Frankfurt crown cake: A royal recipe in ring form

 It is a ring shape of the Frankfurt Crown Cake is intended to remind you of the golden crown with which the german royals were once crowned in Frankfurt/Main.

The cake seduces your tongue with vanilla buttercream, raspberry jelly between loose layers of sand cake. The clou is the icing on the cake is the crispy hazelnut brittle that covers the cake. All cherries, which are placed on top of the cake to finish, are supposed to symbolize the royal rubies.

Ingredients for the cake:

8.8 oz. (250 g) butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
5 medium eggs
1 3/4 cups (230 g) all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup (80 ml) Eierlikör/Advocaat

For the pudding buttercream:

3 1/2 cups (850 ml) milk
2/3 cup (80 g) cornstarch
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8.8 oz. (250 g) butter, softened
1.8 oz. (50 g) confectioners’ sugar

For the decoration:

7 oz. (200 g) raspberry jam
7 oz. (200 g) hazelnut brittle
3.5 oz. (100 g) heavy cream
1 tsp. confectioners’ sugar
some candied cherries

Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 45 minutes

Directions

Bake the bundt cake:

To begin, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly grease a bundt pan (about Ø 9.5 inches).

A helpful tip: to ensure the cake releases easily later, grease your cake pan thoroughly and dust it with a thin layer of flour — it works like a charm every time.

Next, place the softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl carlotta and beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Once that’s done, gradually add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition so the batter stays smooth.

Afterward, combine the flour with the baking powder in a separate bowl, then add this mixture to the batter together with the Advocaat (Eierlikör). Stir just until everything is incorporated — avoid overmixing to keep the texture airy.

Now pour the fluffy batter into the prepared bundt pan, smooth the surface, and place it in the lower third of the oven. Bake for about 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When baked, remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for several minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the buttercream:

While the cake is cooling, you can start making the buttercream. Begin by pouring about ½ cup (100 ml) of milk into a small bowl and whisk it together with the cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a large pot, and as soon as bubbles start to appear, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Keep stirring until the pudding thickens and bubbles again, then remove it from the heat. Immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat the softened butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Once the pudding has cooled, gradually add it to the butter mixture while whisking constantly. To ensure a perfectly smooth texture, you can press the pudding through a fine sieve before adding it. Continue beating for about 4–5 minutes until the buttercream turns light, creamy, and airy.

Assemble the Cake

Once the bundt cake has cooled completely, you can begin assembling it. Carefully slice it horizontally into three equal layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread half of the raspberry jam evenly over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges to prevent overflow.

Next, spread a layer of buttercream on top of the jam. However, you can easily do it by using a piping bag with a large round tip to pipe rings of buttercream, although a simple spatula will work just as well. Then, gently place the middle layer on top and repeat the process with the remaining jam. After that you do it again with  another layer of buttercream. Refrigerate the cake for about 20 minutes so it can firm up slightly.

Finally, position the top layer on the cake and coat the entire surface with a thin layer of buttercream. Sprinkle generously with hazelnut brittle, pressing it lightly into the cream so it adheres well. The result is a beautifully decorated, golden-brown crown cake ready to impress at any occasion.

Decoration:

For the royal rubies on the crown you should prepare a topping: Whisk the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Fill into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe little swirls on top of the cake – finish with the candied cherries. One last time you should place your royal pastry in the fridge before serving and slicing. To make it even, you can use the emilio serving plate to follow the cutting grooves very well.
Finally, serve the Frankfurt Crown Cake on the ricardo cake container.