Raspberry White Chocolate Angel Food Cake

adapted from Donna Hay

Ingredients:

12 egg whites (room temperature)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. Madagascar vanilla bean paste (3- fold)
1 cup all purpose flour

Filling:

Ingredients:

20 ounces heavy cream
13 ounces white chocolate (chopped)
1/3 cup raspberry preserves

Frosting:

Ingredients:

10 ounces heavy cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. Madagascar vanilla bean paste (3-fold)
Fresh raspberries for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high until soft peaks form. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla bean paste, beat on high until glossy stiff peaks form.
Remove whisk from bowl and sift the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the egg mixture. Fold in the flour and sugar until it is no longer visible.
Spoon into an un-greased angel food cake pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes until cake is springy and golden brown. Let cool and invert onto a wire rack.

Filling:

In a microwave safe glass bowl melt the chopped white chocolate and 1/2 the heavy cream for 30-45 seconds. Whisk to combine. Place in fridge and chill. Place the remaining heavy cream into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat until medium soft peaks develop. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Set aside.

Frosting:

Using the same bowl you used for the heavy cream for the filling, place the heavy cream into the bowl. With a whisk attachment attached, beat on high until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla bean paste. Beat until medium soft peaks form. Set aside.

Assembly:

Slice the cooled cake in half.

Spoon a layer of white chocolate filling onto the bottom layer. Smooth out with a offset spatula. Spoon the raspberry preserves onto the layer of white chocolate frosting. Spread with the same offset spatula.

Place the top layer onto the bottom layer.

Frost the cake with the whipped topping frosting. Using an offset spatula, place 1/2 the whipped frosting in the middle of the cake. Spread the frosting towards the edges and down the sides of the cake. Smooth or add designs to the top and sides using the spatula. Garnish with fresh raspberries.