I usually decorate it in a way that suggests that you cut it in 12. That is because it is easier to divide into 12 than into 10.
I could easily have a piece without blinking.
I only blinked after because I wondered where it went. Don’t you hate when you eat something and you don’t really realize it?
The blueberries burst in the cream, the lemon keeps the flavour from seeming flat, then the crust brings it all together.
The icing sugar on the top makes the flavour sparkle.
Directions
INGREDIENTS
Makes 10”/25cm cake
Prep time 2 hour 30 minutes
Baking time 40 minutes
Cake
If you do not have the forethought to bring your eggs out early, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for a bit. Don’t beat cold eggs here, they won’t thicken as they should.
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cups/150g granulated sugar, I use organic cane
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup/100g all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup/65g unsalted butter, melted
- Icing sugar for dusting
1.Preheat the oven 350°F/180°C
2. Line a 15.5”x10.5”/39x27cm jelly roll pan.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt
4. Beat the eggs on high until foamy.
5. Gradually add the sugar, as it gets thicker and pale yellow. Beat for about 5 minutes.
6. Quickly mix in the vanilla and the melted butter.
7. Sift in the flour mixture over the eggs.
8. Using a large metal spoon, fold the ingredients together.
Why a metal spoon? You don’t have to, but it slices in better and it lifts and turns the batter without smashing too much which makes it a bit heavy. A rubber spatula works fine though. A metal spoon makes kind of a neat sound for some reason though.
Do not over mix. Stop just when you think you should give it one more turn. The scraping and spreading will help to incorporate some more.
9. Spread into the prepared pan.
10. Bake 12-15 minutes
11. It’s a bit thin to use a cake tester, so just touch the surface. It should spring back.
12. Cool completely.
Shortbread Crust
If you use salted butter, omit the salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut in cubes
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
1.Preheat the oven 350°F/180°C
2. Combine the flour, salt and icing sugar in a food processor and add in the butter.
3. Process until well combined.
If you do not have a food processor, combine the flour and icing sugar, then cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives.
4. Press into a 10”/25cm springform pan.
If you have a larger pan, that’s fine. If you have a smaller pan, just know that the cake part will extend past the crust.
5. Bake about 20 mins or until golden and crisp.
Filling
- 340g/12 oz (about 2½ cups) fresh blueberries. Try to use organic
- ½ cup/60g icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- ¼ cup/60mL boiling water
- 2 cups/480mL whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp unflavoured gelatin (usually one envelope)
1. Wash the blueberries and pat dry.
2. Set aside a scant cupful as well as some for garnish
3. Put the 2 Tbsp water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it. Preferably a wide bowl, as it will give more surface area for the gelatin to be spread out.
4. Let sit, to soften for about a minute.
5. Pour in the boiling water and stir to dissolve.
6. Lightly crush about ¼ of the berries, just enough to release some juice to mix with the gelatin. This will just help to distribute it though the cream better.
7. Add the lemon juice which will also help to reduce discolouration.
8. Pour the gelatin mixture over and combine.
9. Beat the whipping cream with the icing sugar.
10. Set aside about a quarter of the whipped cream for spreading on the outside of the cake.
11. Pour the crushed blueberry/gelatin mixture over the remaining three quarters whipped cream and fold in.
Assembly
1. Spread over the completely cooled cake.
2. Scatter the remaining berries over the cream.
3. Slightly press the berries into the cream.
4. Cut into six equal strips, muscling your way through the berries to give you a clean path.
5. Roll up one of the strips as for a jelly roll.
6. Place near the middle of the shortbread crust.
7. Refrigerate the rest of the strips for about 15 minutes. It will make it easier to handle if the gelatin sets a bit.
8. Add each strip around the centre, pressing in as you go to keep a tight roll or you will end up with a large cake full of gaps.
You will have to remove the rim of the pan to give yourself some room.
Keep going around and pressing in until the strips are used up.
You should be able to stuff it back into the pan. If you can’t, that’s ok. If you know that you have compacted the layers well, you may have been generous on the fillings or I should have recommended a larger pan. Either way, just put plastic wrap around it to keep it together in the fridge until it sets.
9. It won’t take long.
Once set, spread with the whipped cream you put aside.
If you want to decorate with more cream, you might have to whip some more, or just leave the outside bare, because it looks nice that way too.
Place some more berries on top and dust with some icing sugar.
Blueberry Cream Layer Cake
I usually decorate it in a way that suggests that you cut it in 12. That is because it is easier to divide into 12 than into 10.
I could easily have a piece without blinking.
Prep Time: 60 min
Bake Time: 35 min
Makes: 10”/25cm Cake
Recipe PDF
INGREDIENTS
Cake
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cups/150g granulated sugar, I use organic cane
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup/100g all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup/65g unsalted butter, melted
- Icing sugar for dusting
Shortbread Crust
- If you use salted butter, omit the salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut in cubes
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Filling
- 340g/12 oz (about 2½ cups) fresh blueberries, wash and pat dry
- ½ cup/60g icing sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- ¼ cup/60mL boiling water
- 2 cups/480mL whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp unflavoured gelatin (usually one envelope)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C
- Line a 15.5”x10.5”/39x27cm jelly roll pan.
-
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Beat the eggs on high until foamy.
- Gradually add the sugar, as it gets thicker and pale yellow. Beat for about 5 minutes.
-
Mix in the vanilla and the melted butter, just until combined.
- Sift in the flour mixture over the eggs as you fold the ingredients together.
- Do not over mix.
- Spread into the prepared pan.
- Bake 12-15 minutes
- Cool completely.
Shortbread Crust
- Keep the oven at 350°F/180°C
- Combine the flour, salt and icing sugar in a food processor and add in the butter. Or cut in the butter using a pastry cutter.
- Press into a 10”/25cm springform pan.
- If you have a larger pan, that’s fine. If you have a smaller pan, just know that the cake part will extend past the crust.
- Bake about 20 mins or until golden and crisp.
Filling
-
Set aside a scant cupful as well as some for garnish.
- Put the 2 Tbsp water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it.
- Let it sit, to soften for about a minute.
-
Pour in the boiling water and stir to dissolve.
- Lightly crush about ¼ of the berries, just enough to release some juice to mix with the gelatin.
-
Add the lemon juice and the gelatin mixture.
- Beat the whipping cream with the icing sugar.
- Set aside about a quarter of the whipped cream for spreading on the outside of the cake.
- Pour the crushed blueberry/gelatin mixture over the whipped cream and fold in.
Assembly
- Spread over the completely cooled cake.
- Scatter the remaining berries over the cream and slightly press into the cream.
-
Cut into six equal strips, muscling your way through the berries to give you a clean path.
- Roll up one of the strips as for a jelly roll.
- Place near the middle of the shortbread crust.
-
Refrigerate the rest of the strips for about 15 minutes. It will make it easier to handle if the gelatin sets a bit.
- Remove the rim of the pan and add each strip around the centre, pressing in as you go to keep a tight roll.
- Keep going around and pressing in until the strips are used up.
- You should be able to stuff it back into the pan. If you can’t, just put plastic wrap around it to keep it together in the fridge.
-
Once set, spread with the whipped cream you put aside.
- Place some more berries on top and dust with some icing sugar.
- Keep refrigerated.
