Tempura Cake Bites
Because Cake Needed Crunch
Your cake craving called. It wants a crispy upgrade. These tempura cake bites are soft and rich in the middle, wrapped in tempura batter and panko, then fried until lightly golden. Add powdered sugar and raspberry sauce and leftover cake suddenly looks very intentional.
INGREDIENTS
- Cake, homemade or store-bought, frosted or unfrosted, enough to make about 15 cake bites
RASPBERRY SAUCE
- ¼ cup water
- 12 ounces frozen raspberries
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
FOR FRYING AND FINISHING
- 60 ounces vegetable oil, for a 6-quart pot
- 1 bag (or 114 grams) of Ms. Wong's Tempura Mix
- ½ cup ice-cold water
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Powdered sugar, for finishing
Vegetarian option: Choose cake, frosting, and raspberry sauce made without gelatin.
Tools and Supplies
- Food processor
- Cookie scoop
- Parchment paper-lined tray
- Small saucepan
- Fine-mesh strainer (optional)
- 2-quart mixing bowl for the batter
- Whisk
- Deep bowl for the panko
- Deep 6-quart pot
- Clip on oil thermometer (optional but highly recommended)
- Tongs
- Skimmer
- Cooling rack and tray
Directions
STEP 1: Shape and Freeze the Cake Bites
Blend the cake until smooth. Portion it with a cookie scoop onto a parchment paper-lined tray, then freeze for 2 hours, until firm enough to hold its shape.
STEP 2: Make the Raspberry Sauce
Add ¼ cup water, 12 ounces frozen raspberries, ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain out the seeds if desired.
Return the sauce to the heat. Whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, then stir the slurry into the sauce for about 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon almond extract.
STEP 3: Heat the Oil
Pour 60 ounces vegetable oil into a deep 6-quart pot, keeping the pot less than halfway full. Heat the oil to 350°F.
STEP 4: Batter Up
Gently mix 1 bag (114 grams) of Ms. Wong's Tempura Mix with ½ cup ice-cold water until just combined.
STEP 5: Coat and Fry
Dip each frozen cake bite in the batter. Coat each cake bite with a thick, even layer of panko, covering every bare spot. This helps seal the coating and keep the cake from seeping out while frying.
Carefully lower the cake bites into the 350°F oil and fry for about 60 seconds, until lightly golden. Work in two small batches.
⭐ Pro tip: These are delicate and fry quickly, so keep the batches small.
STEP 6: Serve
Dust the warm cake bites with powdered sugar and serve with raspberry sauce.
