Mixed Berry And White Chocolate Buttercream Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 12-inch- diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt in very large (6- to 8-quart) bowl to blend well. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water; using electric mixer, beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Beat in oil, then egg yolks and vanilla.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and powdered sugar in large bowl until whites are very thick and billowy and form medium-firm peaks when beaters are lifted, about 12 minutes (do not underbeat). Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions. Divide cake batter equally between prepared pans.
• Place one pan on each rack in oven, staggering pans so that one is not directly above the other. Bake cakes 25 minutes. Reverse position of pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Line 2 cooling racks with kitchen towels. Cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto towels. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.)
• Buttercream
• Makes about 8 cups.
• 8 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup egg whites (about 8)
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Stir white chocolate and cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until fluffy; set aside.
• Combine whites and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over large saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Whisk until sugar dissolves and thermometer inserted into whites registers 160°F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using clean dry beaters, beat meringue until cool, stiff and shiny, about 10 minutes.
• Beat butter, about 1/4 cup at a time, into meringue, blending well after each addition. If frosting looks curdled, place bowl over very low heat for 3 to 5 seconds to soften slightly. Remove from heat and beat until smooth. Repeat warming technique as necessary. Gradually beat in cooled white chocolate mixture, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Chill buttercream until beginning to firm, about 30 minutes.
• assembly
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 6 cups (about) assorted fresh berries (raspberries; blueberries; blackberries, halved if large; and sliced strawberries)
• Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 layer on 11-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round. Spread with 1/2 cup jam, then 1 1/4 cups buttercream. Arrange half of berries atop buttercream, spacing about 1/2 inch apart. Press second cake layer atop berries. Repeat layering of jam, buttercream and remaining berries. Top with third cake layer (reserve remaining cake layer for another use).
• Spread 2 cups buttercream in thin layer over top and sides of assembled cake to anchor crumbs and smooth surface. Refrigerate cake on its base until crumb coat is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Spread 2 1/4 cups buttercream over top and sides of cake. Spoon remaining buttercream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)
• final decoration
• 4 cups (about) assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
• 1/2 cup currant jelly
• Place cake with its base on platter. Fill top center of cake with berries. Melt jelly in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Using pastry brush, brush warm jelly over tops of most berries. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• Using long knife, cut cake into quarters. Cut each quarter into 6 wedges.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the bottoms of two 9-by-2-inch (23-by-5cm) round cake pans with parchment (baking) paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla; set aside.
• Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the paddle on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat until mixture is pale and fluffy. Drizzle in the eggs beating each addition until incorporated before continuing (Stop frequently to let the batter absorb the egg. If the batter begins to look curdled , increase the mixer speed to high and beat until batter looks smooth again). Reduce the speed to medium low and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with the milk mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Beat just until combined.
• Pour the batter into prepared pans and spread it evenly. Bake until the cakes are puffed and a skewer inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Run a table knife around the edges of the pans and invert the cakes unto plates.
• To make the frosting, chop the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl in a saucepan over, but not touching, barely simmering water. Heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Do not allow any water or steam to come in contact with the chocolate, or it will become stiff and grainy. Or, chop the chocolate in large pieces, place in a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on low for 1 minute. Continue to microwave if necessary, checking every 20 seconds, until the chocolate looks softened, then stir until smooth and liquid.
• Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the paddle on medium speed until it is the consistency of mayonnaise. It should not be melted. Transfer to another bowl and thoroughly wash and dry the mixer bowl.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) of the sugar, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles appear along the edge of the pan.
• Using the stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup (4 oz./100 g) sugar with the whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and pour in the hot milk mixture in a thin stream. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Thoroughly wash and dry the mixer bowl and whisk.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it registers 170°F (77°C) on an instant read thermometer 5-7 minutes. Pour the mixture back into the mixer bowl and heat with the whisk on medium speed until cool, 5-10 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add the butter in 4 additions, incorporating each addition before adding another.
• To frost the cake, put one layer, top side down, on a serving plate (To protect the plate, place paper strips under and along the edges of the bottom layer.). Peel off the parchment paper. Using a straight frosting spatula, spread evenly with about one third of the buttercream. Invert the other layer, top side down, on the first layer peel off the paper. Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes to firm the frosting; keep the remaining buttercream at room temperature. Spread the buttercream on the top and sides cake (Put the frosting in the center of the top of the cake and smooth it evenly. The frosting will cover the top in a thick layer. Evenly smooth the frosting from the top of the cake down the sides, turning the cake as you work. As you cover the side, hold the spatula almost perpendicular to the top of the cake. Holding the spatula almost horizontal to the cake's top, smooth the top with long strokes. Then run the spatula around the sides, making the frosting as smooth as possible. Using short strokes, remove excess frosting from the edge of the top. Discard the waxed paper strips.).
• Refrigerate the cake until 30 minutes before serving to set the frosting.

Steps:

• Break the chocolate into a glass bowl, then put it over a pan of just simmering water to melt, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Line a lightly oiled 900g loaf tin with cling film.
• Whisk the cheese, cream and sugar together, preferably with electric beaters, then stir into the almost-cool melted white chocolate until well combined.
• Stir 50g raspberries with 2 tbsp of the jam. Spoon half the cheese mixture into the loaf tin, then spoon the jammy raspberries down the centre. Top with the rest of the cheese mixture, level the top, then press in the biscuits. Cover and chill for 6 hrs or overnight.
• Set aside about 6 strawberries. Halve the rest, then warm in a pan with the remaining jam until soft. Whizz in a food processor or with a hand blender, then rub through a sieve to remove the seeds and make a sauce. Add a drop of water if the sauce is too thick.
• To serve, carefully turn the tin onto a plate, lift it away and strip off the cling film. Halve the remaining strawberries, then arrange on top of the cake with the remaining raspberries and blueberries (if using). Pour over a little sauce and serve the rest separately for drizzling over.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter three 18cm sandwich cake tins and line with baking parchment. Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder and flour using a stand mixer or electric hand whisk until you have a fluffy mixture, about 5 mins. Fold in the white chocolate until it's well distributed throughout.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and level out using a palette knife or the back of a spoon until smooth. Bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the sponges to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then remove from the tins and transfer to a cooling rack, top side down, and leave to cool completely. If the sponges are not level use a serrated knife to cut away the peaks.
• While the sponges are cooling, make the ganache. Put the white chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to stand for 4-5 mins until the chocolate has melted. Mix together to form a smooth ganache, ensuring all the chocolate has fully melted, then mix in the vanilla. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins, stirring occasionally so it doesn't completely harden, until spreadable and thick enough to coat the cake.
• Once the sponges are cool and the ganache has set to a spreadable consistency, you can construct the cake. Place one sponge on a serving plate, spread over a thin layer of the chocolate ganache, then fill the middle with a third of the raspberries. Place another sponge on top and repeat with a layer of ganache and another third of raspberries. Put the final sponge on top and gently coat the whole cake with a thin layer of ganache. Leave in the fridge to set for at least 20 mins. To finish, spread over any remaining ganache and top with the remaining raspberries. Will keep chilled for up to three days in an airtight container.