Raspberry Number Cake for Girl’s Birthday Party

Our oldest daughter, Maya, had been looking forward to her 5th birthday for months. Candy bags, guests, and, of course, a beautiful cake were high on her wish list! At first, she wanted a giant gold unicorn cake. Luckily, I was able to quickly talk her out of that one. Her second answer, however, was not negotiable: a purple and pink number five cake with raspberry flavor.

So, I baked a layer cake with vanilla sponge layers, raspberry mousse, and whipped vanilla ganache, topped with sweet treats in her favorite colors. Fortunately, I had plenty of time, so I also made some nice decorations. The result was fantastic – one of my best number cakes yet! Fluffy layers, tangy mousse, and crispy meringue. Everything came together perfectly. Maya was over the moon, and the cake tasted just as good as it looked!

Pink and Purple Decorations for the Number Cake

Number cakes are amazing because you can decorate them with so many different elements, making them both festive and impressive. When I asked Maya which colors she wanted for the cake decorations, her answer was immediately: Purple and pink! Her two favorite colors.

So, I decorated her number cake with the following:

• Lots of pink and purple meringue (I made half a batch of my Italian meringue, piped meringue kisses in different colors and baked them)
• Pink and purple mini chocolate bars (I melted white chocolate and made little chocolate bars in molds)
• Pink macarons (I didn’t have time to bake them myself, so I ended up buying some)
• Small pink roses from the garden
• Fresh raspberries
• White mini sprinkles

Of course, you can decorate your number cake however you like! The possibilities are endless, and only your imagination limits you. 😉

Timeline to Bake This Number Cake

When I bake cakes like this, I start early and prepare as many elements as possible in advance, so I don’t have to do much on the day of serving. After all, there’s usually a lot to do before guests arrive! Luckily, many of the elements of this cake can be made ahead of time:

• Mini chocolate bars can be molded up to 6 months in advance and stored at 16-18°C (60-65°F).
• The sponge cake layers and raspberry mousse can be made and assembled up to 2 months in advance. It’s best to let the mousse set in the fridge, then cut the cake shape and freeze it – wrapped well in plastic wrap.
• Meringue kisses and macarons can be made up to 1 month ahead and frozen in airtight containers.
• Whipped vanilla ganache should be made the day before serving and refrigerated overnight.
• Take the cake out of the freezer the night before serving and let it thaw in the fridge.

That way, the only thing you need to do on serving day is whip the vanilla ganache, pipe it onto the cake, and decorate with all your beautiful elements!

Recipe

Raspberry Number Cake

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A wonderful purple and pink number cake that’s fit for a princess! Fluffy vanilla layers, tangy raspberry mousse, and a light and airy vanilla ganache make this cake as delicious as it is festive.

Difficulty: Moderate

Yield: 16 servings

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Ingredients

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Vanilla Cake Layers:

• 350 g butter
• 300 g flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 6 eggs
• 350 g sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Raspberry Mousse:

• 3 sheets of gelatin
• 250 g raspberries (frozen)
• 1 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ liter heavy cream

Whipped Vanilla Ganache:

• 1 ½ batch of my vanilla ganache recipe

Toppings:

• See decoration inspiration further up in this post.

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Instructions

Vanilla Cake Layers:

• Preheat your oven to 180 °C (356 °F). Line a 27x33 cm (11x13 inches) adjustable square baking pan with parchment paper (attach the paper to the sides of the pan with paper clips).
• Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Add the melted butter and mix.
  350 g butter, 300 g flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp vanilla, 6 eggs, 350 g sugar
• Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture using a spatula until you have a smooth batter.
• Spread the batter evenly into the pan (note: do not grease the pan). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden. Use the toothpick test to check if the cake is done – it should come out clean when inserted into the center. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
• Cut along the inside of the pan and release the cake. Score around the center of the cake with a bread knife and then cut through it to get two even layers.

Raspberry Mousse:

• Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
  3 sheets of gelatin
• Meanwhile, cook the frozen raspberries, water and sugar in a saucepan for 2-3 minutes until the raspberries soften.
  250 g raspberries, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp water
• Blend the raspberries using an immersion blender. Strain the raspberry sauce back into the pan and heat it over low heat.
• Wring the water out of the gelatin sheets and stir them into the raspberry sauce until dissolved.
• Transfer the raspberry sauce to a bowl or plastic container and chill it in the fridge until it’s cool.
• Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks in a bowl. Gradually add the cooled raspberry sauce to the whipped cream while gently stirring. Continue until you have a light pink mousse.
  ½ liter heavy cream

Assemble the Number Cake:

• Place one layer of the cake with the flattest side facing down on a piece of parchment paper on a large serving plate or cutting board. Tighten the adjustable baking pan around the cake.
• Spread the raspberry mousse evenly on top of the cake layer.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the mousse with the smooth side up and gently press down.
• Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or preferably overnight) until the mousse has set.

Cutting the Number Cake:

• Print or draw a template of the number you want to create and cut it out. My number “5” in the pictures measures 22x32 cm (9x13 inches).
• Cut along the inside of the pan and release it. Check that the mousse has set.
• Place the template on top of the cake. Cut along the template with a sharp knife, removing excess cake as you go, until you have a perfect number shape.
• Freeze the cake uncovered for 2 hours. Then, wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Thaw the cake in the fridge (still wrapped in plastic wrap) overnight before serving.

Whipped Vanilla Ganache:

• Make the whipped vanilla ganache the day before serving and refrigerate.
  1 ½ batch of my vanilla ganache recipe
• On the day of serving, whip the ganache until light and fluffy with an electric mixer as directed in the recipe. Fill it into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe dollops on the number cake.

Decoration:

• Decorate the cake as desired. Find inspiration and detailed decoration ideas further up in this post.

Notes

Check the timeline earlier in this post to plan when to make the different elements.

See step-by-step pictures below the recipe for further guidance.

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How to Use an Adjustable Baking Pan

I recommend baking your number cake in an adjustable square baking pan. It makes it easy to bake a large, stable cake. If you don’t have one, you can use a pan that matches the recipe’s size or adjust the amounts for a smaller cake. Here’s how to do it:

1. Adjust the baking pan to the correct size, and create a base of parchment paper, securing it to the outside with paper clips or hairpins.
2. Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly, bake the cake, and let it cool completely.
3. Cut along the inside of the pan before loosening it. Slice the cake into two layers and place one layer with the flattest side facing down on a cutting board lined with parchment paper. Tighten the baking pan around the bottom layer.
4. Spread the raspberry mousse over the bottom layer, then place the top layer on top with the flattest side up.
5. Chill the cake until the mousse has set, and cut along the inside of the pan before releasing it.

How to Cut a Number Cake

The best trick for cutting a neat number cake is to use a template! Here’s how:

• Print or draw a number in the desired size and cut it out.
• Place the template on top of the cake – don’t press it all the way to the edge.
• Cut along the edges of the template with a sharp knife, removing excess cake as you go.
• Finish by smoothing out any crumbs or uneven edges.