My Mixed Berries and Cream Cake is perfect for summer time when berries are plentiful and refreshing. This cake is naturally violet in color due to the berries used in the batter. The cake itself is light and fluffy with a melt in your mouth feel. Plus, it’s filled with mixed berry filling and frosted with super smooth cream cheese frosting!
At first I wasn’t sure I was going to keep this recipe due to the unique color, but this cake is too good to change anything about it. Plus, it could be a good option to celebrate a baby boy. And if you’re in need of a baby girl cake, then check out my Strawberry Rose Cake for the perfect light pink color.
How To Make Mixed Berry Filling
- Place thawed berries in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Over a bowl pour berry puree over a sieve to remove the solids. The puree will be thick. Use a spoon to stir and press the puree through the sieve.
- Place berry puree in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar and cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming.
- Once the puree thickens, remove from the heat. Cool for 5 minutes and then add fresh lemon juice. Chill for about 2-3 hours in the refrigerator until ready to use.
***I forgot to take a picture of the finished filling but I think you get the idea.***
Mixed Berry Cake Flavoring
The cake gets its color from the berries in your mix. I had a lot of blueberries in my mix so it baked up blue. Depending on your berry mix your cake may bake up a different color than mine.
Mixed Berry Cake Ingredients
- Frozen berries: This recipe only uses the juice from the berries. Adding the berry solids to this cake batter would be too much for this delicate cake. Save the berry solids for another use or toss.
- Whole milk: The fat in whole milk helps to tenderize the cakes crumb. It also interacts with the flour to create just enough gluten to form the cakes structure.
- Egg whites: helps create structure.
- Vanilla extract: helps balance the flavors.
- Raspberry extract or raspberry emulsion: I prefer to use raspberry emulsion. The flavor doesn’t bake out like extracts can.
- Cake flour: has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour which helps create a delicate crumb.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar not only sweetens the cake but it also helps tenderize, leavens and browns.
- Baking powder: is a leavener that contains baking soda and cornstarch. Baking soda reacts twice. The first is when it comes into contact with liquid and then when it is heated. Baking soda can’t be used as a substitute for baking powder.
- Salt: helps bring out the sweetness in the cake.
- Unsalted butter: tenderizes, moistens, leavens, browns, and flavors.
Tips For Super Smooth And Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature.
- Your ingredients should be beaten very well before adding in the cream cheese.
- Dice your cream cheese so that it blends easily when added.
- Cream cheese should be added in last.
- Do not over beat the frosting after the cream cheese has been added or the frosting will turn soupy.
Filling The Cake
Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and fill the piping bag with about 1 1/2 cup frosting. Pipe a frosting dam around the outer edge of the cake. Fill the center with half of the filling and spread out in an even layer with a small offset cake spatula. Place the second cake layer on top and gently press to adhere to the bottom cake layer. Pipe a frosting dam around the outer edge and spread the remaining filling out in an even layer until it reaches the frosting dam. Add the third and final cake layer (bottom side up) on top and gently press to adhere.
Crumb Coating
Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, creating a crumb coat. Chill the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Frosting Application
Line an 8-inch round acrylic disc with parchment paper, attaching it with a small amount of frosting. Place acrylic disc (parchment side down) on to the top of the cake, making sure it is even with the cake board on the bottom of the cake, and that the top of the cake is level. Apply buttercream to the sides of the cake, making sure that the bottom cake board is covered with frosting completely.
Gently press a cake scraper or cake comb against the bottom cake board and the top acrylic disc. Rotate the cake turntable to smooth out the frosting while the scraper or comb creates a smooth or decorative finish, depending on which tool you use. Fill in any gaps with more frosting and rotate again, cleaning your tool with each rotation. The Cake Chica’s Tip: I prefer to use a metal scraper because you can heat the scraper up under hot water, dry and scrape the cake smooth. The heat helps to smooth out the frosting.
Cake Decorating
This cake is super easy to assemble and decorate. There’s nothing too fancy needed here so this is perfect for the beginner cake decorator.
Cake Decorating Tools
- Nonslip mat (for cake turntable)
- Cake turntable
- 8-inch round cake board
- Piping bag
- Round piping tip or coupler
- Small offset cake spatula
- 8-inch round acrylic disc
- Parchment paper
- Cake scraper
- Fresh berries
Mixed Berries and Cream Baking Schedule
- BAKING SCHEDULE
- Day 1: Bake cake layers and prepare filling.
