So, are you still feeling the love from yesterday? Are you all stocked up on chocolate-ness? After much frolicking with the recent Vanilla Cream-Filled Double Chocolate Cake for Two (which actually became for one), I was feeling a serious need for vanilla and pastel. That, and Grant is a vanilla-man, through and through, so I thought I might make something for us to share to celebrate Valentine’s Day — something super vanilla, but made with a bit more love, a bit more going on and a whole lot of colour. This time, the colours took cue from the flavours, which I knew had to include blackberry compote and fresh blackberries. I’ve been craving this for so long, and I don’t know why I waited this long.
So colourful swirls aside, what’s going in inside this cake? It’s 4 layers of a moist and fluffy vanilla cake, filled with a vanilla mascarpone whipped cream filling and a homemade blackberry compote, fresh blackberries and frosted in a whipped vanilla frosting (on the sweeter side). I recently started using this fabulous Princess Bakery Flavor, which I use in place of vanilla extract. It imparts the most nostalgic vanilla-almond, hard-t0-describe flavour and doesn’t look flavour while baking (remember my passion for the Red Velvet emulsion from this Red Velvet & Raspberry Supreme Cake?). Now I’m finding I use it in cookies, french toast, pancakes and pretty much anything I can manage to add it to. And with all of this vanilla-ness happening in this cake, I feel that the blackberries and mascarpone whipped cream create a balance, making it a glorious eclipse of childhood nostalgia and a grown-up palate.
Sure, I do call this a “cake for two” with its bitty 5-inch diameter, but it could definitely work for three or four (if you’re into that sort of thing). I just love a dessert that you can dig right into with someone .
Kind of like this. This was the iPhone snap of the test-run of this cake I made last week — there’s just something awesome about digging right in (and here’s another 6-second looped video of me doing just that). The first time I made it I added more compote and blackberries (which is reflected in the recipe below), and that was the way to go. Bursts of blackberries and clouds of mascarpone meringue in every bite — a must.
You might notice that the whipped cream filling that I used here (minus the mascarpone) is the same recipe from the past 2 cakes I’ve posted, and some of you have written me with issues of your cream falling apart when you add the gelatin mixture. Just a note that, although it’s a fairly straight-forward recipe, it’s crucial that you add the gelatin mixture very gradually while the cream in the mixer has just reached a soft peak. If you whip the cream past this point and then add the gelatin mixture, and/or if you add the mixture too quickly, it will flop (I did this). Once you get used to it, you’ll find that this filling is an amazing cream base that can be modified and flavoured in so many ways. I love that it’s not sweet, and that it’s so cloud-like.
For the swirly colour technique (previously shared in this early post with a similar cake, Pastel Swirl Cake {Video Tutorial}), I chose to work in a dark blackberry colour, and then tied it into a pastel version of the same colour and then some minty turquoise for interest. You can certainly work with any colours you like, but I felt that this was a neat way to hint at what flavours are ready to burst inside.
I’ve included the previous video tutorial, which you might find helpful if you’re making this cake. The good news is that you really can’t go wrong, as long as you choose colours that work nicely together. If you aren’t sure what colours to work well together, you can pull ideas and inspiration from almost anything around you. Pinterest is, of course, a great place to start.
- 1/2 cup 120 ml whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 egg whites 65 g, at room temperature
- 1 whole egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons 10 ml *Princess Cake & Bakery Emulsion OR pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons 142 g cake flour, sifted twice
- 3/4 cup 150 g sugar
- 1-1/4 teaspoons 8 g baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 4 g salt
- 1/4 cup 57 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons 28 g vegetable shortening
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries divided
- 1/2 cup 100 g superfine sugar
- 2 tablespoons 30 ml orange juice
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons 30 ml cold water
- 2 teaspoons 10 ml unflavoured gelatin (such as Knox brand)
- 1-3/4 cups 420 ml whipping cream (35-37% fat), cold, divided
- 1/4 cup 30 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon 5 ml pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 sticks + 2 tablespoons 375 g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
- 3.5 cups 400 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons 45 ml milk
- 1 tablespoon 15 ml pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon 15 ml water
- Pinch of salt
- Medium or Large Pastry Bag fitted with plain round tip a resealable Ziploc bag will do in a pinch
- Soft Gel Paste Colours of your choice
- Small Offset Spatula
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease, line with parchment, butter and flour two round 5-inch pans.
