Blackberry Cake With White Chocolate Buttercream Recipes

BLACKBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line 3 5- or 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• Mix cake mix, eggs, oil and milk together in a large bowl, mixing until combined.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake 27-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pans to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and nearly white in appearance.
• Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.
• Add the heavy whipping cream, jam, vanilla extract, salt and a few drops of food coloring and mix on medium speed until fully combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Spoon some frosting into a piping bag or zipper bag and set aside for decorating.
• Trim the domed tops off the cakes as needed. Place one layer of cake on a cake plate.
• Using the buttercream in the bag, pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the bottom cake layer. Spread ½ of the jam inside the ring and spread evenly. Pipe a bit more buttercream on top of the jam and smooth out.
• Top with the second layer of cake, then repeat the process.
• Spread a thin crumb coat layer of buttercream over the entire cake, smoothing it out as best as possible.
• Freeze the cake for 30 minutes before applying a second layer of buttercream to cover the cake.

BLACKBERRY BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place blackberries in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Press through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard seeds., In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add blackberry puree; beat until blended.

BLACKBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease and fully line a 20cm springform cake tin and set aside. Coat the blackberries in the 1 tbsp flour and set aside. This helps them to stay buoyant, although you do want some sinkage for this cake as it creates a lovely pudding-like base for the cake. Set aside. In a jug, mix together the milk and lemon juice/white wine vinegar and leave to stand. This makes the buttermilk, but if you have actual buttermilk to hand feel free to use that instead, using 125ml buttermilk to replace the 125ml milk.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs along with the vanilla and a few tablespoons of the flour to prevent curdling. Next, alternate adding the buttermilk and flour until the ingredients are used up. Fold in the blackberries and white chocolate.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Sprinkle over as much demerara sugar as you like, then bake for 45 - 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. It's meant to be a little bit squidgy on the bottom, as a great cake for serving as a pudding with some custard or cream, but it's also suitable to be eaten as it is. Leave to cool in the tin for 20-30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully, or serve warm with some custard or vanilla ice cream.

MIXED-BERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 12-inch- diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt in very large (6- to 8-quart) bowl to blend well. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water; using electric mixer, beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Beat in oil, then egg yolks and vanilla.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and powdered sugar in large bowl until whites are very thick and billowy and form medium-firm peaks when beaters are lifted, about 12 minutes (do not underbeat). Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions. Divide cake batter equally between prepared pans.
• Place one pan on each rack in oven, staggering pans so that one is not directly above the other. Bake cakes 25 minutes. Reverse position of pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Line 2 cooling racks with kitchen towels. Cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto towels. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.)
• Buttercream
• Makes about 8 cups.
• 8 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup egg whites (about 8)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Stir white chocolate and cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until fluffy; set aside.
• Combine whites and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over large saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Whisk until sugar dissolves and thermometer inserted into whites registers 160°F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using clean dry beaters, beat meringue until cool, stiff and shiny, about 10 minutes.
• Beat butter, about 1/4 cup at a time, into meringue, blending well after each addition. If frosting looks curdled, place bowl over very low heat for 3 to 5 seconds to soften slightly. Remove from heat and beat until smooth. Repeat warming technique as necessary. Gradually beat in cooled white chocolate mixture, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Chill buttercream until beginning to firm, about 30 minutes.
• assembly
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 6 cups (about) assorted fresh berries (raspberries; blueberries; blackberries, halved if large; and sliced strawberries)
• Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 layer on 11-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round. Spread with 1/2 cup jam, then 1 1/4 cups buttercream. Arrange half of berries atop buttercream, spacing about 1/2 inch apart. Press second cake layer atop berries. Repeat layering of jam, buttercream and remaining berries. Top with third cake layer (reserve remaining cake layer for another use).
• Spread 2 cups buttercream in thin layer over top and sides of assembled cake to anchor crumbs and smooth surface. Refrigerate cake on its base until crumb coat is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Spread 2 1/4 cups buttercream over top and sides of cake. Spoon remaining buttercream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)
• final decoration
• 4 cups (about) assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
• 1/2 cup currant jelly
• Place cake with its base on platter. Fill top center of cake with berries. Melt jelly in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Using pastry brush, brush warm jelly over tops of most berries. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Using long knife, cut cake into quarters. Cut each quarter into 6 wedges.