Raspberry Hazelnut Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

It was Donald's (my husband's) birthday yesterday so I was searching for the perfect cake to bake.  Last year I baked a rich Black Forest Gateau, this year it is more fruity and nutty with hazelnuts and raspberries.  The mixture for the cake is the most delicious mixture I have ever tasted and this recipe makes a large batch so there will be plenty of finger dipping and taste testing as you go.  The recipe calls for a mascarpone cream icing but I have decided to make a maple cream cheese icing instead.  I'll let you know how it all works out together. 

Raspberry Hazelnut Cake

                              250g butter softened
                              2 cups caster sugar
                              6 eggs
                              1 1/2 cups plain flour
                              1 teaspoon baking powder
                              1 cup hazelnut meal
                              2/3 cup sour light cream
                              300g frozen raspberries
                              1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts chopped coarsely

Maple Cream Cheese Icing

                              60g butter softened
                              250g cream cheese softened
                              4 tablespoons maple syrup
                              2 cups icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°/160°C fan forced, 350°F/325°F fan forced.  Grease a deep 22cm round cake pan, line the base and sides with baking paper.

Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the sifted flour, baking powder, hazelnut meal and sour cream.  Fold in the raspberries gently, you want to try and keep them whole. 

Pour mixture into the pan.

I had a bit of mixture left over so I poured it into a friand tin which made perfect little samples of the cake to taste test.

Bake cake for approx 1 1/2 hours.  Stand cake in pan 10 minutes then turn top-side up onto wire rack to cool.

To make the Maple cream cheese icing beat butter, cream cheese and syrup in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until spreadable.  Spread over the top and sides of the cooled cake and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

The maple cream cheese icing was very smooth and delicious with the hazelnuts and raspberry cake, very yummy indeed.

Both recipes can be found in The Australian Women's Weekly Mix : cakes, muffins, biscuits and puddings.