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In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, egg, 2 tablespoons of the milk and emulsion (or vanilla). Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, together on low speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.
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Add the butter and shortening, and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds, then add remaining milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1-1/2 minutes.
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Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg/milk mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium for 20 seconds after each addition.
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Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the batter in the pans to ensure 2 even layers (they should each weigh about 270 g).
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Bake 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake. Check cake at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it’s almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals.
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Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1-1/2 cups of the blackberries, sugar, orange juice and salt until the berries start to break down, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
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Lower the heat and simmer until compote coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.
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Remove from heat and let cool down slightly. Using an immersion blender (carefully) or counter-top blender, pulse until smooth. Push compote through a fine mesh sieve into a clean glass bowl and discard the seeded pulp from the sieve. Stir in remaining fresh blackberries. Keep covered and chilled for up to 3 days.
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In a small bowl, place the cold water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of the cream just to a simmer, then stir into the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until cool but not set, about 8 minutes.
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In a chilled stainless steel bowl with a chilled whisk attachment (for stand mixer), beat the remaining whipping cream, icing sugar, vanillla and salt until it thickens just slightly and soft peaks begin to form, about 1 minute. Very gradually add the gelatin mixture and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form (should be thick enough to spread). In a large bowl, soften mascarpone and gently fold in whipped cream mixture. Keep covered and chilled until ready to use.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.
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Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy and fluffy. Separate into 3 bowls and tint with your favourite gel paste colours. Best used right away (for ideal spreading consistency).
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Cut your 2 cake layers each once horizontally with a long, serrated knife, so you have a total of 4 layers. Place your first cake layer, face-up, onto a small plate or cake stand (or 5-inch round foil cake board).Fill your pastry bag with about a cup of the Whipped Vanilla Frosting (un-tinted) and pipe a dam around the perimeter of the cake layer (this will keep our compote and Whipped Mascarpone Filling in place). Spoon a few tablespoons of the compote and berries inside of the dam, along with a few tablespoons of the whipped filling. Gently spread the filling using a small offset spatula.
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Repeat until you come to your final cake layer, which you will place face-down. If you find the cake too soft and unstable, put in refrigerator for a few moments to firm it up, then resume. If you see any spots where the compote is peeking through or starting to ooze out (ahh!), use your piping bag to squeeze more frosting over it, between the layers. Use your clean offset spatula to carefully smooth the frosting so it's flat against the cake.
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Cover the entire cake gently with plastic wrap (I like Press n' Seal), and then, once covered, use your hands to carefully ensure the cake is lined up straight and flattening any lumps or bumps of frosting. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
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Once cake is stable and chilled, apply an even layer of frosting to the entire cake, to seal in crumbs. Chill again until frosting is firm, about 30 minutes (at least). While the cake is chilling, you can divide remaining frosting into 4 small bowls, and tint 3 of them with your soft gel paste. Keep one bowl of frosting un-tinted.
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Place cake plate/board with cake onto a turntable, if possible. Be sure your frosting is smooth and fluffy, working it with a rubber spatula for a few moments. You can even warm in microwave for a few seconds to soften it up. Apply a thick layer of your darkest colour to the bottom third of your cake, then another above it over the middle of the cake, and finally your final colour of frosting all over the top and upper third of cake. Add the un-tinted frosting in a few areas, to add interest. Using a metal spatula blend the colours together by smoothing frosting all over cake, as you would a typical one-colour cake. Be careful to not overblend. For textured effect (as in photos) you can use a small metal spatula, holding it with one hand on an angle starting at bottom of cake, keeping it fairly still, move the turntable with the other hand, slowly letting the spatula move up slightly with every turn.
*You can make the compote up to 2 days ahead.
**Keep cake chilled for up to 2 days, but serve at room temperature.
[blackberry compote recipe adapted from Globe & Mail]
Sweetapolita’s Notes:
- I used this Princess Bakery Flavor
for the vanilla cake, which is an amazing emulsion that gives the cake a vanilla-almond sort of flavour and doesn’t lose taste when baked. You can simply use vanilla if you can’t find this.
