Big Berry Birthday Cake

First of all, a very, very happy (one day belated) 24^th birthday to my older sister Kate. She’s the middle of three girls and had the pleasure of putting up with endless amounts of tormenting by her three year younger sister AKA me. She’s also an almost nurse and is super artsy and talented. Then there’s Sarah. Oldest and probably wisest, and seriously concerned for the well-being of absolutely everybody in this world. Except maybe Stephen Harper.

Sarah emailed me a link to this recipe this morning as an idea for Kate’s birthday cake and we tested it out. Lightly sweet vanilla cake that’s spongey-delicious…you’ll understand better once you’ve tried it. Fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries star in this cake, and we swapped Joy’s butter cream icing for whipped cream for a lighter topping. Quick kitchen tip from my mother: check to make sure you have all the ingredients before you start. I’m only mentioning this because a certain someone (Sarah) ended up driving to the grocery store for more whipped cream. Other lesson learned is always buy extra whipped cream. Enjoy

Ever so slightly adapted from Joy the Baker. Check her, she’s fabulous.

Big Berry Birthday Cake

Makes a 2-layer 8-inch cake

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tbsp vanilla

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1-2 cups blueberries

2 cups whipping cream

+1 tbsp sugar

+1 tsp vanilla

Additional berries to top and decorate cake

Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round baking pans.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl and beating for one minute after each addition.

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a separate small bowl combine milk and vanilla.

In another bowl, lightly flour blueberries.

Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures into the butter, beating at a low speed. When the batter is just combined, lightly fold blueberries into dough with a spatula.

Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a pale golden colour, and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes clean. This part is very important, mine was slightly under cooked so use the skewer/toothpick test! Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.

While baking, beat whipping cream with sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Frost and berry only when cakes are completely cool. We put a layer of whipped cream and berries in between the two cake layers, seriously delicious and totally counts as a fruit serving.