Berry Creme Fraiche Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Grease the bottom and sides of two 9 inch cake pans.
• Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, soda,salt and baking powder.
• Beat the butter with the sugar until light.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir together the buttermilk and the vanilla.
• On low speed, add half the buttermilk and mix until incorporated well.
• Add half the dry ingredients.
• Mix well and then repeat until all dry and wet ingredients are mixed in well.
• Stir in the poppy seeds.
• Divide the cake batter between the two pans.
• Evenly spread it in pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven until a skewer comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
• The cake layers can be made up to 2 days in advance; wrap well and store at room temperature.
• To make the filling; cook the blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have popped open and become juicey, about 5 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Whip together the creme fraich, cream and remaining 2 TBS sugar until stiff enough to hold it's shape but is still smooth.
• To assemble the cake, cut the cake layers in half horizontally using a serrated knife, making a total of 4 layers.
• Place a cake layer on a serving plate.
• Spread one quarter of the creme fraich filling on top of the cake.
• Top with one quarter of the blueberry sauce and then one quarter of the raspberries.
• Place a second cake layer on top and spread creme fraich, blueberry sauce, and raspberries on top as you did with the first layer.
• Repeat with the third and fourth layers, ending with berries on the top of the cake.
• If not serving within an hour, refrigerate the cake.
• Once removed from the refrigerator, let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving for optimal flavour.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, including the rim. Sprinkle a little sugar into the pan, tilting to coat the bottom and sides in a thin, even layer.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. (Using 1/2 teaspoon baking powder yields a dense and velvety interior, while 1 teaspoon makes the cake slightly airier and softer.)
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, either hand-held or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.
• With the mixer set on low speed, beat in half the flour mixture. Beat in the crème fraîche, then the remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. (Depending on your pan, it may fill it all the way to the top, and that is OK.) Bake until the cake is browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes while you make the syrup.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup/120 grams of the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract or rum, and 2 tablespoons water, whisking until smooth. (It should be quite thin. Add more water, if needed.) Using a long, thin paring knife, pierce the cake all over about 20 times, poking all the way through. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the syrup over the warm cake. Reserve remaining syrup in the bowl.
• After the cake has cooled in the pan for an hour, run a thin metal spatula or butter knife around the edges to release them from the pan, then unmold the cake onto the rack to finish cooling.
• Whisk crème fraîche and remaining 1/2 cup/60 grams confectioners' sugar into the syrup until you get a thick glaze, as thick as heavy cream. Add a little more confectioners' sugar or water if needed to get the right texture.
• Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for at least 15 minutes before slicing.