- I use this MAC Knife
for all of my cake layering. It’s super sharp and makes clean cake layers, ideal for building not-so-crumby layer cakes.
- To achieve the colours on this cake, I started with the darkest purple, using a mix of Regal Purple, Super Red, Violet
and Electric Purple
. You will have to play around for a few moments, adding more and more colour — if it’s getting too drab, add quite a bit of electric purple. If it’s too blue violet, add more red. You’ll find eventually you’ll end up with this deep dark blackberry colour. Then I took about a teaspoon of the mixture and added it to one of the bowls of un-tinted frosting, creating a pastel version of the same colour. Finally, I added a drop or two of Sky Blue
for the pastel minty turquoise colour.
- You’ll want to keep this cake in the fridge between servings for up to two days, but it’s best served at room temperature and day 1.
Good luck & enjoy!
Oh my gosh that cake looks AMAZING. I may have to make this at the weekend…. x
Beautiful and looks delicious! I’ll have to try it.
This cake is so full of colour!! Gorgeous recipe Rosie!!
Holy gorgeous. This is amazing. I have been layer-caking it up so much lately and am loving every minute of it. I think I may need to venture into the adorableness of the 5-inch cake. So darn cute and beautiful too!
Thanks so much, Natasha! The little cakes are somewhat addictive to make, I’m finding. Hope you get a chance to make this one — it’s a little delight! xo
so pretty:)
Hi Rosie – looks great. If we want to increase to an 8-inch cake, what should we multiply ingredients by? Thanks!
Thanks! You could double the recipe and bake in three 8-inch pans or four pans for a slightly shorter layer. Hope that helps!
Hi Rosie,
If I double this recipe will it need to be supported to stay upright? Will the three layers of cake not tip over – do I need wooded sticks inside?
I’ve been waiting for this ever since I watched your Vine video! This looks gorgeous! Would like to try this very much.
Do you think I can replace the blackberry compote with blackberry preserves/jam instead? It’s hard to find blackberries here in Malaysia.
Thanks, Kaylie! You could certainly use blackberry preserves/jam in place of the compote — I imagine it would still taste lovely!
Thanks Rosie!
I made this today and it was wonderful! One thing to note though, after filling the cake with the mascarpone whipped cream, I have about half left! I think maybe the recipe called for a tad too much of it. Well, just my opinion! :)
Glad to hear it, Kaylie! In terms of the mascarpone filling, unfortunately with the nature of the gelatin/cream mixture, I found that to be the smallest batch doable (heating the divided cream, etc.). I loaded my cake up, so only had a bit of filling remaining, but used up the rest by serving it with ice cream and berries!
I loaded mine up too but still had half left! Haha oh well, I guess I’ll have to use up the rest with ice cream too :) Thanks for the prompt reply, Rosie :)
Oh, I forgot. A picture here if you’d like to see! http://bit.ly/Yylbqg
Kaylie your cake is super cute!
That is simply gorgeous. I’m in love with the colors… and the flavors of course!
This is so incredibly stunning Rosie! Just gorgeous!!
Thanks so much, Carrie! x
Oh boy, this cake looks like heaven on a plate! I can only imagine what it tastes like because sadly, I am on a diet right now.. If only one could eat photos.
xo Julia
Thanks, Julia! I think it’s probably time I start eating the photos, and not the real cake. :) I appreciate the sweet comment!
I don’t know how you do it Rosie but I swear that every cake you post is more beautiful than the last!
Just so pretty! You’re such a clever lady! X
I love this cake!! So beautiful!
Where did you use the shortening for the cake? I can’t seem to find it. I usually use butter, so I was wondering where you added it and how it would be different than butter.
Sorry Aly, you add it in with the butter (I made the correction — thanks!). I’ve scaled this recipe down from a larger version, and I find that the shortening and butter combination yields a nice light cake. You could use all butter, though with this smaller version. Hope that helps!
That definitely helps. Thank you so much for replying! :)
Oh Rosie, you really are amazing! This is beautiful and looks like heaven.
Looks amazing! What a beautiful cake. Question-whatever happened to the recipe you said you were going to be posting awhile ago that was the updated version of the salted chocolate caramel cake? I was really looking forward to that one. Hope you will be posting it!
