Raspberry Kataifi Cake

Ingredients

For the Kataifi Cake Layer
250g Antoniou Kataifi Pastry
100g butter, melted and clarified
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

For the vanilla cake layers
2 vanilla cake mixes & required packet ingredients

Raspberry Buttercream
1 cup raspberries
250g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar

To decorate
3 punnets fresh raspberries
Icing sugar, for dusting

Recipe notes

Each component can be made ahead, a day before assembling the cake. Store the cake layers in an air tight container and store the buttercream in the fridge.

Method

For this Kataifi Pastry recipe, take your chilled Kataifi Pastry out of the fridge at least 2 hours before you begin, to bring it up to room temperature.

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced.

To make the Kataifi Cake layer
To prepare the sugar syrup, place the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and allow the syrup to simmer for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Separate and tear the Kataifi Pastry into pieces, approximately 5cm long. Place in a large mixing bowl and pour the butter over it. Using your hands massage the butter into the Kataifi until it is evenly and well coated. Transfer the Kataifi to a 23cm cake tin and press down firmly with your hands to flatten. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and pour the syrup over the Kataifi. Allow to sit in its tin for at least two hours.

To make the vanilla cake layers
Prepare the two vanilla cake mix batters according to packet instructions in two 23cm cake tins. Once cooled, remove the cakes from their tins and using a large serrated knife cut the tops of the cakes off to create flat cake layers.

To make the raspberry buttercream
Place the raspberries in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the raspberries soften and the liquid reduces. Transfer to a small bowl and cool in the refrigerator.

Place the butter in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 6-8 minutes on high speed, or until the butter is fluffy and pale in colour. Add the sugar and whisk for a further 3 minutes. Add the cooled raspberries and mix through by hand using a spatula. Transfer the piping cream to a piping bag with your desired piping tip.

To assemble the cake
Place one vanilla cake layer on your serving dish. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cake layer. Pipe dollops of buttercream and place raspberries over the entire layer, alternating between the raspberries and buttercream. Position the Kataifi cake layer over the buttercream and raspberries and press down with your hands.

Pipe dollops of buttercream and place raspberries over the entire layer, alternating between the raspberries and buttercream.

Place the final vanilla cake layer on top. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cake layer. Pipe dollops of buttercream and place raspberries on the outer edge of the cake, alternating between the raspberries and buttercream. Dust with icing sugar.

Watch how to assemble a Raspberry Kataifi Cake