Top of Cake Slice

We had to make a cake super fast yesterday. Luckily, we had left-over frosting from the Red Velvet Cake. I also wanted to use up the buttermilk (bought for the Red Velvet Cake), so a plan was born. I found a Nick Malgieri Recipe for Buttermilk Cake Layers. I would use the left-over frosting, and I’d throw in a strawberry and blueberry filling/topping of my own, to dress it up. It seamed like an easy plan in my head. Ok, so it turns out, it’s not THAT easy, but it’s not really hard either, just a few more steps… We were just in a real rush and had to throw it all together so fast that the frosting job wasn’t gorgeous but it tastes REALLY good. It’s now one of our favorites and will probably be frequently made as a birthday cake.

Buttermilk Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Berries

Buttermilk Cake Layers

from Nick Malgieri’s Perfect Cakes
makes two 9-inch round layers

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Line 2 (9″) cake pans with buttered parchment paper. Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, mixing well.

3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until very soft and light.  Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a atime, beating well after each addition.

4. Reduce the speed to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture, then half the uttermilk, stopping and scraping down the bowl and beater after each addition. Beat in another third of the flour, then the remaining buttermilk, stopping and scraping again. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture.

5. Scrape the bowl well with a large rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.

6. Bake the layer for about 30 to 35 minutes, until they are well risen and firm and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.  Cool the layers in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, then unmold onto racks to finish cooling.

Baked Cakes

Storage: If you are going to use the layers on the day you bake them, wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.  Double-wrap and freeze for longer storage.

Strawberry and Blueberry Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 1/3 cup frozen wild blueberries
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients in a pot and heat on low until all the fruit has softened, stirring frequently. It will look soupy.

2. Turn up to medium high heat and stir until thickened. Remove to bowl and set aside to cool.

Fruit Filling 1

Cream Cheese Frosting – use half of this recipe.

Assembly

1. Place one cake layer down. Spread half of the berry mixture on top.

Close Up of Fruit Filling

2. Place the second cake layer on top.

Assembled Cake Layers

3. Cover with Cream Cheese Frosting. Pipe a rim around the edge (yea, bad rush job). Fill the center with the remaining berry mixture. Chill.

Ta da! Yum!

Close Up Inside the Cake

posted by jessica at 08:37 AM Filed under Desserts, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.