Thanks, Chelsea! I promise the new version of the salted chocolate caramel cake is still to be!
Oh my goodness, your 6 second looped video of your fork going into your test-run cake was entrancing and strangely addictive! I watched it for a long while! :)
Stunning!! Love the colors and the flavors… you nailed it girl! :)
Hi! If I wanted to double the recipe would I have to use 8,9 or 10 inch pans?
Hi Jennifer! If you want to double the recipe, I would suggest using three 8 or 9 in pans. I hope that helps!
Hi Rosie, you have created such a beautiful blog!! Any chiffon cake recipes to share? :)
OMG…
I just fell in love with this cake.
Officialy added it to my “Must Bake” list.
:)
Love, love, love this cake! The colours match perfectly, and I’m sure it tastes wonderful (mascarpone and blackberries? yes, please!). The pictures are also flawless, as usual. Happy weekend, Rosie! :)
xo,
hi Rosie love the colors looks beautiful.
i wanted to ask u about the amount of baking powder that u use in the recipes.i just bought a kitchen scale and u have mentioned in your recipes that 1 tablespoon of baking soda is 15 grams but on my kitchen scale it shows just 10 grams so can u help me with this plzz thanks
Oh how I love those colors on that cake. It looks beautiful. And if I were allowed to just dig into cake, I so would not share it with anyone :P
I love watching you work!
Thank you so very much…follow your Instagram, was hoping you’d blog this one. I am so inspired by your bakery creativity. Please, keep up the lovely work!
what a beautiful cake! the blackberry compote and mascarpone filling sound delish!
Blackberry compote and mascarpone filling sounds heavenly, Rosie :)
Hi looks amazing- I really want to try the icing technique on this cake do you already have a video or tutorial on how to do it? Finding it tricky just with the description. Thanks
Wow yum, this looks amazing! Sounds so tasty too and I love the idea of a cake for two :)
Blackberry-mascarpone sounds absolutely delicious! The frosting technique is so pretty too, I’m off to watch your how-to video!
I am totally in love with the Princess Bakery Flavor. (I have been adding it to my morning oatmeal and, well, everything else.)
Thanks for another reason to put it to use.
This cake looks so stunning!
this cake is gorgeous. but i giggled thinking how the bottom color would stain my tongue! ;)
This looks absolutely amazing and to die for..Love the colours and all different flavours!
That cake is stunning. Simply stunning! Blackberries are also my favorite fruit, so I know I would fall in love after only one bite.
Rosie,
Beautiful cake! Your website is fantastic and I have made your Campfire Cake and cupcakes quite a few times. They are a family favorite. You specify fresh blackberries in the recipe. I have bought them twice, and they are just tasteless right now in my part of the world. Could this be replaced with frozen blackberries? If so, would you thaw them first? Thanks!
Thanks, Leslie! I think it will be just fine to replace the fresh blackberries. I would go ahead and use them frozen (not thawed), just as you would fresh. I hope this helps! Will you let me know how it goes? xo
hey Rosie sorry about bothering u again with my questions but i asked u about the amount of baking soda in your cake recipes my comment number is 36 hope u can help me with it.
there is one more thing we cannot visit this page directly by typing in your website this recipe doesn’t appear on your homepage or in your cake recipe, i have to Google the name of recipe first and then follow the link there to open this page. hope u will look into that. thanks
i will appreciate your help
The combination of flavors sounds to-die-for! Sinful even! ;)
Hi Rosie,
I only have 3 six inch cake pans – can I split the batter into those instead?
Thanks,
Christina
Sure thing, Christina! Your layers will just be a little shorter.
Great thanks so much. Love your blog!!
The colors are so gorgeous! Just proves you don’t need overly fancy decorations, just decadently delicious ingredients!
This is an absolutely beautiful cake! And I love the video too, makes it that much more approachable and easy to understand. Can I ask where your turn table is from???? Thanks! :)
Hi Rosie – looks great. If I use a 9-inch pan would I have to double the recipe?
Thanks,
Crystal
Hi Rosie. I had just baked the cake using two 5″ pan.
However i found that the cake is quite thin to split into 2,layers each.
Or is it my cake dont rise well?
