Vanilla Cake & Blackberry Curd

Triple-layer Vanilla Bean Cake, Vanilla Buttercream and Blackberry Curd Filling, and a tinted Ombré  Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

This cake is just as sweet and simple and pretty as the day is long.  I baked it as an addition for a dessert table I had designed.  But the colors were all wrong.  I got the baking correct, the amazing curd, and the design right – but definitely not the color.  Gaah.

At that point when all the buttercream is on the cake and cupcakes, it’s a bit late to scrap it all off and start over.  Ok, technically, it is possible to start all over, but sometimes I just don’t have the additional effort in me.  Results: no complex dessert table and a delightful cake to shoot.  This is still a win.

I had seen blackberries in the market the week before and I couldn’t get them out of my mind.  Imagining the deliciousness that is Blackberry Curd – mercy!  Naturally, by the time I was back in the markets looking for a few early blackberries, none could be found!  I threw caution to the wind and used frozen berries.  They were sooo yummy.

In my Fiesta Dinnerware Medium Bistro Bowl, I poured about 600gr of these beautiful berries to thaw.  Once at room temperature, a quick spin in the food processor and a run through a sieve – there was more than enough delicious blackberry juice required for the recipe.

The curd set up over night in the a bowl with a lid; it’s suitable to use after a few hours, but over night is ideal.

Time to bake the cake.  First step, steep the vanilla beans in the buttermilk. I went in to greater detail on this step when I blogged about it with this Strawberries & Cream Cake.

Measure, then mix the dry ingredients.  To sift or not to sift:  I’m usually anxious to get the baking going and don’t have the patience for sifting.  Exception: I nearly always sift the cocoa powder because those lumps are epic.

The Fiesta Dinnerware Large Bistro Bowl is incredibly versatile; I love using it at many different steps in baking (mix, bake, and serve).  There is room to work inside this bowl.  Having the right tools for the job is essential for being comfortable in the kitchen.

To ensure as even layers as possible, I weigh the prepared pans and calculate (to the gram) how much batter should get poured into the pan.  There are slight adjustments to dial it in just right, but this method works for me.

Our kids, “You realize you’re weighing empty pans?”

Me, ……. *blink* *blink*

Kids, “It’s just not normal.”

Ooooohhh… look at those beautiful vanilla seeds.

The results of weighing the cake pans and batter…

I seem to be working with white cake frequently (almond or vanilla flavored) so, once again, I needed to trim away the baked, light brown outer layer.

Pulling together the pieces for the cake build – buttercream, curd, and rounds.

I piped on a low wall of buttercream to keep the curd in between the layers as much as possible.

It looks a little rough, but it got the job done.

I do love this step of the build… executing the layers, working for evenness, and trying to keep it all together and stable.

The top layer needed a slight adjustment to the left.

When the crumb coat was finished, I popped the cake bake into cake fridge, and went to work on the Vanilla Bean Cupcakes.

I used a Wilton Cakes open star piping tip #22.  Fortunately, I’ve been practicing this design and the work is paying off – I was really happy with the results.  Hot tip: Take time when piping on the buttercream, no need to rush.

After piping on the light purple, I added a bit more coloring gel to the buttercream and continued developing this flower design.

Each cupcake was topped with a purple M&M chocolate candy.

With the cupcakes done, I turned my attention back to the cake.

I used the same tinting for the cake as used for the cupcakes.  They didn’t need to  identically match in style, but I wanted the consistency of color to connect the cakes.

Originally, I planned for the cake and cupcakes to be a component of a dessert table I had in mind, but I didn’t like the direction it was headed.  I split it up and all was well.

The cake and cupcakes look fantastic with my Fiesta.  Though this Lilac glaze is discontinued, White or Ivory would be equally stunning (I just don’t have much of those colors!).

The cupcake stand is an upended demitasse cup sitting under its saucer – for stability, add a bit of hot glue.  To release, let soak in hot, soapy water.  Imagine a table filled with a rainbow of cupcake stands and cupcakes to match!

I do love a good slice picture.  The layers are even and the curd/buttercream filling looks completely luscious.

This was a fantastic cake to bake and construct.  It was also the first Blackberry Curd I cooked; it was amazing and worth the effort.

It’s a great day to be sober.

It’s a great day to enjoy a walk about town with my life partner.

It’s a great day to love my people.