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Tuesday 2 October 2018

Beautiful Blackberry Vanilla Cake

This is a perfect cake when you want something smaller and lighter for dessert.  Just 6" wide, it's a delicate looking little cake.  We've been trying to use and eat less sugar, so this was a perfect dessert for us.  Little thin slices drizzled in blackberry sauce, with a touch of ice cream on the side.  No one was left feeling like they hadn't had a special treat.  And it looks so lovely, too!  Enjoy!

Beautiful Blackberry Vanilla Cake, ready to serve! 
Slice of blackberry vanilla cake, drizzled with extra blackberry sauce and served with a side of homemade vanilla ice cream.

Beautiful Blackberry & Vanilla Cake

Blackberry Coulis Sauce

In a medium-sized pot, bring to a boil over medium heat:
8-12 oz blackberries (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups, before removing ends)
4-6 Tbsp powdered sugar
1-2 tsp orange zest, optional
4-6 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Cook 5-10 minutes, boiling gently.  If you'd like a thicker sauce, you can let it simmer a bit longer.

Adjust taste, if desired, by adding a bit of extra powdered sugar. (I like to keep this coulis more bitter since it's going to be combined with cake).  

Press the blackberry sauce through a sieve to strain out the seeds. (I like to rub the spoon back and forth in the sieve to help strain it).  Set aside until cake is ready to assemble.  Refrigerate extras until ready to use. 

*Extra blackberry coulis sauce not eaten with the cake is perfect on top of pancakes, waffles, etc.

Two 6" Vanilla Cakes

Butter and line two 6" cake tins with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients (it's important to mix dry ingredients first in gluten-free baking to avoid clumping):
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Add and whisk until smooth:
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil 
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

Divide between two pans and bake at 350 F for ~18 minutes.  Let rest a few minutes, then remove to wire rack to fully cool.
Vanilla cakes cooling before assembly.

Marshmallow Fluff Frosting

I would recommend only frosting the top of this cake, but you can do the sides if you like.  I made 1/2 batch of my favorite marshmallow fluff frosting.  I've written it again here for convenience:

Beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes in a mixer:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow fluff

To assemble the cake:

Spread blackberry coulis on top of each cake layer.  Do this slowly and repeat to allow the sauce a little time to seep into the cake layer.
You can add a little extra if you want it to drizzle down the sides, but I stopped just shy of the edges for a cleaner look when stacked.

Place one cake layer on serving platter.  Gently spread or pipe marshmallow frosting on top of the first layer.  Place the second cake on top.
My cake decorator! She helped with the blackberry sauce and piping the frosting on top!  See those little rhubarb muffins in the background, too! We were cooking up a storm. 

Pipe additional frosting on the top of the cake.  My little helper helped with all the piping, so if you wonder why I cannot pipe a clean swirl - that's why.  If desired, you can smooth/pipe down the top and sides of the cake, but I prefer this cake without frosting on the sides.
Freshly piped top of cake!

Serve slices of cake drizzled with additional blackberry coulis sauce.
Enjoy! 

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