Excited to share with you my Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe. The combination of lemon and blueberry is such a classic duo and is good in so many forms: pancakes, muffins, baked french toast, and of course, cake!

Lemon Blueberry Cake

This popular flavor combination has been done by many before, but I love how each cake or muffin or pancake recipe is a little different. One of my favorite versions of a Lemon Blueberry Cake is from Sweetapolita. Rosie’s recipe is one of the first cakes I ever made and I’ve always loved her flavor combinations and sprinkles!

Cake Layers

My version of a Lemon Blueberry Cake is inspired by Rosie’s cake. I’ve altered my lemon cake layers from my Lemon Bar Cake. The one difference you’ll see between the Lemon Bar Cake and this Lemon Blueberry Cake is that I’m not using lemon pudding mix. Instead, I’ve subbed some of my buttermilk with fresh lemon juice. The texture and flavor are just as awesome as the Lemon Bar Cake. I just decided to give you another option for a lemon cake in case you can’t get your hands on lemon pudding.

When you’re making the cake layers, make sure you allow for plenty of time (a couple of hours, usually) for the wet ingredients to get to room temperature. Room temperature ingredients are better absorbed by dry ingredients, and that helps your cake to rise better.

Size Matters

Also, try to find the smallest blueberries possible. The smaller the blueberries, the better they’ll stay in place as they bake in the cake batter. You’ll also want to make sure you dust your blueberries in flour to help prevent them from sinking, as well.

You can see some of my blueberries held great in their spot and some of the bigger ones definitely fell to the bottom.

The Most Delicious Lemon Buttercream

The buttercream for this cake is the same buttercream I use in my Lemon Bar Cake. To get a bright yellow color, you’ll want to add some yellow food coloring. I like using Americolor food gels. For the cake layers and buttercream, I added a few drops of “lemon yellow.”

Assembly

Don’t forget to:

• Chill your cake layers before assembly
• Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of your cake layers
• Not to overfill your cake layers with too much lemon curd. Save leftover curd to serve with each slice of cake (or to use on toast in the morning!)
• Apply a crumb coat before your final coat of frosting

Video Tutorial

Tools

You can find the spatulas and scrapers I used over on SHOP.CAKEBYCOURTNEY.COM.

You’ll also find my first cookbook, “CAKE, by Courtney” with this recipe and so many more HERE.

More Cakes to Love

• Mom’s Legendary Lemon Bars
• The Best Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe
• 3 Delicious Ways to Use Lemon Curd
• Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake
• 5 Easy Lemon Cake Recipes From Scratch

Print

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Lemon cake layers with fresh blueberries, lemon curd and lemon buttercream

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Intermediate, Lemon Blueberry Cake, Lemon Cake

Servings 20

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (9 g) lemon zest, one large lemon
• 1/2 tsp (2.8 g) salt
• 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 6 eggs whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup lemon juice about three large lemons
• 3/4 cup (194 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 cup (140 g) blueberries, try to find the smallest ones
• 3 drops yellow food coloring, optional (I used Americolor Lemon Yellow)

FOR THE CURD

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (9 g) grated lemon zest, one large lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 3 large lemons
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp (56.5 g) unsalted butter, cold

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (446 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 2 tsp (8.4 g) lemon extract
• 1/4 cup (57.5 g) heavy whipping cream
• pinch of salt
• 4 drops yellow food coloring, optional (I used Americolor Lemon Yellow)
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake, as decorated above. If you want additional piping, you'll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and zest together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites, one at a time, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and mixing well between each addition. Mix on medium-high speed until no grains of sugar remain, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Be sure not to over mix. Over mixing your cake batter will cause it to sink. ***As you add the last of the buttermilk mixture, this is a good time to start coloring your batter if you'd like it a brighter yellow.
• Coat your blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and then gently fold them into the cake batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, about 18 ounces in each 8-inch pan or about 13 ounces in each 6-inch pan. Bake the cake layers for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Allow the cake layers to cool in the pans on wire racks for about 10 to 15 minutes. Invert cake layers onto a wire rack to cool completely. TIP: spray your wire rack with nonstick spray to prevent the cake layers from sticking.
• Allow to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in the freezer until ready to decorate.

FOR THE CURD

• This element is best done a day or two ahead of stacking and decorating your cake.
• Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks in a small bowl and then whisk them into the lemon mixture.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick like pudding, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time until incorporated.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. 

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream, salt and lemon extract. Mix until combined. Add yellow food coloring, if using. Mix until incorporated completely. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 5 minutes.
• Before applying the buttercream to your cake, use wooden spoon to beat the frosting by hand for about 2 minutes to push out any air pockets. 

ASSEMBLY

• Spread a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first cake layer, top side up, on the board.
• Spread about a half cup of frosting over the cake layer and pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier to the filling.
• Spread about 1/4 cup of the curd in the center of the cake, carefully spreading it to the edge of the piping.
• Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat step 2 and 3. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
• Lightly coat the cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
• Finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve a spoonful of the remaining lemon curd with each slice of cake.

The post The Best Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd and Lemon Buttercream first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

As promised, with two days until the Fourth, here’s my new Red, White and Blue Berry Cake! This cake was so fun to make and I am so pleased with how it turned out.

Red, White and Blue Berry Cake

For this year’s 4th of July cake, I originally planned to make a cake inspired by those rocket popsicles we ate as kids. But, after I finished the cake layers and saw how gorgeous the cake layers turned out, I knew they needed to be the start of the show. The cake wouldn’t need much else. Plus, last year’s Fourth of July Funfetti Cake was a bit more extravagant. So, this year, I decided to keep it simple and I’m so happy I did!

How to Make Cake Layers

For the base of this cake, I used my Classic White Cake recipe. It’s so good on it’s own, but also really versatile if you’re ever looking to add a flavor to it. For this cake, I knew I wanted the red, white and blue colors, but I also wanted different flavors for each cake layer. However, I did not want to make three different batches of batter. So, I got a little creative.

I ended up making my Classic White Cake up until the buttermilk needed to be added. Everything else was in the batter and mixed well. I then split the batter into three portions and added 1/3 cup buttermilk to one portion, 1/3 cup raspberry puree to another, and 1/3 cup blueberry puree to the third portion. Because I had already done plenty of mixing in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, I folded in these liquids to make sure not to over mix the batter (which is a reason our cakes sink in the middle sometimes).

How to Create Colors and Flavors in Cake Layers

After adding the raspberry and blueberry purees to two of the cake layers, I wasn’t satisfied with the flavors or the colors of the batter. I wanted more of both. To enhance the flavors, I added a teaspoon of raspberry emulsion to the raspberry cake and a teaspoon of blueberry emulsion to the blueberry cake. This amped up the flavors perfectly!

I also added one drop of Americolor red food gel to the raspberry layer and one drop of blue food gel to the blueberry layer. I love how the colors turned out a bit vintage looking.

Filling and Frosting

In between the layers, I added fresh berries along with my Vanilla Buttercream. I give several tips about making the perfect buttercream in my post about my Classic White Cake. Be sure to check it out HERE.

Decorating

Take a peek at my video below to see the step by step process of how to decorate my Red, White and Blue Berry Cake. I use my go-to Ateco Cake Scraper to make the lines on the side of the cake. It’s the best two dollars you’ll ever spend!

Enjoy!

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Red, White and Blue Berry Cake

Layers of raspberry cake, vanilla cake, and blueberry cake, covered in vanilla buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1 3-layer, 8-inch cake

Author Courtney Rich

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 whole egg at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons (12.6 g) clear vanilla extract
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (366.5 g) cake flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (16 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (4.2 g) salt
• 12 tablespoons (169.5 g) unsalted butter room temperature and cut into cubes
• 1/3 cup (80 g) buttermilk
• 1/3 cup (34 g) raspberry puree
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) raspberry emulsion
• 1/3 cup (34 g) blueberry puree
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) blueberry emulsion

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter chilled (I take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before I make my frosting)
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 3-4 tablespoons (43.3-57.75 g)heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) clear vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Berries for garnish
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside. 
• In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, whole egg and the vanilla. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed for 30 seconds.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the butter one piece at a time, about every 10 seconds.
• Once all the butter is added, turn the mixer to medium-low speed and add the egg mixture in three additions, scraping the bowl down between each addition. Mix just until incorporated.
• Using a kitchen scale, divide the batter into three portions, in three separate bowls. 
• In the first bowl, fold in 1/3 cup buttermilk.
• In the second bowl, fold in 1/3 cup raspberry puree and 1 teaspoon raspberry emulsion.
• In the third bowl, fold in 1/3 cup blueberry puree and 1 teaspoon blueberry emulsion.
• Pour each of the different cake batters into their own cake pan, spreading evenly with a small offset palette knife.
• Bake until a cake tester or toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted into the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Check cake at 23 to 25 minutes or a couple minutes before, and then set the timer for 2 to 3 minute intervals if the cake needs to bake longer. You're looking for a few moist crumbs to come out on the toothpick when inserted into the center of the cake.
• Let the cake layers cool on racks for 10 minutes before inverting onto greased wire racks. Gently turn the cakes back up so the tops are up and cool completely.
• Once the cakes are cooled completely, level the tops if needed.
• Wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap and chill in freezer for at least an hour before using. The cake layers can be stored for up to a few days wrapped once in plastic wrap and frozen. To store longer than a few days, wrap twice in plastic wrap, then in foil, and seal in a zip-lock bag.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 2 minutes. This will soften the butter without it having to be warm.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.
• With mixer on medium speed, add whipping cream, vanilla and salt.
• Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The frosting will become lighter in color and texture.
• Before spreading on your cake, spend a couple minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets. 

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up. Add about 1 cup of frosting. Spread over the cake layer as evenly as possible. Make sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure the frosting is spread evenly over the cake. Add fresh berries, if using.
• Repeat this step until you get to the final cake layer, which you will lay top side down.
• Apply a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
• After the crumb coat is set, continue frosting and decorating the cake.

The post The Perfect Cake for 4th of July: Red, White and Blue Berry Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Blueberry Delight Bars

Last week I introduced you to my grandma’s Blueberry Delight dessert. This delicious and easy dessert is made up of a simple Nilla wafer crust, a whipped cream filling and blueberry compote. I not only loved how simple this dessert was to make, but I also loved the flavors and textures! So much so, that I just had to create a cake inspired by this beloved family recipe.

Blueberry Delight Cake

To turn this dessert into a cake, I used some of the very same elements as the bars and then added a few twists of my own!

Blueberry Delight Cake Elements

• Nilla wafer crust – similar to the bars, this cake starts with a Nilla wafer crust made of butter, cookies and sugar. You’ll bake the crust on its own for just a bit before adding the batter and baking again.
• Lemon ricotta cake layers – the cake layers are based off my Olive Oil Ricotta Cake, but you’ll see we’re using grape seed oil instead of olive oil in these layers. Grapeseed oil has less flavor than olive oil.
• Ricotta filling – for the ricotta filling, I made homemade ricotta (super easy) and added it to some powdered sugar and whipped cream. You’ll find the same recipe in my Ricotta Beet Cake. I love how the tangy cheese flavor pairs with the other flavors in this cake.
• Blueberry compote – the blueberry compote is exactly the same as the one my grandma uses in her recipe. I think you’ll love the hint of cinnamon.
• Blueberry buttercream – for the buttercream, I used my go-to vanilla buttercream and added some of the smooth puree from the blueberry compote.

Cake Assembly

Make sure to follow the instructions below to ensure you stack this Blueberry Delight Cake properly.

Stacking

Crumb Coat

Final Coat

STORING TIP: Once you’ve completed the decorating, you can serve it immediately or cover the cake completely and store it in the fridge for up to one day. If you need to store the cake for longer than one day, make sure to freeze your cake to ensure freshness.

SERVING TIP: Unlike my usual opinion, I actually do like this cake served slightly chilled. If you store it in the freezer, give it a few hours to thaw before serving.

The longer this cake sits out, the softer the Nilla wafer crust will become. However, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. This cake will be delicious no matter what!

Shopping List

Before you start baking, make sure you have the following items in stock (these are items you maybe don’t always have on hand):

• Whole milk
• Heavy cream
• Fresh blueberries (you can use frozen, but fresh is best for flavor)
• Nilla wafers (one, 11oz. box)
• Grapeseed oil (while I don’t recommend subbing grapeseed oil, if you can’t find it, you can use vegetable oil)
• Lemon

For a list of full ingredients, make sure to check out the recipe below.

Helpful Baking Tips:

• Preheat oven 20 to 30 minutes before baking.
• Use room temperature ingredients.
• Spray your pan. Line with parchment paper.
• In the cake batter recipe, beat butter and sugar on high for a few minutes.
• Turn mixer to LOW once you add dry ingredients.
• Don’t over bake your cake layer. When you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake it should come out with a few moist crumbs on it.

Enjoy!

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy

• Grandma’s Vintage Blueberry Delight Recipe
• The Perfect Summer Cake: Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake
• Top 3 Cakes Using Lemon Curd
• Ricotta Beet Cake

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Blueberry Delight Cake

Nilla wafer crust, lemon ricotta cake layers, ricotta filling, blueberry compote, and blueberry buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Advanced, Blueberry Delight Cake

Servings 18

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• 70 Nilla wafer cookies, pulverized into a fine crumb
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5.6 g) salt
• 1 cup (218 g) grapeseed oil
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon zest, from one large lemon
• 2 cups (480 g) ricotta cheese, homemade or store bought

FOR THE RICOTTA/FILLING

• 4 cups (960 g) whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups (346.5 g) heavy cream
• 1 tsp (5.6 g) salt
• 3 tbsp (43 g) white vinegar
• 3/4 cup (93.75 g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup (57.75 g) whipping cream
• *this makes enough for the filling, if you also want homemade ricotta in the cake layers, double this recipe.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• 1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries, 2 cups
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp (1.3 g) ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (118 g) water
• 2 tbsp (18 g) corn starch

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 1/2 cup juice of compote, try to leave out any of the blueberry chunks
• 3 tbsp (42 g) heavy cream
• 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch (or four, 6-inch) cake pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix to coat the crumbs so you're left with a "wet sand" consistency.
• Divide the crumbs between the three pans (about 5 ounces in each). Pat firmly into place.
• Bake the crusts for 7 minutes.