I really appreciate it when you mention how far ahead the cake can be made. I hate making the cake on the day as it makes me nervous so I’m a ‘day before’ kind of baker but many recipes from cookbooks/websites don’t tell you if the assembled cake will hold for that long and give storage instructions.
I’m planning on making your choco choco cake with the whipped mascarpone filling, as above, and covering the whole thing with smitten kitchen’s instant fudge frosting (because it is so easy and has been a success for me in the past) … would you guess that that that combination will stay tasting good by making it the day before and storing it in the fridge? I have made the two chocolate components before but your whipped mascarpone filling is new to me (sounds so delicious and not too sweet) so it is that component that I’m particularly worried about! Thank you.
So cool!! Sigh… wish I could do that!
Dear Rosie,
I’d like to try this super super cake immediately this weekend.
As we have not moch choices here, could you pls shortly describe what’s differemce between icing sugar, confectioner’s sugar and superfine sugar.
Thank you very much if you take your time to answer this.
Love
Turkan
Hi Turkan,
To answer your question (and I will be doing a post soon with much more detail about all of the different sugars we use in baking), icing sugar, confectioners’ sugar and powdered sugar are all different words for the same thing — a very fine, powdery sugar used for sweet frostings and glazes. Superfine sugar is also known as castor/caster sugar and is granulated sugar that is very fine. It’s still grainy, but finer than regular granulated sugar. It works very well in baked goods. I hope this helps!
Hi Roise,
Yes, it helps me alot. Thank you for your kind reply as i was so confused about this.
I love your blog and can’t wait another day to check what’s new.
I almost try one of your receipe per week with the great success in accordance with your explanations.
Please please keep sharing …
Love
Turkan
Wow! this cake is stunning! I want to try to veganize it! You’re an incredible cook!
Looks delicious and pretty!
This cake is beautiful. I did a swirl technique on a cake for the Fourth of July last year with red, white, and blue. The filling sounds delicious.
Hi there! This cake does look amazing!
I have actually tried using this sponge recipe but I’ve either must have done something wrong or maybe it’s just how it should be. Basically the cake came out a little dense. It is moist and tastes good but just a little heavy.
Most of recipes I use whip egg whites and fold them to make it fluffy so I was surprised to see this one and thought it would be great to try out something new.
Can you tell me if that’s just how it supposed to be? Or maybe I’m just doing something wrong..
Your cakes all do look delicious. Can’t wait for more! :)
Hi Rosie, this cake is amazing and I am in the process of making it right now. Well parts of it I have made the blackberry compote. But I wanted to know this recipie is it the same as your fluffy vanilla cake? I am in love with that cake!!! Its moist and vanillay and just heaven! Its my go to recipie for Vanilla cake and cupcakes.( https://sweetapolita.com/2011/07/fluffy-vanilla-cake-with-whipped-vanilla-bean-frosting/ ) I just noticed this one has two egg whites and a whole egg as well as the addition of shortning. So is this a different vanilla cake recipie? I know you have several. I trust you as I have never made anything of yours I didn’t like. But I was curious if it was the same one that you modified or tweaked a little?
Also I must gush you are my favorite cake blogger, I have made the campfire delight cake and cupcakes and I have made your Autumn delight and loved looking at your baking delights! Thank you so much for sharing your recipies so that we too can try to make such amazing amazing delicious cakes!
Wow I made it and it was truly amazing. I felt like melting into it as soon as I put a bite in my mouth. It was amazing the cake was light, the marscapone fluff was light, the blackberry compote was flavorful and the vanilla buttercream was dreamy. Thanks for sharing this recipie with us again and I got rave reviews from our dinner guests! Look forward to all your future cakes and sweet treats!
Hi Rosie,
I have attempted almost all your cakes and cupcakes over the past year……I am never
Disappointed as your recipes always turn out for me. Thanks for the inspirations…..
I just made this blackberry mascarpone cake for my moms birthday this past weekend and
Everyone loved it! It’s definitely worth the effort
Thanks again,
Teresa
I made this cake batter & Compote for an Ombre cake I was needing. It was yummy. Compote was amazing. I had to double the recipe twice but, it translated lovely!
Wooooow absolutely amazing!!! I love any recipe with mascarpone but this is unbelievable. Thank you for sharing!!!
Hey Rosie!
