Raspberry dome cake

When I first looked through Peggy's Porschen Boutique Baking book the dome cake recipe grabbed my attention.. this cake looks so beautiful! After reading the recipe I wasn't entirely happy with it so I changed it around slightly and made this- perfect raspberry dome cake.  I need to tell you, it doesn't only look pretty- it is delicious too! Light almond sponge, filled with raspberries, creme patissiere and mascarpone and covered with marzipan- yum!


Ingredients:

For the Jaconde sponge:

• 3 eggs
• 125g icing sugar
• 125g ground almonds
• 40g plain flour
• 15g caster sugar
• 3 egg whites

For the cream patissiere:

• 2 egg yolks
• 60g caster sugar
• 25g corn flour
• 250ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod or 1tsp vanilla paste

Additionally:

• 125g mascarpone cheese

To decorate:

• 125g raspberries
• 50g plain chocolate
• sugar pearls
• 400g marzipan
• 50g pink sugar paste
• 2tbsp apricot jam

To make the sponge whisk the eggs with icing sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add sifted flour and almonds and gently fold in.

Beat the egg whites with caster sugar until medium peaks form and fold into the mixture.

Spread the mixture on two lined baking sheets (about 30cm x 15cm each).  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for about 8 minutes until golden brown.

Take out the oven and leave to cool on the trays.

To make the crème pâtissière, pour the milk into a pan, add the vanilla pod. Bring the milk up to the boil, then take it off the heat.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour. Pour the hot milk over the mixture and whisk.

Pour the custard back into the saucepan and set over a medium heat.

Stir the custard constantly until the mixture thickens. The custard should be very thick as it needs to be a firm set when the cake is assembled. 

Pour into a dish, cover the top with cling-film and chill in the fridge for about an hour until cold and set firm. 

When the cream patissiere is cooled, gently whisk in the mascarpone cheese.

Using a large round pastry cutter (about 28cm) cut out a circle from the first sponge. Line a 16cm dome cake mould with cling film and place the sponge in the mould, press firmly to the sides and cut off any access.

Spread a small amount of the cream around the sides and place layer of raspberries on top (about 1/3 of all raspberries).  Pipe more cream and cover with remaining raspberries.  Spread more cream on top, almost right to the edges (leave only as much space as thick your sponge is (about 1,5cm).

Using a round 15cm pastry cutter cut out a circle from the second sponge to cover the base of the cake.

Lightly press the base and cover with cling film.

Place the cake in the fridge to set for about 2 hours.

Take the cake out the mould and brush with apricot jam.

Roll out the marzipan and cover the cake.  Roll out pink sugar paste, cut into desired shape and wrap around the bottom of the cake.  Decorate with chocolate, sugar flowers and pearls.

Enjoy!