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Cream the grapeseed oil and the sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for one minute. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the ricotta, starting and finishing with the flour. Combine until incorporated.
• Evenly distribute the batter among the three cake pans on top of the crusts (about 15-16 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Let cool in pans 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator overnight or freezer for longer.

FOR THE RICOTTA/FILLING

• FOR THE RICOTTA (best to make ahead of time): Combine the whole milk, cream and salt in a large pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil, while stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• Once the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, turn the heat off and add the vinegar. Give the mixture a stir and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. You'll see the mixture start to separate into thick parts and thin parts.
• Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and then place a damp cheese cloth over the mesh strainer. Pour the milk mixture over the cheese cloth. Let the mixture strain for about an hour. Discard the liquid in the bowl and pour the ricotta in a bowl to chill until ready to use. Can be made ahead of time and store in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
• FOR THE FILLING: Combine the powdered sugar and whipping cream. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipping cream into 2 cups of the homemade ricotta.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the blueberries to burst and the liquid to thicken. It should coat your spoon well.
• This is best made ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
• Add the blueberry filling, vanilla, salt and heavy cream (one tablespoon at a time). Once the cream is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for five minutes. It should get lighter in texture and color.
• Use a spoon to mix the frosting by hand, which will push out the air pockets created by the electric mixer.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake plate. Using a piping bag, pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Fill the cake with 1/2 to 3/4 cup ricotta filling, followed by 1/2 cup blueberry compote.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat step two.
• Place the final cake layer on top and apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire. Freeze the cake for about 10 minutes to set crumb coat.
• Finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream and top with blueberry compote.
• See above picture tutorial for more details.

The post Old Fashioned Blueberry Delight Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Where Did This Cake Idea Come From?

I know what you’re thinking: where did this cake idea come from?! Like many of my cakes, it came from an unlikely place – an appetizer! A few weeks ago we were with some friends at HSL in Salt Lake, one of our favorite restaurants. Instead of ordering individual meals, we ordered several appetizers and desserts. One of the appetizers was sourdough toast with mixed berry ricotta, mixed berry compote and candied hazelnuts. I about died over the mixed berry compote! That on top of sourdough toast with the hazelnuts was just next level. We all loved it so much, we ordered a second!

After a single bite, I was already figuring out how to put these flavors into a cake.

Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake

• Ricotta cake layers – the cake layers are based off my Olive Oil Ricotta Cake, which is a tender and incredibly moist cake. You’ll notice, it’s a heavier cake than a light and fluffy vanilla cake, and that’s thanks to the two cups of ricotta. No worries, though, it’s not dense and doesn’t have a tight crumb at all. Certainly not like a pound cake, just more of a heavier cake than others you may be used to.
• Ricotta filling – for the ricotta filling, I made homemade ricotta (super easy) and added some of the mixed berry compote. You’ll find the same ricotta recipe in my Ricotta Beet Cake and my Blueberry Delight Cake. I love how the tangy cheese flavor pairs with the other flavors in this cake.

• Mixed berry compote – the mixed berry compote is easy to make and so yummy. You can use fresh or frozen berries. Note: if you use frozen berries, you will use half the amount of water called for.
• Toasted candied hazelnuts – you know how I love a crunch in my cake! These toasted candied hazelnuts are the perfect addition to the creamy textures of the filling and buttercream.
• Hazelnut buttercream – for the buttercream, we’re adding a hazelnut paste for a beautiful, smooth flavor and texture. Be sure to read below about substitutes.

Hazelnut Buttercream

For the hazelnut buttercream, I’m adding a store-bought hazelnut paste. Hazelnut paste is very much a nut butter made of hazelnuts. If you can’t find hazelnut paste or don’t want to buy it, let’s talk about some alternatives.

What can I use in place of hazelnut paste?

HOMEMADE HAZELNUT BUTTER: In place of store-bought hazelnut paste, you can make your own hazelnut butter. To do this, you’ll start with about 2 cups of skinned hazelnuts. Using a food processor, blend the nuts until a paste forms. You may need to add a teaspoon or two of olive oil to help the process along.

Note: using a homemade hazelnut butter will result in a slightly more textured buttercream. It won’t look as smooth as mine, but will taste amazing.

HAZELNUT EXTRACT: If the nut butter and paste aren’t an option for you, another alternative is hazelnut extract or emulsion. I love the Lorann Oils Emulsions. Add one teaspoon of the extract or emulsion to your buttercream, give it a taste and add one or two more teaspoons depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.

In my opinion, the hazelnut paste is the ideal option, but if you have to make a sub, you’ll be a-okay!

Helpful Baking Tips:

• Preheat oven 30 minutes before baking.
• Use room temperature ingredients.
• Spray your pan. Line with parchment paper.
• In the cake batter recipe, beat the oil, sugar, and eggs on high for a few minutes to get a smooth texture.
• Turn mixer to LOW once you add dry ingredients.
• Don’t over bake your cake layer. When you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake it should come out with a few moist crumbs on it.

How to Assembly This Cake

For a quick look at how to assemble this cake, check out my REEL.

For details about piping, check out this REEL.

More Berry Filled Cakes You’ll Love

• Blueberry Delight Cake
• Blueberry Cobbler Cake
• Blackberry Lime Italian Soda Cake
• Chocolate Blackberry Cake
• Raspberry Pretzel Cake

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Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake

Ricotta cake layers with berry ricotta filling, mixed berry compote, toasted hazelnuts and hazelnut buttercream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake, Hazelnut, Hazelnut Buttercream, Mixed Berry Compote, Ricotta, Ricotta Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (218 g) olive oil, can also use vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon zest, from one large lemon
• 2 cups (480 g) ricotta cheese, homemade or store bought – at room temperature

FOR THE RICOTTA/FILLING

• 2 cups (480 g )whole milk
• 3/4 cup (173 g) heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
• 1/2 tbsp (21.5 g) white vinegar
• *this makes enough for the filling if you also want homemade ricotta in the cake layers, double this recipe.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• 2 cups (260 g) fresh or frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (118 g) water, half this amount if using frozen berries
• 2 tbsp (18 g) corn starch, sifted

FOR THE TOASTED Hazelnuts

• 2 cups (260 g) chopped hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

FOR THE HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1/2 cup hazelnut paste, I use this PASTE or you can 1-2 teaspoons hazelnut extract, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.
• 3 tbsp. (43.3 g) heavy whipping cream
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra 1/4 – 1/2 batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Cream the olive oil and the sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for one minute. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix for an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the ricotta, starting and finishing with the flour. Combine until incorporated.
• Evenly distribute the batter among the three cake pans (about 16 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Let cool in pans 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator overnight or freezer for longer.

FOR THE RICOTTA/FILLING

• FOR THE RICOTTA (best to make ahead of time): Combine the whole milk, cream and salt in a large pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil, while stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• Once the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, turn the heat off and add the vinegar. Give the mixture a stir and then let it sit for about 5 minutes. You’ll see the mixture start to separate into thick parts and thin parts.
• Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and then place a damp cheese cloth over the mesh strainer. Pour the milk mixture over the cheese cloth. Let the mixture strain for about an hour. Discard the liquid in the bowl and pour the ricotta in a bowl to chill until ready to use. Can be made ahead of time and store in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
• FOR THE FILLING: Combine the chilled ricotta with about 1/2 cup of the berry compote. You can use more, if desired.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the berries to burst and the liquid to thicken. It should coat your spoon well. Turn heat off and all to cool slightly. Puree in blender or food processor. Strain out the seeds.
• This is best made ahead of time and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

FOR THE CANDIED HAZELNUTS

• Add the sugar to the chopped hazelnuts in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and is coating the hazelnuts. Pour the sugared hazelnuts over parchment paper to cool and use for the filling.

FOR THE HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. This helps to soften the butter without the butter getting too warm by sitting on the counter half the day.
• Add the hazelnut paste. Mix on medium-high speed until well blended, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the cream. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Before spreading on your cake, spend a couple minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake plate. Using a piping bag, pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Fill the cake with 1/2 to 3/4 cup berry ricotta filling, followed by 1/3 cup berry compote. Sprinkle on a handful of the hazelnuts.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat step two.
• Place the final cake layer on top and apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire. Freeze the cake for about 10 minutes to set crumb coat.
• Finish frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.

The post Berry Good Hazelnut Ricotta Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Blueberry Cobbler Cake

What is it about cobblers and crisps that immediately make me think of summer? Am I the only one, or are these classic summer desserts something you think about as soon as June 1st hits? For some, it might be the memories of camping and making a cobbler or crisp in the dutch oven. For me, it’s the memory of my mom baking in the kitchen on summer Sunday nights.

Growing up, we always had a big family dinner on Sunday. My dad would grill some sort of meat, my mom would make some sides and whip up a delicious, but easy dessert (she did have four kids to wrangle up, after all). Blueberry cobbler and peach crisp were two of mom’s go-to Sunday summer desserts — served fresh out of the oven with a scoop

A few years ago, I turned mom’s Peach Crisp into my Peach Crisp Cake. Today, I’ve turned her Blueberry Cobbler into my Blueberry Cobbler Cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need For Blueberry Cobbler Cake

In addition to the common baking ingredients you’re used to (i.e. cake flour, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, etc.), make sure you have the following:

• Blueberry emulsion
• Blueberries
• Vanilla bean paste
• Buttermilk
• Heavy whipping cream

How to Make the Best Cake Layers

Don’t forget to follow my go-to tips for getting your cakes to rise and bake well:

• Preheat your oven for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Use good quality pans like Fat Daddio.
• Spray your pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. 
• Don’t overmix your cake batter once you add the dry ingredients.
• Use room temperature wet ingredients.
• Use fresh baking powder.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

NOTE: These cake layers rise to about 1-1.25″ high. If you want thicker cake layers, I suggest adding an extra half-batch to the recipe.

