Name: Lemon and Blackberry Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 120g unsalted butter, room temperature; 200g sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 120ml whole milk, room temperature; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 170g fresh blackberries, sliced into 3-4 pieces each (see note 1,2); 150g icing/confectioners sugar; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 22cm / 9 inch round cake tin; baking/parchment paper; stand mixer or hand mixer

Question 1

Can I use frozen blackberries?

Accepted Answer

You can most certainly use frozen fruit for this recipe. However, I recommend thawing them first so that the cake cooks evenly. Freezing ruptures the skin of the fruit as the water inside expands and turns to ice. Therefore, you may also want to pat down the thawed fruit with some paper towel first if they are leaking a lot of juice.

Whether you use frozen or fresh blackberries, do make sure to slice them before adding them to the cake batter. As they are such a large fruit huge chunks in the mixture can lessen the stability of the cake.

Question 2

Can I make it with a different fruit?

Accepted Answer

This cake will work well with a range of different fruits. Why not try it out with strawberries for a sweet summery cake. Raspberries also work great, as do blueberries.

Question 3

Why does my cake sink in the middle?

Accepted Answer

Have you ever had the disappointment of spending time making a cake, only to have it collapse when you take it out of the oven? Don't despair. There are a few reasons why this might happen, and thankfully, there are also a few things you can do to prevent it from happening again.

1.	The oven temperature was wrong. If your oven was too hot, then the edges may cook too quickly while the centre doesn't have time to set. Conversely, if the oven wasn't hot enough then the cake may not have had the chance to cook in the middle properly.
2.	The cake ingredients were too cold. Note that this recipe calls for room temperature ingredients - butter, eggs and milk. If you use ingredients straight from the fridge then the temperature of the batter will be colder, meaning that the outside of the cake will cook faster than the middle.
3.	The batter was left for too long before baking. When you beat the butter and sugar you are adding air into the mixture. This gives the cake its structure and fluffy consistency. If you leave it sitting around for too long, then you may find that it loses this texture. Additionally, you may not realise that baking powder actually has two reactions to help it leaven. The first is on impact with the wet ingredients in the batter and the second is when it is heated. You won't get the full benefit from this first reaction if you don't use it straightway, and your cake may not rise as much.
4.	The batter was over-beaten. Once you have added the flour to the batter make sure to mix it only until it is fully combined. Don't keep mixing after this point. The more you beat the batter the more gluten is formed, which can make the cake gummy. It can also make the structure of the cake weaker which can cause it to collapse.
5.	The oven door was opened too soon. We get it, you want to take a look at your creation and check how things are going. But if your cake is not set and you let cool air into the oven it can deflate and may not return to its plump self. Wait until at least 75% of the cooking time has passed before you take a peek. For this recipe that is 30 minutes of unadulterated baking time. I do rotate my cakes in the oven to ensure even colour, but this can be done successfully in the last 25% of the time.

Question 4

How long does it keep?

Accepted Answer

Store the lemon and blackberry in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, providing you didn't add any perishable decorations such as fresh fruit. After that point, it will become drier. You can keep it in the fridge to prolong its lifespan by an extra couple of days, but you may prefer to bring it to room temperature before tucking into a slice.

You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months. The cake can be frozen whole or in slices. Wrap it in foil and then place it in a freezer-proof container to stop it from getting crushed before it is fully frozen.

Lemon and Blackberry Cake

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition