Classic German Crown Cake
A modern take on the classic German crown cake — layered with light Viennese sponge, aromatic raspberry jelly, and a silky French buttercream flavored with raspberry brandy. Finished with golden hazelnut brittle and fresh raspberries
Ingredients
🍰 Viennese Sponge Wiener Boden
- 4 eggs separated
- 100 g sugar
- 50 g spelt flour Type 630
- 50 g cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 50 g melted butter
- 1 pinch of salt
🍇 Raspberry Jelly & Syrup
- 200 g frozen raspberries
- 100 g gelling sugar 2:1
- Juice of ½ lemon for jelly
- 140 g water
- 70 g sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon for syrup
- 30 g raspberry brandy
🧈 French Buttercream
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 1 pinch of salt
- 400 g unsalted butter softened
- 40 g raspberry brandy
🌰 Decoration
- 200 g hazelnut brittle Krokant
- Fresh raspberries for garnish
Instructions
🟡 Viennese Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Grease and flour the sides of an 18 cm springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt, gradually adding the sugar, until stiff peaks form.
- Beat in the egg yolks, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest.
- Sift together flour and starch, then fold into the egg mixture.
- Gently incorporate the melted (but not hot) butter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for ~20 minutes.
- Immediately flip the baked sponge onto parchment to keep it moist while cooling.
🔴 Raspberry Jelly & Syrup
- For the jelly: Purée thawed raspberries and strain to remove seeds. Cook with gelling sugar for 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and transfer to a bowl. Let cool.
- For the syrup: Boil water, sugar, and lemon juice. Once cooled to room temperature, stir in raspberry brandy. Chill until needed.
🧁 French Buttercream
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla paste, and salt over a water bath until the mixture reaches 45°C (113°F).
- Remove from heat and beat until fluffy and fully cooled.
- In another bowl, whip the softened butter until pale and creamy.
- Gradually incorporate the egg mixture into the butter until smooth.
- Add raspberry brandy and mix until fully combined.
🏗 Assembly
- Slice the cooled sponge into 3 even layers. Use a round cutter to remove a small center hole (~8 cm) from each.
- Place the first sponge layer in a cake ring. Brush with raspberry syrup.
- Spread half the raspberry jelly over the sponge. Then add ~200 g of buttercream and smooth it out.
- Repeat with the second layer. Top with the third sponge layer.
- Chill the assembled cake overnight to set.
🎨 Finishing
- Soften the remaining buttercream slightly by warming it gently. Reserve ~100 g for piping.
- Use the rest to evenly coat the top and sides of the cake.
- Hold the cake gently and press the hazelnut brittle all around the surface.
- Transfer to a serving plate.
- Fill a piping bag with a star tip and pipe 12 buttercream rosettes on top.
- Garnish each rosette with a halved fresh raspberry.
Notes
❄️ Storage & Serving
- Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for ~30 minutes before serving.
- Best enjoyed within 2–3 days, stored in the refrigerator.