How to Make Buttercream Frosting

To get a light and fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting, make sure you follow my tips over at HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM

• Sift your powdered sugar
• Use slightly cold butter
• Use heavy whipping cream
• Beat for 5 minutes
• Stir by hand

You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step.

How to Cake It

Before you start stacking your cake, make sure you’ve chilled your layers for at least an hour in the freezer. I find that freezing my layers to chill them a little makes it easier to stack and frost my cakes. When you’re ready to stack and decorate, just make sure the layers aren’t totally frozen (otherwise your buttercream will harden too quickly as you apply it to the cake).

Assembly Instructions

• Place first cake layer, top side up, in the center of your cake board or cake plate. 
• Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream evenly over the cake.
• Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the blueberry compote over the cake. 
• Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the crumble over the blueberry compote. Pat into place.
• Place second cake layer on top of fillings and repeat these steps.
• Place final cake layer on top and cover with a thin coat of buttercream. 
• Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat. 
• Finish frosting the cake after the crumb coat is set with the remaining buttercream.

Best Blueberry Cakes

Looking for other blueberry cakes? I’ve got you covered!

• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Blueberry Delight Cake
• Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake
  

Best Summer Cakes

Other summer cakes I think you’ll love:

• Strawberry Pretzel Delight Cake
• Pina Colada Cake
• Root Beer Float Cake
• Orange Almond Poppy Seed Cake
• Mojito Cake

Print

Blueberry Cobbler Cake

Blueberry cake layers with vanilla buttercream, blueberry compote, and cobbler crunch filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cake

Keyword blueberry cake, blueberry cobbler, blueberry cobbler cake, blueberry dessert, Intermediate, Vanilla Buttercream

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Servings 1 3-layer, 8-inch cake

Ingredients

FOR THE BLUEBERRY CAKE

• 2 cups (200 g) blueberries fresh or frozen
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (366.5 g) cake flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (16 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (4.2 g) salt
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 whole egg at room temperature
• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) blueberry emulsion

FOR THE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

• 2 cups (200 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (118 g) water
• 2 tablespoons (18 g) corn starch sifted
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 4 tablespoons (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla bean paste
• Pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

For the Crumble

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (27.5 g) packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (86.25) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) cinnamon
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

FOR THE BLUEBERRY CAKE

• HEAT THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside. 
• MAKE THE PUREE: In a medium saucepan, cook the blueberries over medium-low heat until the berries soften. Transfer berries to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Should make 1 cup puree. Set aside.
• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high for about 2 to 3 minutes, until lighter in color.
• With the mixer in medium speed, add the egg whites and egg, one at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. Once all of the eggs are added, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Stir in the vanilla extract and blueberry emulsion.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients with the blueberry puree in three additions, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients.
• NOTE: I left my batter naturally colored by the emulsion and puree. For more of a purple or blue, use a drop of food coloring.
• BAKE THE CAKE: Evenly divide the batter between the three pans (about 15 ounces of batter in each) and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
• Let the cake layers cool on racks for 10 minutes before inverting onto greased wire racks to cool completely.
• Wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap and chill in freezer for at least an hour before using. The cake layers can be stored for up to a few days wrapped once in plastic wrap and frozen. To store longer than a few days, wrap twice in plastic wrap, then in foil, and seal in a zip-lock bag.

FOR THE COMPOTE

• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a soft boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the blueberries to burst and the liquid to thicken. It should coat your spoon well.
• This is best made a day or two ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• BEAT THE BUTTER: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes.
• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: With the mixer on low, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.
• With mixer on medium speed, add whipping cream, vanilla bean and salt.
• Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The buttercream will become lighter in color and texture.
• Before spreading on your cake, spend a couple minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets. 

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• HEAT YOUR OVEN: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
• MIX THE INGREDIENTS: Combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
• Add the oil and the vanilla and beat on low until the dry ingredients are "wet."
• Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to clump some of the pieces together to make larger chunks.
• BAKE THE CRUMBS: Bake the crumbs for about 15 minutes and then let cool completely before using.

ASSEMBLY

• STACK THE LAYERS: Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of a cake board or cake plate.
• Evenly 1/2 cup of buttercream over the cake layer and then pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
• Gently spread about 1/2 cup of the blueberry compote over the buttercream.
• Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the crumble over the blueberry compote and pat into place.
• Repeat these step until you get to the final cake layer, which you will lay top side down.
• Apply a thin coat of buttercream around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
• After the crumb coat is set, continue frosting and decorating the cake.

The post Flavor-Bursting Blueberry Cobbler Cake with Crumble Filling first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Check out these 10 of my favorite fruit filled cake recipes! 

Strawberries and Cream Cake – strawberry cake layers with fresh strawberries in a whipped cream filling and strawberry buttercream.

Coconut Lemon Raspberry Cake – creamy coconut cake layers with lemon curd, raspberry cream filling and coconut buttercream.

