Layered Berry Pound Cake Recipes

LAYERED BERRY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream together the cream cheese, lemon zest, juice, and powdered sugar.
• Whip the cream to stiff peaks and gently fold into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
• Using a serrated knife, level the top of the pound cake and if desired, straighten up the sides to make it a uniform rectangle. (Save the scraps for something else.)
• Slice the cake horizontally into 3 layers.
• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper that overhangs the pan, giving you two tabs to pull up to later remove the cake.
• Place one layer of pound cake into the bottom of the pan. Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture followed by a later of berries and another thin layer of cream cheese. Top with another layer of pound cake and repeat, ending with the top later of pound cake and the remaining cream cheese mixture.
• Wrap the top and whole pan with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, use the parchment to gently lift the cake out of the pan. Serve with more berries if desired.

BERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 10-inch round cake pans; line with parchment. Butter parchment, then dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla seeds. In a separate bowl, toss together blueberries and cornstarch.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until well combined. Continue beating while gradually adding butter until mixture is crumbly, about 3 minutes.
• Slowly add half of milk mixture; increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add remaining half of milk mixture, scraping down bowl as needed. Beat until incorporated, about 1 minute more. Remove bowl from mixer; fold in blueberries.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, spreading to edges with a small offset spatula. Tap pans on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean and tops are lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack; let cool completely. Turn cakes out of pans and remove parchment.
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 6 egg whites, and a pinch of salt in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over (not in) a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch and feels completely smooth when rubbed between fingertips, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk on low speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture has cooled completely, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; add 4 sticks butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking until fully incorporated after each addition. (Don't worry if buttercream appears curdled after all of butter has been added; it will become smooth again with beating.) Whisk in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Switch to paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until air bubbles are eliminated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic, and let stand at room temperature. Repeat process twice more with remaining ingredients, using the same amounts each time, then combining all three batches of buttercream in the large bowl and covering with plastic. Remove 2 cups buttercream; set aside.
• Fold jam into large bowl of buttercream. Add burgundy food color, a drop at a time, until desired color is reached.
• Assembly:Place a cake layer, bottom-side down, on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread about 1 1/2 cups buttercream over it; top with a second cake layer, bottom-side down, and another 1 1/2 cups buttercream. Finish with a third cake layer, bottom-side up. Evenly spread top and sides of cake with a 1/2-inch thickness of buttercream, smoothing with an offset spatula.
• Divide remaining buttercream among three bowls, then lighten each with some of the reserved 2 cups white buttercream, creating different shades. Transfer to pastry bags fitted with open and closed star tips in a variety of sizes. Pipe swirls and rosettes of buttercream on top of cake. Frosted cake can be refrigerated overnight; bring to room temperature and top with berries before serving.

BERRY LAYER MAGIC CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with a 12-by-8-inch piece of parchment paper leaving an overhang on 2 sides.
• Melt the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, about 1 minute. Brush the parchment paper with some of the melted butter, then flip it over and press it back in the pan. Brush the other side of the paper and the sides of the pan with butter.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously in a large bowl until pale, creamy and thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining melted butter and whisk until incorporated. Add the salt and all but 2 tablespoons of the flour, mixing until completely combined.
• Heat the milk in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and vanilla to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until well combined (the batter will be thin). Toss the berries with the reserved 2 tablespoons flour and gently stir into the mixture.
• Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar in a clean bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed in until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Scrape the whites into the yolk mixture, gently breaking them up a little with a whisk. Using a whisk, gently stir and fold the mixture a few times to coat the whites with liquid while keeping as much volume as possible (the batter will not be homogeneous). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• Bake until the top is browned and puffed and the cake is mostly set with a slight jiggle in the center, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, about 2 hours.
• To serve, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. Run a small offset spatula or thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Cut the cake into 9 squares and serve topped with whipped cream.