Natural Pink Cake Base

Name: Natural Pink Cake Base - Crenguta B.
Ingredients: 5 eggs; 1 suitable lemon; 12 tablespoons of granulated sugar; 12 tablespoons of flour; 1/2 cup of blackberries (fresh or frozen); 1 cup of pitted cherries (fresh or frozen); 1 packet of baking powder

Dessert - Natural Pink Cake Base by Crenguta B. - Recipia

Natural Pink Cake Base I needed an intense pink cake base for a birthday cake and wanted to try the natural version, without food colorings. I usually use quality food colorings when necessary, but I was curious to see what would come out with fruits. I used blackberries and sour cherries, and after a few tests, I discovered that only blackberries do not give the expected pink, but combined with sour cherries, pleasant shades come out. The base baked well, had a good flavor, and sliced correctly. Quick Info Total time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes Preparation time: 35-40 minutes Baking time: 40-45 minutes Servings: 12-14 slices Difficulty: medium Recipe type: cake base for occasions, anniversaries, or colorful-looking cakes Ingredients 5 eggs 1 medium lemon 12 tablespoons granulated sugar 12 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup pitted sour cherries (fresh or frozen) 1 packet baking powder Preparation method 1. Preheat the oven to medium temperature. Prepare a 26 cm round cake pan: grease it with butter or margarine and place parchment paper at the bottom. 2. Sift the flour together with the baking powder. Set aside. 3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. 4. Grate the lemon zest and squeeze the juice. Strain the juice to remove any seeds. 5. Place the blackberries in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a cup. 6. Do the same with the sour cherries, puree them, and place the puree in a separate container. Do not mix the two purees. 7. In a bowl, beat the yolks with 4 tablespoons of sugar and the lemon zest until frothy. 8. Gradually incorporate 1-2 tablespoons of blackberry puree into the yolk mixture. Mix. If you notice that the color is not pink, gradually add sour cherry puree, one tablespoon at a time, until you achieve an intense pink color. Caution: if you add too much blackberry puree, the mixture may turn gray or indigo, not pink. 9. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until a foam forms. 10. Gradually incorporate the remaining sugar (the 8 tablespoons) and lemon juice, adding one tablespoon at a time, until a stiff meringue forms. If it does not stiffen, add 1-2 more tablespoons of sugar. 11. Start adding the fruit yolk mixture into the meringue, little by little. Fold gently from the bottom up with a spatula, without losing volume. Alternate with one tablespoon of sifted flour, in the same manner. 12. Continue until you finish all the yolk mixture and all the flour. If you notice that the batter is too thin (it should be fluffy and flow slowly), add one or two more tablespoons of flour. 13. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. 14. Bake at medium heat for 40-45 minutes. Check with a toothpick: if it comes out clean, the base is baked. 15. Let the base cool in the pan, with the oven door slightly open. 16. After cooling, remove the base and slice it horizontally, if necessary. Why I make the recipe often The base comes out airy, has a pleasant natural pink color without colorings, and pairs well with light fruit or vanilla creams. It is not very sweet and holds up well to soaking, so it can be used for various cakes. I have noticed that it does not dry out quickly and slices evenly. Tips - Use fresh or frozen fruits, but well-drained; otherwise, the batter may become too wet. - Be careful with the amount of puree: too much liquid makes the base dense. - Try not to overmix the batter to maintain the volume achieved when beating the egg whites. - The lemon zest adds a subtle flavor and should not be omitted. - If the pan is smaller (20-22 cm), the base will be taller, almost 8 cm. Substitutions - Blackberries can be replaced with blueberries, but the shade will be different, leaning more towards violet. - In the absence of sour cherries, you can use tart cherries for a milder flavor. - You can use only blackberries, but it will not turn pink, rather more purple or gray. Variations - It can be adapted with other berries for different shades, but the pink may not always be intense. - If color is not a concern, you can make the base with any sour fruit for flavor. Serving Ideas - The base can be combined with light creams: whipped cream, mascarpone, or yogurt-based creams. - It also goes well with a simple vanilla cream or fruit mousse. - It can be cut into two or three layers, according to preference. Frequently Asked Questions 1. What do I do if I don't have a blender? You can mash the fruits with a fork or an immersion blender, but you will need to strain them if they have many skins or seeds. 2. Can I use only one type of fruit? You can, but with only blackberries, the base will not come out pink, but rather gray or indigo. Sour cherries are necessary for the intense pink. 3. The base sinks in the middle – what am I doing wrong? Usually, there is too much liquid from the puree, or the batter was not aerated enough. Next time, drain the fruits more or add a little flour. 4. Can I make the base a day in advance? Yes, after it has completely cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap, and it can be used the next day without problems. 5. Can I freeze the base? Yes, but the texture will be slightly wetter after thawing. It is recommended to be consumed fresh. Nutritional values (estimated) One slice (out of 12) has approximately 170-190 kcal, with 5 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, and 3 g fat. Values vary depending on how much fruit puree you use and the type of flour. It is a fairly light recipe, with a moderate sugar content for a cake base. Storage and reheating The base stores well in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. It does not need reheating. If left uncovered, it will dry out on the surface. I recommend slicing it and assembling it into a cake immediately after cooling, or at the latest the next day. I do not recommend storing it longer or freezing it unless absolutely necessary.

Preparation

We start by preheating the oven. We prepare a round baking pan, greasing it with butter/margarine and lining it with parchment paper. We sift the flour with baking powder. We separate the egg whites from the yolks. We grate the lemon and squeeze the juice, straining it to remove the seeds. We place the blackberries (photo 1) in a blender and puree them, then pour them into a cup. We do the same with the sour cherries, blending them and placing them in another cup (photo 2). Do not mix the blackberries with the sour cherries! We whisk the yolks with 4 tablespoons of sugar and the lemon zest (photo 3). We add enough blackberry puree to darken the mixture. I thought the blackberries would turn it pink, but that wasn't the case; I had to add sour cherries. If we add more blackberries than needed, the batter will turn gray, at best indigo; but not pink. So, we add one or two tablespoons of blackberry puree until the mixture darkens slightly. Now is the time to incorporate the sour cherry puree (photo 4), gradually, until we achieve a beautiful, deeper shade of pink. We beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar (the other 8 tablespoons) and lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, until a stiff meringue forms (if it's not stiff, I add one or two more tablespoons of sugar). In this meringue, we gradually add the yolk and fruit mixture (photo 5), gently folding with a spatula from the bottom up; alternating with a spoonful of flour (photo 6) and mixing gently by folding. Be careful not to deflate it! We proceed this way until we incorporate all the yolk cream (photo 7) and all the flour (photo 8). If the mixture requires it, we can add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour. The batter for the cake must be fluffy, airy, and flow slowly. If it's too thin, the cake won't bake properly. If the batter is too thick, the cake won't rise and will be hard as a rock. We pour the mixture into the pan (photo 9) and place it in the oven at moderate heat for 40-45 minutes (depending on the size of the pan). We check with a toothpick if it's baked (photo 10). We let it cool in the pan, in the oven, with the door slightly ajar. I used a round pan with a diameter of 26 cm, and my cake was 5.6 cm tall. If I had used a pan with a diameter of 20-22 cm, the cake would have risen to about 8 cm. After it cooled, I cut the cake in half horizontally. I can't describe the wonderful aroma of this cake layer :) The color is visible in the photos.

Natural Pink Cake Base

Preparation

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