Blueberry Delight Cake – Nilla wafer crust, lemon ricotta cake layers, ricotta filling, blueberry compote, and blueberry buttercream.

Fluffernutter Cake – tender and fluffy white cake layers with banana cream filling, toasted marshmallow filling, and peanut butter buttercream.

Peaches and Cream Cake – layers of tender peach cake, peaches and cream filling, peach compote and a whipped vanilla buttercream. 

Champagne Cake – champagne inspired cake with tender, “champagne” cake layers, a raspberry peach puree filling and a champagne buttercream.

Inspired by my childhood favorite ice cream bar, this Strawberry Crunch Cake is made up of my go-to strawberry and vanilla cake layers, strawberry crunch filling, whipped vanilla buttercream, and is covered in a shortbread cookie strawberry crunch.

Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Cake – raspberry cake layers, chocolate ganache, chocolate buttercream, chocolate cake layers and a raspberry cream filling.

Lemon Bar Cake – lemon cake layers baked on a shortbread crust, filled with lemon curd and topped with a lemon buttercream.

Inspired by one of my favorite summer desserts, my new Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Cake is the perfect cake to take you into summer.

Piña Colada Cake – coconut cream cake, pineapple curd and coconut buttercream.

Which Cake is Calling to You?

Do you see your favorite fruit filling? Did I miss one of your favorites? I’d love to create more citrus inspired fruit filled cakes this summer. Do you have a certain one you love? Let me know in the comments!

And be sure to follow along with us on Instagram!

More Tips & Recipes to Enjoy

• How to Make an Easy Fruit Compote
• Tip Tuesday: Best KitchenAid Black Friday Deals
• How to Properly Stack a Cake with a Soft Filling
• Light and Fluffy Coconut Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Top 3 Cakes Using Lemon Curd

The post Fruit Filled Cakes You’ll Love first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Summer is HERE!! And so are the pool parties, picnics, and neighborhood and family barbecues! While cake is, and always will be, my favorite dessert, here are 5 of my favorite quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing dessert ideas that are sure to be a hit at whatever summer party plans you have.

Don’t forget to tag me @cakebycourtney and @shop.cakebycourtney when you create something delicious. I love seeing all the ways you take my recipes and make them your own.

Peanut Butter Pie

It’s true, I’m not a huge pie lover, HOWEVER, a pie with a graham cracker and pretzel crust is a pie I can stand behind!

Years ago I made a Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Pie that filled a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan with a Nilla wafer crust, peanut butter and cream cheese filling and caramel. It was heavenly! I haven’t had it in years and suddenly started dreaming about it. As I thought about looking for the recipe, I wondered if I could create my own version. I remember thinking the original was a little too rich for me (like, how is that even possible?). 

So instead of hunting down the recipe, I decided to create my own version of this decadent dessert. Check out the recipe HERE and see why it’s one of my 5 favorite quick and easy non-cake desserts!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my dad’s favorite treats as a kid was his mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. I remember him telling me over and over again how they were the best cookies he’s ever had and no one could make them better than grandma.

Over the years, any time we would visit my grandma Margaret, she always had a fresh batch of her cookies waiting for us. I loved opening the tupperware and having the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies hit my nose. It’s a memory I’ll never forget and one I try to recreate often. These Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are my version of Grandma Margaret’s classic cookies.

Nanaomi Bars

I first learned about these Nanaomi Bars about 17 years ago when my husband returned home from living in British Columbia for a couple of years (before we were married). He actually spent time in the town of Nanaimo, where he first learned about this traditional Canadian no-bake dessert made of a graham cracker, coconut, cocoa and sometimes nut crust, with a custard filling and chocolate ganache. I remember thinking how decadent they sounded, but it was years into our marriage before I ever tried one. 

When I finally did try one, I fell in love! The combination of the bittersweet crust and ganache, with the sweet custard filling and the texture just spoke to me. Try these easy, no bake bars HERE.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

I love recipes that remind me of a certain time and place in life. This Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble recipe does just that. Every time I make it, it reminds me of summer vacations at Ryan’s parent’s house. I think his dad has made us this crumble every summer we visit. It’s been one of my favorite desserts since joining the Rich family. A tradition of summer!

Blueberry Delight Bars

This recipe is over 60-years-old and one my mom remembers having at every Christmas dinner growing up. She actually just discovered the old recipe card when going through my grandma’s recipes not too long ago. She snatched up all the cards with my grandma’s writing and plans to make copies and recipe books with them for her siblings. Don’t you worry, I’m asking for one too! Old family recipes are treasures! Hold on to them forever.

These Blueberry Delight Bars are incredibly easy to make and are no-bake! Perfect for the end of summer when it’s too hot to turn on our ovens.

The post 5 Quick and Easy (Non-Cake) Desserts first appeared on Cake by Courtney.