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! I made it for my mom’s birthday today, and it was delicious and moist! My family doesn’t have a sweet tooth, so instead of the vanilla frosting, I used the rest of the whipped mascarpone to frost the outside, topped it with some berries and sifted icing sugar. Needless to say, I will be making this again! And I’m looking forward to make your other recipes =)
– Anna T.
Hi Rosie,
Thanks for your detailed post.
Some of the vegetable shortening (at room temperature) remained as clumps in the batter – not sure if this is how it is supposed to be as this is the first time I am using it.
The cake was on the denser side (unlike the fluffy vanilla cake recipe of yours) – any idea if the clumps caused it?
Thanks again
AGS
That cake is STUNNING! Such gorgeous colors!! I can’t stop staring at it! I am new to your lovely blog…it’s adorable {and so are your girls}! Looking forward to more! :)
Thanks so much, Dana!
Help!!! In making the whipped vanilla mascarpone, the mixture separated. And now I have butter with liquid. I swear I added the gelatine mixture in gradually! But my question.. Is it retrievable? Can it be fixed? Please help!
Hi Kerin! So sorry to say that I don’t think you can salvage the whipped filling if it’s separated. I wish I could help you determine what went wrong, but I do make this filling often — it might be a little fickle, but it shouldn’t separate. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Best of luck!
Thanks heaps for the quick reply! Just tried it again today, and it worked! Yay for deciding to make the cake in advance so it’ll still be ready on time!
Happy Easter :)
I am trying this amazing recipe today. However, my filling is not getting thick! Have you had this happen? What should I do?
Thanks
Hi Rosie,
Just discovered your blog last week, its so addictive I must admit!!! Great work on the photography… makes it all the more inspirational!! Such darling kids you have… they have your eyes I suppose especially the little one… OMG my mind is filled with cake and kids!!! All happiness to you!!
I’m planning to try this mascarpone cake for my hubby’s b’day, I have only one 7inch cake pan and was wondering if half the batch of cake batter could wait until the first cake is done??? Your expertise is badly in need please!!!!!!
Made this cake for the Easter holiday. I did it in 6″ pans and split the layers. I too had 1/2 of the mascarpone left over which I whipped into the frosting. With the coloring we found we had to use a lot for the dark bottom color but the cake looked amazing! My mother was so delighted with the flavors and colors of the cake. She had 2 good size slices and it did turn her teeth, tongue and lips black! We actually fed 8 and had some leftovers. I plan on doubling this for an 8″ inch next time. Awesome recipe and it was well worth it!! Thanks
Hi Rosie!
I’m salivating just looking at this recipe!.. Can’t wait to make it!!!
Quick question, can I substitute the mascarpone cheese with cream cheese??.. Unfortunately mascarpone cheese is not available where I live =(
Hey I was wondering if it would be okay if I doubled this recipe to make it for more than two people?
And I would use nine inch cake pans if you think that would work.
hi rosie! will this kind of frosting be alright for rolled fondant icing? be using it for my mom’s birthday! thank you!
What do you mean ‘when compote coats a spoon’? What kind of spoon? What exactly am I looking for? :(
Emily, it means that when you lift the spoon out of the compote, there’s a “coat” of compote on it (thick) — it doesn’t slide right off (thin). Hope that helps!
Cool, i’m doubling this cake for my mother’s 50th birthday party. And the compote turned out FABULOUS, I want to eat it all right now. :)
Is superfine sugar Caster sugar? I worked at Williams Sonoma for a while and that’s what they told me. I just took my regular crap cane sugar and shoved it in a grinder and made it my definition of ‘super fine’. Compote broke down and turned out well, though. Keep it up!
I have another question. That cake knife you have? The MAC? If I was looking for a cheap knockoff one of those, what would I search on ebay or amazon? ‘Cake knife’ comes up with a bunch of wedding cake lifter type things but nothing for carving. I’m looking for one better than the one I have but i’m a broke college student.
Can you make the mascarpone filling the night before? Will be eating tomorrow night.
Hi!
This very well could end up being my wedding cake!!! I plan on making it with a 12-inch square, an 8-inch square and a 6-inch round.
I had originally planned on fondant over some type of buttercream…..but this is soooo gorgeous and actually the colors of our wedding (minus the turquoise, which I think I could do fuchsia instead)!!! :)
Can you tell me what color (s) you used for the dark blackberry color and each color until the turquoise????
