ALMOND BERRY TIARA CAKE WITH FRESH RASPBERRY SAUCE
This Almond Berry Tiara Cake with Fresh Raspberry Sauce is a beautiful and refreshing dessert that’s perfect for spring and summer gatherings. With its delicate almond flavor, creamy mascarpone filling, and fresh berries on top, this cake makes a stunning presentation for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any special occasion.
Baked in a vintage tiara pan (also known as a Mary Ann or flan pan), this cake has a shallow center that’s perfect for filling with sweet mascarpone cream and topping with fresh fruit. I’ve had my tiara pans since the 1980s and have always loved using them when I want to make something a little extra special.
Back then, I often filled them with pudding and topped them with canned pie filling. This updated version uses almond paste in the cake and a homemade raspberry sauce for a more fresh, elegant flavor.
WHAT IS A TIARA PAN?
Tiara pans—also called Mary Ann or flan pans—create a cake with a decorative edge and a center well that’s perfect for fillings. You can still find these pans in kitchen stores and online, and they’re wonderful for both vintage-style and modern desserts.
Many years ago these pans were free at the grocery store with the purchase of a Duncan Hines cake mix. (You can see the name in the pan).
This is a set that I had purchased from Pampered Chef.
These pans are available at different kitchen stores, and I saw them on Amazon. Flan Pan or HERE. (I am not an Amazon affiliate)
As I was looking through my tiara pan recipes, I found one that used almond paste. I had never used this in baking.
HOW TO MAKE ALMOND BERRY TIARA CAKE
(Full list of ingredients and instructions in printable recipe card.)
INGREDIENTS
Cake
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter
• Sugar
• Almond paste
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
Filling
• Mascarpone cheese
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Almond extract
Topping
• Fresh berries (such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries)
• Confectioners’ sugar
Raspberry Sauce
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Water
• Frozen berries
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the cake batter and spread it evenly into a greased tiara pan. Bake as directed, then invert onto a cooling rack. (If it sticks slightly in places, don’t worry—the topping will cover it beautifully.)
While the cake cools, prepare the raspberry sauce and allow it to cool as well.
In a small bowl, mix together the mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Spread this mixture into the center of the cooled cake.
Top with fresh berries of your choice and lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Drizzle the raspberry sauce over the entire cake or serve it on the side with each slice.
Step by Step Photos
Prepare the batter as directed. Spread batter in the prepared pan. Bake.
Invert onto a cooling rack. My cake did stick a little in a few places.
Prepare the raspberry sauce while cake is cooling.
Mix the filling of mascarpone cheese, confectioner sugar and almond extract. Spread in indented area.
Top with any combination of fresh berries.
Dust berries with confectioners sugar.
Drizzle raspberry sauce over the cake or onto plate with each individual slice.
Any type of berries can be used for the sauce also. Enjoy this delicious and refreshing summertime treat.
BERRY LEMON MASCARPONE COOKIE TART is another spring dessert recipe filled with fresh berries.
Why You’ll Love Almond Berry Tiara Cake
• A beautiful dessert that’s perfect for entertaining
• Light, fresh flavors with berries and mascarpone
• A unique combination of almond and fruit
• A wonderful way to use a vintage tiara pan
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
• Use any combination of fresh fruit or change the sauce to strawberry, blueberry, or mixed berry
• If you don’t have almond paste, you can substitute a yellow cake mix (it will make two cakes) and continue with the filling and topping
• For a more traditional version, try a pudding filling with fruit pie topping
How to Store
Refrigerate cake after it is put together. The berries will begin to run after 2 days,
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a pudding filling on a tiara cake?
YES, I make several using a pudding instead of the mascarpone layer. Vanilla pudding filling with a can of cherry pie filling is delicious.
Can I make this cake in advance?
It really is best if served the day it is made, but you can make it 1 day ahead. A good way to do it is to make the cake in advance and even do the filling. Just add the fresh berries and the sauce the day you are serving it.
This recipe was shared @https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/ on
Weekend Potluck link party.
You can also make the tiara cakes using a boxed cake mix. Below is the link to a one I made with peaches. The cake mix will make 2 cakes, but you can freeze one for a later use.
Peaches and Mascarpone Cream Tiara Cake.
ALMOND BERRY TIARA CAKE with FRESH RASPBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients
- CAKE:
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch kosher salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz almond paste
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- FILLING:
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 cup confectioner sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- TOPPING:
- 3-4 cups fresh berries
- confectioner sugar for dusting
- RASPBERRY SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 10 oz frozen berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray tiara pan (or 9-inch) cake pan with no stick cooking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt: set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the sugar. Crumble the almond paste into small pieces. Add to the butter mixture and beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, (one at a time), and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Spread evenly in the cake pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Invert carefully onto serving plate.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the mascarpone cheese, confectioner sugar, and almond extract until combined and smooth. Do not over beat. Spread in the center of cake when it is cooled.
- Arrange berries on top of mascarpone layer. Dust with confectioner sugar. Drizzle with raspberry sauce when serving cake.
- Prepare the raspberry sauce. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium size saucepan. Whisk in the water. Add the frozen berries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it starts to thicken. I also smash the berries while cooking. Remove from heat. Drain sauce through sieve to remove berries. Place into container.
Notes
- Any variety of fruit topping or sauce can be used for this cake.
- It really is best if served the day it is made, but you can make it 1 day ahead. A good way to do it is to make the cake in advance and even do the filling. Just add the fresh berries and the sauce the day you are serving it.
Just gorgeous – so impressed. I have one of those pans somewhere and this might be the incentive I need to find it. I remember using it many years ago with the canned pie filling in the cavity that you mentioned. This looks SO much better/fresher.
Isn’t that funny how we used this so many times and then it just got lost in the millions of pans we have. I think my family will like the pudding fillings..I’ll make one this summer for them. Thank you Janice.
That’s mouthwatering! Beautiful!
Aww Helen thank you. You are always so kind.
Is there really only 1/3 cup of flour in the cake?
Hi Cindy. Seems crazy but this cake really does only use 1/3 cup flour. I looked through several recipes for a Tiara Cake pan and most of them used 1/4 cup of flour. I tried that and could not even get it to stay together after baking. I tried 1/2 cup and it was so dry. I think after 4 or 5 attempts, I used 1/3 cup flour and it worked great. I had never used almond paste before, so maybe that makes a difference in the amount of flour. I remember back in the 1980’s they had Tiara Pan Cake Mixes but I guess that is a thing of the past. I wanted to use my old pan I found and it was hard to find a recipe for it. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Can you make the cake without the almond? Do you need to substitute anything?
Hi. Thank you for checking out my recipe. This particular cake wouldn’t work without the almond paste but you could do a totally different cake or cake mix for the cake part and then just finish with the filling and fruits. This size pan won’t hold a whole cake mix, so you could just put less batter in your pan. That would work.