This is one of the many cakes I bake using this simple base – and I cook them as tarts, in a shallow tart tin. The raspberry is lovely and tart and the cacao nibs (coarsely ground cocoa beans) are a raw, natural version of chocolate chips which are brilliantly crunchy and not at all sweet. In our home this cake is often eaten for breakfast and never lasts longer than a day.
For where to buy see bottom of post.
You will need…
180g butter, cubed
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 cups ground almonds*
1 cup white spelt flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup cacao nibs
A small handful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
1/2 – 3/4 cup milk (enough to give you a not-too-dry but not-runny-either consistency)
300g frozen raspberries
How to make…
Pre-heat oven to 180°C
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until white and fluffy.
Then, slowly – one at a time, beat in the eggs, beating well after each egg. If you add them all at once or too quickly the mixture will curdle.
In a separate bowl mix together the flours and the baking powder with a wooden fork.
Add in the walnuts, cacao nibs and seeds and mix until combined.
Add the flour mix to the butter mix, and add the milk.
Gently fold together with a spatula.
Pour into a lined* 12″ tart tin (I use the amazing cake tin liners from Lakeland) and cover with a single layer of frozen raspberries.
* You need to ensure your paper lining is quite a bit higher than the tart tin as this tart will rise. For your first time baking this tart I recommend you put a baking sheet on the oven shelf below the tart tin in case of any overflow.
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and firm. If the cake is still wobbly in the middle it’s not done!
Test for readiness by inserting a skewer or knife into the cake. If it comes out with only a few grains of ground almonds it’s ready. This cake is better a bit undercooked than overcooked.
This cake is rather good warm.
Where to buy…
Vanilla extract – Steenbergs
Ground almonds – Goodness Direct (I buy 3kg at a time)
White spelt flour – Doves Farm
Frozen raspberries – Natural Cool at Goodness Direct
Cacao nibs – Naturya at Planet Organic
Free range organic eggs – Abel & Cole
* Sometimes called almond meal. You can buy ground almonds or you can make your own by whizzing them in a blender or food processor until fine.
You’re a doll! I’m going to try this one. Your instructions make it look entirely doable and for that I am grateful!
x
I don’t know what’s going wrong here. I have tried to make this cake twice. The first time I followed the instructions exactly. As the outer edge of the cake became brown, the raspberries migrated (gravity?) toward the center which remained uncooked even after an additional half an hour in the oven.
The second time (just today), I used fresh raspberries and at first it seemed to be working much better. But then the raspberries slowly started their gravity migration to the center and I got the same result.
The good news is that the cake is truly delicious (at least the cooked part). But I cannot figure out how to get the middle to cook correctly.
??? Maybe the temp is wrong? What size pan do you use? I’ve tried a “normal” cake tin (9″ round) and a springform pan (10″).
I will try this once more (since the cake is so yummy) and not add any raspberries at all. I’ll make a raspberry glaze for afterwards, maybe. But I’m still not sure that the middle will cook properly. It seems that something is off here, but I haven’t figured it out.
Hi Tad – you need to make sure you use a shallow tart tin and all will be well. I hope it works out for you :)
Hello,
I loved this recipe and made it several times last summer, always having good success. I was especially pleased to find this recipe that used cacao nibs that we stock as I have never seen a recipe that uses them.
We have recently set up a blog and website and i would love to use your recipe on our site. I have taken some photos of the cake that I have made that would look great on our Blog.
Yum Yum!
Thanks
Ali
Hi Ali,
Yes, absolutely please do share share!! It’s such a great recipe and can be turned into any kind of cake with a few small tweaks. Glad you like it and are using it!
Delicious cake. Just made it but didn’t have raspberries soni used blueberries and added touch of cinnamon to the crust. Delicious!
Great! Glad you like the recipe – it’s fantastic with any different type of berries or fruit!!
Looks fantastic! Love your photography. Think I will try this with different fruits :)
Thank you Marillyn :) it’s a versatile recipe – you can put anything with the base and it will work – berries, stone fruit, bananas…
Can the white spelt flour be replaced by white all-purpose flour? Since cacao nib is also not available, can chocolate chip be used
Hi there – yes you can definitely substitute the spelt for any kind of flour and the cacao nibs for any kind of chocolate :)
I found your blog from pinterest and I really would like to try this cake and other recipes you put on your blog. The pictures are amazing the food looks delicious.