Thanks!!!!
I just made this recipe and I AM IN HEAVEN!! I never got so many compliments. I have been a strictly cupcake/brulee/ice cream maker because I was never quite satisfied with my cakes. Well, after reading (and re-reading, and notating) your 50 tips for great cakes…I can tentatively add cakes to my repertoire!
So here are the changes I made:
(I made a lot of changes and I think that the success of *my* cake is testament to the fact that this recipe is practically bomb proof.)
1) Made my cake for many so I tripled the batter recipe and made it as a 9 inch cake.
2) Swapped out the blackberry (not very tasty yet in our region) for rhubarb puree…snagged the last of the season at our market. Yum!
3) Used Vanilla Bean Paste/drop of almond extract because I couldn’t find the princess emulsion….
4) Used teal and navy as the colors: Dark teal for the top, navy for the base, and a very light teal for the middle. It looked like ocean waves. Perfect for a beach birthday!
Thanks for the amazing recipe! And especially for the tips!
Hi Rosie!! I just found your blog from Pinterest & I’m so in love with your cakes! I am in college, and whenever I come home I bake! I have been testing recipes and trying new things all the time, but I was wondering if you went to cullinary school or how you got to where you are now. I love this frosting tutorial by the way!
Hi Rosie,
How long does the cake need to be left out of the refrigerator to get to room temperature ? Also does leaving it out affect the whipped cream filling inside ??
Rosie! I’ve been searching for weeks for the perfect cake for my daughter’s birthday and this is it! It’s so elegant and the colors are seriously jaw-dropping. Your site is wonderful and I adore the tutorial in this post- it’s totally acceptable to say your own cake is pretty :) love love love your site!
This is the best looking cake I have seen–and I bet it tastes even better! I LOVE LOVE blackberries! I think I will have to make it for myself for my birthday since the rest of my “peeps” don’t bake. I love your blog! Found you on Pinterest and started following you since then. Lovely site!
Hi,
Love this cake, can you give me any ideas about doubling or tripling the cake for 8 inch pans, I don’t have 5 inch and I’d like to make this for a large group.
Thanks,
Hello,
I love all of your recipes and was excited to try this one. I used frozen blackberries instead of fresh (first mistake) as the compote never thickened. I suppose there was too much excess water from the berries. I wanted to increase the size so I doubled the recipe. I used three 9 inch pans (second mistake) as the pans were too large for the amount of batter. So the cake layers ended up about 1/2 inch in height. Lesson learned: triple the recipe for 9 inch pans and use fresh blackberries. It’s still going to taste great though. :-)
Hi! I’m making this right now with frozen blackberries and I ran into the same problem. I’m using 3 8-in pans, so I multiplied the recipes, including the compote, by 1.5. I put 2 1/4 cups of berries in the pan to create he jam. When I noticed they weren’t thickening, I gradually added cornstarch to help it along. I ended up using 3/4 teaspoon for my berries.
Based on 3/4 teaspoons of cornstarch for 2 1/4 cups of berries, my on-the-fly math skills equates 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch to every 3/4 cups of frozen blackberries. (I know this is 4 years later, but I know other are still using this recipe so I thought I would chime in!)
hello, this cake is beautiful.. I don’t know if you care.. but somebody has used it on his facebook page.. claiming it to be her own.. I hate such thievery.. that’s why I’m sending you the link..
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=204737909694138&set=a.154378654730064.1073741828.154313904736539&type=1&theater
take care
wow- this is so pretty and looks YUM!!!
Hi Rosie,
I love your beautiful cake and would love to bake for my daughter’s birthday in December. I am planning to bake a 3 layer 12″ x 12″ x 2″ square
pan. Could you please kindly advise whether I should double or triple the recipe batter to make a good height cake. Thank you
All of your cakes are so beautiful! Do you have a pin it button, I can’t seem to find it!