- Day 2: Prepare the cream cheese frosting, assemble, decorate and serve.
Make Ahead
Filling can be made up to 7 days in advance.
Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
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Mixed Berries and Cream Cake
Made from scratch Mixed Berries and Cream Cake filled with mixed berry filling and frosted with cream cheese frosting and garnished with fresh mixed berries.
Ingredients
SPECIAL TOOLS
- 3 8-inch round cake pans
- Nonstick baking spray
- Stand mixer
- Food processor or blender
- Sieve
- Nonslip mat (for cake turntable)
- Cake turntable
- 8-inch round cake board
- Piping bag
- Round piping tip or coupler
- Small offset cake spatula
- 8-inch round acrylic disc
- Parchment paper
- Cake scraper
- Fresh berries
MIXED BERRY CAKE
- 10 ounces frozen mixed berries (2 cups)
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons raspberry emulsion or raspberry extract
- 2 ¼ cups (9 ounces) cake flour
- 1 ¾ cups (12 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and at room temperature
MIXED BERRY FILLING
- 12 ounces frozen mixed berries, thawed
- ¼ (1.76 ounces) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups (13.2 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 16 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
Instructions
MIXED BERRY CAKE
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- Microwave mixed berries in a microwavable bowl, covered, until berries have softened and are juicy, about 5 minutes. Place berries in a fine mesh strainer set over a small saucepan and press with a rubber spatula to extract as much juice from the berries as possible. Discard berry solids. Over medium-high heat, bring the strained berry juice to a boil, stirring occasionally until the juice turns into a syrup and measures about ¼ cup, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Transfer milk mixture to a clean bowl and whisk in the egg whites and vanilla extract until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter one piece at a time and mix until pea-sized pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add half of the milk mixture and increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the remaining milk mixture and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops out with a rubber spatula. Give the pans a few light taps on the counter to settle the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking.
- Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes on wire racks, and then invert on to racks to cool completely, about 2 hours.
MIXED BERRY FILLING
- Place thawed berries in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Over a bowl pour berry puree over a sieve to remove the solids. The puree will be thick. Use a spoon to stir and press the puree through the sieve.
- Place berry puree in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar and cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming. Once the puree thickens, remove from the heat. Cool for 5 minutes and then add fresh lemon juice. Chill for about 2-3 hours in the refrigerator until ready to use.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt. Reduce the speed to low and beat for 1 minute.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the cream cheese and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not over beat or the frosting will become soupy.
ASSEMBLE
- Place a nonslip mat on top of a cake turntable and place a cake board on top. Center the first cake layer on top of the cake board, making sure there's even spacing from all around the edges. Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and fill the piping bag with about 11/2 cup frosting. Pipe a frosting dam around the outer edge of the cake. Fill the center with half of the filling and spread out in an even layer with a small offset cake spatula. Place the second cake layer on top and gently press to adhere to the bottom cake layer. Pipe a frosting dam around the outer edge and spread the remaining filling out in an even layer until it reaches the frosting dam. Add the third and final cake layer (bottom side up) on top and gently press to adhere.
CRUMB COAT
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, creating a crumb coat. Chill the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
CAKE ASSEMBLY
- Line an 8-inch round acrylic disc with parchment paper, attaching it with a small amount of frosting. Place acrylic disc (parchment side down) on to the top of the cake, making sure it is even with the cake board on the bottom of the cake, and that the top of the cake is level. Apply buttercream to the sides of the cake, making sure that the bottom cake board is covered with frosting completely.
- Gently press a cake scraper or cake comb against the bottom cake board and the top acrylic disc. Rotate the cake turntable to smooth out the frosting while the scraper or comb creates a smooth or decorative finish, depending on which tool you use. Fill in any gaps with more frosting and rotate again, cleaning your tool with each rotation. (Save excess frosting for decorating.)
- Pipe 2 or 3 rings around the top edge go the cake to give the fresh berries a base to stick to. Apply fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries around the cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a cake pedestal and serve.
Notes
Filling can be made up to 7 days in advance.
Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Assembled cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.