Cake Inspiration

Ryan’s dad makes a homemade blueberry muffin that tastes like it’s straight from a bakery. It’s light and fluffy, with fresh blueberries and a subtle buttery flavor that reminds me of a boxed yellow cake. Everyone goes nuts for them when we’re in town visiting grandma and grandpa.

The muffins came to mind the other day when I was thinking of ways to try out the LorAnn Oils Blueberry Emulsion. I picked up the emulsion a few weeks ago at Orson Gygi and have been dying to try it ever since. I’ve loved the flavor of some of the other LorAnn emulsions (like coconut, raspberry, and strawberry, to name a few). They’ve added great flavor to my frostings and cakes, and often come in flavors I can’t typically find in extracts.

Emulsion v. Extract

Before I go on with the cake, let’s talk about emulsions and extracts. A lot of you have asked what the difference is between the two. The easiest way to explain it is that the extract is alcohol based and has been extracted from the item the flavor name describes.

An emulsion, on the other hand, may use some particles of the real thing or it could be a mixture of artificial flavors. Emulsions are either oil based or water based.

Emulsions and extracts can be used in place of each other, with a 1:1 ratio. I don’t think you’ll really notice a difference between the two, but you may find that it’s easier to locate certain flavors in one version than the other.

Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake

Okay, back to cake. As I thought about my father-in-law’s muffin and the blueberry emulsion, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could turn the two into a cake. (Pretty much how I look at all food!)

I used my Classic Yellow Cake as a base for this cake, added fresh blueberries, blueberry buttercream and then whipped up a cinnamon crumble to add between layers and on top of the cake. You know me! I love a little texture in my cake.

I was so excited when Ryan took a bite of this cake and immediately compared it to his dad’s muffins without me saying a word about the muffins being my inspiration!

Definitely a breakfast worthy cake!

Helpful Tips:

• Don’t overmix your batter. Once you add the wet and dry ingredients, you should have your mixer on low speed. Just mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Use small blueberries for this cake. Large blueberries will sink to the bottom of the cake layer as it bakes.
• Cake layers, filling and frosting can all be made ahead of time. Store your cake layers in plastic wrap in the freezer. Store the filling and frosting in airtight containers in the fridge.
• Cake layers can still be cold, but shouldn’t be totally frozen, when you stack and decorate your cakes.
• Bring frosting to room temperature and re-beat it before using on the cake.

Happy baking!

Print

Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake

Tender yellow cake layers with fresh blueberries, streusel filling and blueberry buttercream.

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (27.5 g) brown sugar tightly packed
• 3/4 cup (86.25 g) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.8 g) kosher salt
• 1/4 cup (54.4 g) grapeseed oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.1 g) pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup 2 sticks (266 g) unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/3 cup (72.6 g) canola oil
• 1 teaspoon (5.6 g) salt
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• Zest of one large orange
• 5 whole eggs room temperature
• 2 eggs yolks room temperature
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons (366.5 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) clear vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) butter extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187 g) fresh blueberries small, dusted in flour

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly cold (removed from the fridge for about 30 minutes)
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
• 4 tablespoons (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
• Dash of salt
• 4 teaspoons (16.8 g) blueberry emulsion 
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

FOR THE CRUMBLE

• Preheat your heat the oven to 300°f.
• Combine the sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until well combined.
• Add the oil and vanilla and paddle again to distribute. The wet ingredients will act as glue to help the dry ingredients form small clusters. Continue to mixing until that happens.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 300°f.
• Let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe. Store in an airtight container, the crumbs will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with butter or non-stick spray, parchment and another coat of spray. Set aside.
• In a medium size bowl, sift the cake flour and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, canola oil, salt and sugar on high until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Add orange zest, followed by the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time. Beat on medium until well incorporated.
• Turn the mixer on low and add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Then add half of the sour cream and blend well, followed by another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the second half of the sour cream and lastly, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
• Add the clear vanilla extract and butter extract and beat on low until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on low for another 30 seconds. Dust the blueberries in a little flour and then add to the batter. Carefully fold in the blueberries.
• Evenly distribute the cake batter among the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Make sure not to over bake.
• Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks.
• Once completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer or refrigerator to chill before frosting.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
• Add the blueberry emulsion, salt and heavy cream (one tablespoon at a time). Once the cream is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for five minutes. It should get lighter in texture and color.
• Use a spoon to mix the frosting by hand, which will push out the air pockets created by the electric mixer.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer, top side up (crumb side up), on a cake board or cake plate. Using an offset icing spatula, evenly spread about one cup of frosting over the cake. 
• Sprinkle about 1/3 of the crumble on the frosting.
• Gently place the second cake layer on top of the frosting and crumble and repeat steps 1 and 2.
• Place the final cake layer top side down on the second layer of frosting and crumble.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake and then freeze the cake for another 10 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• After the crumbs are locked in, continue to frost and decorate the cake.

The post Blueberry Streusel Muffin Cake first appeared on Cake by Courtney.