Looks fab & delicious!
http://www.beautyfollower.blogspot.gr
Yay! I made this for my own b-day and it was delicious. I messed up the first attempt at the marscapone whipped cream but the second time worked out. Everyone enjoyed it! Thank you Rosie! Best wishes with your book writing, looking forward to it :)
Hello! This cake looks like a dream! I can’t wait to try it but I had a question: Aren’t the blackberry seeds conspicuous in the compote? I know you strain most of them but some blackberries do go in whole. I’m asking because I made mixed berry ice cream with blackberries once and everyone was spitting out the seeds. (Well, mine had a lot because I didn’t strain any!) Just wondering. Thanks.
Hi Rosie,
I made this cake over the weekend and everything was amazing!!! Although I had some issues with the frosting. For some reason it was not fluffy at all. And if I let it sit too long it looked curdled. I was hoping you may have an idea of what I did wrong.
Hi,
I know this recipe was posted awhile ago, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on how the cake would turn out without the mascarpone filling? I was thinking of just using the blackberry compote alone.
Thanks :)
I made this beautiful cake tonight. I must say it is very fiddly with so many components to it but it is divine. The combination of the mascarpone and the berries is lovely. I didn’t have a 5 inch tin so I made it in a 6 inch however had to then make another batch to make it a taller cake. I found that there is way too much of the mascarpone mix left over so I will halve that next time. I am in awe of your cakes and haven’t baked one yet that hasn’t received rave reviews. thank you from Australia x
Love your cakes. I’ve made most of them. They are great. Question about the mascarpone filling…. I’m planning to use it for a filling in a fondant covered cake. I was wondering if it could stay outside at room temp or does it need to be refrigerated all the time? Will the gelatin melt?
Thanks Rosie
Oh my… That looks just as amazing as everything you do!
Really gorg… Though I’m wondering… You think I could get the safe effect with whipped cream? I tend to find it colors a little better, and I really love the taste better…
Out of all of the cakes in the blogosphere, my soon-to-be 14 year old picked this one for her birthday! I doubled the cake and icing recipe.. left the quantities for the mascarpone and compote filling as-is, and it’s the perfect amount of filling for three 8-inch rounds (six layers total). I’ll post you a photo after the party!
Love that, Danielle! Please wish her an amazing birthday for me! xo
As promised, photos!
http://tinypic.com/r/2qn9jbk/8
http://tinypic.com/r/11uj8ur/8
Overall, rave reviews! The cake was so delicious! Thanks for such a great recipe!
This recipe looks absolutely devine! I’m going to make it in the next few weeks for my coworkers and myself :3
I’ve never had mascarpone cheese though so I’m a little curious as to what it tastes like. Is there anything you could compare it to?
I always preferred chocolate cake…but when I saw ths cake, I culdnt stop my urge to make it and have it. I must say ths is the best cake I have ate..thanks for awesome cake recipe..i even shared it on my website..
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Hi Rosie,
I love your website and I use your Swiss Meringue Buttercream religiously!
My question is the Vanilla Frosting in this recipe, is it similar in taste and texture to your Swiss Meringue Buttercream? Or is this Vanilla Frosting lighter for this cake recipe then your Swiss Meringue Buttercream? I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Thanks for your time in advance!
p.s. I can’t wait until your cookbook comes out in April 2015!! I hope it will be available on Amazon.ca (not .com since I’m in Canada)
Hi Rosie,
I was interested in making the mascarpone filling chocolate. Do you know the best way to change this or do you think it wouldn’t work with this cake?
Thanks!!
I was wondering how you got the texture/pattern on the frosting on the sides of the cake. Thanks so much!
Just trying my luck here in getting a response quickly (I’m in Hong Kong) before I attempt to bake this amazing looking cake. I need to make it large enough for approx 15people so was thinking of using a 9inch pan. Would still like to create 3-4 layers so was needing advice on whether to triple the recipe (seeing that an earlier response suggested doubling the recipe for 3x8inch pans)?
Hi! I’m dreaming about making this cake – have to wait for an excuse! Hah! Curious though, why do you add gelatin to the marscapone filling? I have searched high and low through the internet but I can’t find recipes to explain this and most seem to just be with cream and sugar – no gelatin.
I figure the recipe will be just as good without – but I don’t want to mess with a good thing if it is worth while! Thanks for your response in advance!
Steph.
Hi Rosie! I made this cake at the weekend for my father-in-law’s birthday with blackberries from his garden and we LOVED it. I’m eating a sneaky piece now in fact…
What a lovely recipe!
Louise