This creamy layer cake is complemented by bursts of blackberries for a real tea time treat. Or, if you're after something a bit more bite sized, halve the recipe to make 12 fairy cakes - simply snip the corner off a freezer bag to pipe on the icing and top each one with a blackberry.
Blackberry and lemon cake
Ingredients
12
servings
-
- 250 g butter softened
- 250 g soft brown sugar
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 150 g ground almonds
- 100 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g blackberries halved
-
For the icing
- 200 g blackberries with a few halved and reserved for decoration
- 1,5 tsp honey
- 500 g mascarpone
- 80 g icing sugar sifted
- 1 lemon juice only
Preparation
1. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy using an electric whisk. Gradually add the egg, then beat in the lemon, almonds, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Fold in the blackberries.
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas mark 4. Split the batter between 2 greased and lined 20cm sandwich tins and bake for 40-45 minutes, until cooked through. Leave to cool.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the blackberries for the icing. Simmer the berries with the honey over a gentle heat to form a coulis. Strain through a sieve and chill.
4. Whisk together the remaining icing ingredients until light and fluffy. Once the coulis has cooled, mix it evenly through the icing.
5. To assemble, sandwich the sponges together between a third of the icing, then smooth the rest over the top and sides using a palette knife. Decorate with the reserved berries and chill until ready to serve.