Sweet Treats
This fruity layered cake is a definite crowd-pleaser with the tanginess of the lemon, bursts of blueberry and indulgent cream cheese icing to top it all off. It would make a beautiful cake for a friend or family member’s birthday. Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients – you will find most of them in your kitchen already just pick up some fresh lemons and blueberries and you’ll be good to go!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 220g butter
- 280g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 360g plain flour + 1tbsp
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 medium eggs
- 170ml milk
- 60ml lemon juice
- 200g blueberries
For the cream cheese icing:
- 500g icing sugar, sifted
- 230g cream cheese
- 6110g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 180℃/160°Fan/Gas mark 4. Grease and line three 8 inch circular tins. Start by mixing the milk with the lemon juice and set it aside. Prepare the blueberries by tossing them in 1 tbsp of flour, this will prevent them from sinking during baking. Then assemble the dry ingredients by sieving the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder and salt. Stir gently to combine. In a separate bowl using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together on high for about two minutes until pale and creamy. Reduce speed to medium and beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add the vanilla and lemon zest.
Now working in three batches, fold in the dry ingredients from earlier alternating with the milk. Start and end with the flour, so flour-milk-flour-milk-flour. Finally, fold the blueberries gently into the mixture, try to keep them intact. Distribute this mixture evenly between the prepared tins. The tins may not be as full as you are used to but you want three relatively thin layers. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tins for about 15 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool fully. It is important that the cakes are completely cool before icing!
Prepare the icing by beating the butter until it’s pale and fluffy. Then add the cream cheese, lemon juice and rind and vanilla extract. Beat until combined, this shouldn’t take long. Finally, slowly add the icing sugar and beat until you have a spreadable, smooth frosting. Use about half the icing to sandwich the layers together and the rest on the outside. Add a lemon twist and some blueberries on top to finish and chill for half an hour before serving.