Late summer is blackberry time, and what better way to use up a glut of blackberries than by baking this easy blackberry cake recipe?
We’re lucky enough to have a lane that runs along the back of our house which is full of blackberries at this time of year. I had a little forage on the lane and found lots of wild blackberries for free, so decided to make a blackberry cake. This cake is a vanilla sponge with blackberry coulis, blackberry jam and fresh blackberries, topped off with some blackberry buttercream – it’s quite blackberryish!
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Easy Blackberry Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Greaseproof Paper
- 6 Inch Round Cake Tin
- Straight Edge Scraper
- Cake Board or Plate
- Palette Knife
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 230 grams caster sugar
- 230 grams Stork or unsalted butter
- 250 grams self raising flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams fresh blackberries
- 50 mililitres blackberry coulis (optional)
For the Buttercream
- 500 grams unsalted butter
- 1000 grams icing sugar
- 65 mililtres blackberry coulis
- 50 grams blackberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 ºF or 175 ºC. Line 2x 6" round tins with greaseproof paper.NOTE if you only have one tin, make half of this recipe at a time and bake separately.
- In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can use a bowl and hand whisk if you don't have a stand mixer.
- Crack the eggs into a separate jug or bowl and add to the mix, one at a time. Add the vanilla.
- Add the flour and mix together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins, swirling in some blackberry coulis to make it marbly. Coat some blackberries in flour and add them to the top of the cake mix – there's no need to push them into the mix, they'll naturally sink a little.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Every oven is different so this is only a guide. When the cakes are baked, allow to cool completely before assembling.
- Whilst the cake is baking, make the blackberry buttercream. Add the unsalted butter and icing sugar to your stand mixer bowl and beat well. Add the blackberry coulis and watch the icing turn a lovely shade of pink.
To Assemble The Cake
- Trim any uneven tops (domes) or darker edges from your cakes if you want – this is totally optional!
- Put one of your cakes on a cake board or plate and add a layer of blackberry jam. Pipe a layer of blackberry buttercream (you could spread this on with a knife if you like). Dot some fresh blackberries in the buttercream and add the top layer on.
- To coat the outside of the cake in buttercream, first coat the sides and then the top using a palette knife. Use a straight edged cake scraper, smooth the sides of the cake. You might find this easier to do if the cake has been chilled for a bit as it will be a bit firmer. Decorate with fresh blackberries and some herbs (I used thyme and lemon balm as that was all I had that looked nice!).
Recipe Variations
To decorate the cake I used some fresh herbs including thyme and lemon balm which has some lovely flowers on it.
I used homemade blackberry coulis for this recipe but you can use shop bought.
You could substitute the blackberries for other berries, including raspberries or strawberries depending on what soft fruit you have available.
Baking thinner layers of cake means that the fruit is less likely to sink to the bottom. It also means your cake is more moist and as it’s a madeira cake recipe, the cake will stay fresher for longer.
Why not try these Chocolate a/wpnd Blackberry Cupcakes?
How to Store This Blackberry Cake
Stored in an air tight container, this cake should be good for up to 5 days. You can also pop it in the freezer and save for up to 3 months – simple portion up, and wrap each portion in cling film. That way you can just defrost the amount of cake you need – it should thaw out in an hour or so if left at room temperature. If you want to make this cake for a party, you could bake the sponges and freeze them, before allowing to thaw and decorate as normal. I wouldn’t refreeze any leftovers if you did this.
