Lindt chocolate has a limited release Blueberries and Cream truffle which became the inspiration for this layer cake. In the sea of Easter candies and Spring decor, the Lindt truffle caught my eye. Maybe it was the pretty lavender packaging, or maybe I was just craving blueberries, but the moment I saw it I knew it should be made into a cake.
While longer days and more sunshine are encouraging, it’s not yet blueberry season. Ordinarily, I would hesitate to make a berry cake out of season, but blueberries are a special case. Unlike some fruits that do not hold up well to freezing, the blueberry seems made for it.
My parents have a beautiful garden with a lovely row of blueberries. Last summer I made a point of helping myself to the bounty, and have a freezer full of blueberries I picked with the help of my son and my nephew (who managed to get one in the bucket for every two that went into his mouth). While fresh blueberries make for a nice garnish, the components of this Blueberries & Cream Layer Cake are made entirely of frozen blueberries and can be enjoyed any time of year.
This cake would look lovely on a festive Spring dessert table. Light vanilla cake is layered with white chocolate mascarpone cream and blueberry compote. It is finished with a blueberry buttercream and shaved white chocolate. If you can find it, I highly recommend adding the inspiration for this dessert: Lindt Chocolate Blueberries and Cream Truffles. I found mine at Cost Plus World Market.
Pro Tips:
While most of the time I turn the oven to 350 without thinking about it, I like to bake my white cakes at 325. I find that 325 allows me to keep a nice crumb without browning the top of the cake.
As always, I get the best cake texture by using room temperature ingredients for the batter. This means plan ahead, especially for the buttermilk which tends to separate if you attempt to microwave it.
I have said it before, but I’m kind of a lazy baker, and I really don’t like washing extra dishes or utensils. This recipe calls for beaten egg whites to be added to the batter. If you start with egg whites you don’t need to wash the beaters before moving onto other mixing tasks. If you reverse that order and use beaters that have batter (beginning of a tongue twister there), your egg whites won’t whip up nicely.
I use Ghirardelli premium baking white chocolate for the filling. It comes in a 4oz bar. White chocolate chips are not made the same and will not yield the smooth texture you want for this filling.
This recipe calls for 6 egg whites. Coincidentally, I have another recipe, perfect for any time of year, that uses 6 egg yolks. Check out my Super Simple Lime Tart for the best way to use those egg yolks.
Blueberries & Cream Layer Cake
A light vanilla cake meets creamy white chocolate mascarpone filling and blueberry compote in this Blueberries and Cream Layer Cake.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours plus decorating
- Yield: 12–16 slices 1x
- Category: cakes
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
6 egg whites
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
For the Blueberry Compote:
Generous 2 cups frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
squeeze for lemon juice
For the Filling:
8 oz. mascarpone at room temp
4 oz. white chocolate melted
For the Buttercream:
2 cups frozen blueberries
3 cups butter
5 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 and prepare three 8″ round cake pans lined with parchment paper.
For the Cake: With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites with 2 Tablespoons of sugar until medium-stiff peaks form. You want the egg whites to hold their shape. Set the egg whites aside and mix butter, oil sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix to combine. Stir in the buttermilk. Finish the batter by folding in the beaten egg whites. The goal is to keep the batter light, fluffy, and aerated. Bake the cakes for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake shows a few moist crumbs, but is not wet. The top of the cake will have just a hint of gold.
For the Blueberry Compote: In a medium saucepan combine the 2 cups frozen berries with the Tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, and the squeeze of lemon juice. Stir to coat the blueberries with sugar and starch then cook over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break some of the berries as it cooks, releasing some of the juices. Cook the compote until it starts to thicken which should happen just as it reaches boiling. Allow the compote to cool fully before assembling the cake.
For the Filling: Using a microwave at 30 second intervals, melt the white chocolate. Stir melted white chocolate into the room temperature mascarpone.
For the Buttercream: Using a fine mesh sieve, press thawed blueberries to release juices. Two cups of blueberries should yield about 1/2 cup blueberry juice. Mix 3 cups of butter, 5 cups powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the 1/2 cup blueberry juice and continue to mix until well incorporated. It will take a minute or two for the juice to mix in to the fat in the butter.
To Assemble the Cake: Beginning with a layer of vanilla cake on a plate or cake stand, add half of the white chocolate mascarpone to the top. Top the mascarpone with half of the blueberry compote, followed by a layer of cake. Repeat with the cream and blueberries, finishing with a layer of vanilla cake. Frost the cake with blueberry buttercream, and decorate as desired.*
Notes
The buttercream recipe makes enough to frost, fill and decorate the cake. If you wish to omit the decoration, reduce the buttercream recipe to 4 cups butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4- 1/3 cup blueberry juice.
Keywords: blueberry, cream, layer cake, mascarpone, white chocolate
I just wanted to let you know how much my friend and her family enjoyed the blueberries and cream layer cake! This impressive cake was a joy to present to my friend for her birthday. Her husband and kids marveled at the many layers, the pretty color, the Lindt chocolates, and pop of color from the blueberries… the moist cake and delicious filling had everyone coming back for more. Thank you for sharing your pro tips: room temperature ingredients, the bar of white chocolate, etc. Your beautiful cakes are my inspiration. Keep creating, Darla!
★★★★★
Thank you so much! I’m glad the cake turned out so well for you. The cake photos you sent were lovely!