately for a minute before combining them. Whip on medium speed for 4-1o mins (depending on how fluffy you want your frosting).
Sift in the confectioner's sugar, and add in the cardamom.
Beat for a minute, or however long it takes for the confectioner's sugar to fully incorporate.
Slice both cakes horizontally, and separately fill both cakes with the raspberry chocolate filling. Cut one of the cakes into 6 equal-sized rectangles (these are your bear's ears, arms, and legs). Keep the other cake as a full rectangle (this is the bear's torso). Attach the smaller cake rectangles to the full rectangle and begin to trim off the excess cake to make the bear's features more pronounced. Frost and decorate with the chocolate ganache that you set aside earlier.
Congrats! Your cake looks beary delightful. Slice, serve, and enjoy!