Berries Layer Cake

A couple of days ago, my mom asked if I was baking any cakes this weekend.  I replied yes, and absent mindedly said that I was going to complete my fruit cake bakes for the coming Chinese New Year.  It took me about 20 seconds to decipher the look on her face after my last statement.  Gosh, it was her birthday weekend, she was hinting for a birthday cake for her birthday party, and her ever so filial daughter had totally forgotten all about it !

Panicked, I started to comb through my recipe books for the world's most perfect and awesome celebration cake.  Such a tall order, I know, but you see, my family can be quite merciless when it comes to birthday cakes.  I was tempted to bake something familiar to be on the safe side, but in the end, I decided to go for something new, which can hopefully put a wow on everyone's face.  And, not one but two cakes ! Madness, I know, but I like to call it insurance, in case one turns out to be an utter failure !

The result ?  I am so glad to have received rave reviews on both cakes.  Half the guests preferred the berries layer cake and the other half, the pecan crunch layer cake, so it was pretty balanced.  I guess it really depends on whether you are a fruitty or a nutty.

Happy Birthday Mom, I hope you enjoyed your special day, your birthday party and your cakes.  They may not qualify as the world's most perfect and awesome celebration cakes, but they came from your most perfect and awesome daughter, so that should count for something :)

This recipe (adapted from the Perfect Party Cake recipe) had come to me via Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

You will need:

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract

For the frosting:
1 1/2 cup whipping cream, for the internal frosting
115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Rind of 1 lemon

For the finishing:
Adequate strawberry preserve, stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
Adequate fresh strawberries (halved) and blueberries, for the filling
Adequate fresh strawberries and blueberries, for decoration
Adequate almond flakes, lightly toasted

Preparation:

To prepare the cake:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 180 deg C.  Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.

Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up.

To prepare the buttercream frosting:
Beat butter in a small bowl with electric mixer until white as possible, and then beat in the sifted icing sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice in two batches until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake:
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.

In a chilled bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with the strawberry preserves. Cover the jam evenly with whipped cream. Top with another layer, spread with whipped cream, and gently press the halved strawberries and blueberries onto the whipped cream.  Cover the berries lightly with more whipped cream.  Top with another layer, spread it with the strawberry preserves, and then cover the jam evenly with whipped cream.  Finally, place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the buttercream to frost the sides and top.

Pat the almond flakes all over the sides of the cake, and top the cake with fresh whole strawberries and blueberries.  Dust some snow sugar all over the top of the cake, if desired.