BLUEBERRY & LEMON SANDWICH CAKE

I’m so happy with this pretty pretty little cake. Not only is it the first proper sandwich cake I’ve made in my life, it’s also the first proper birthday cake I’ve made in my life, and therefore the first proper sandwich birthday cake I’ve made in my life. Lots of firsts in there. And lots of cake.

It required an intense baking session that lasted until 12 am last night, which included the production of four different kinds of filling/icing creams (I’m never happy am I). And during which I did not grate my finger. Did not. Plus, another session at 6 am this morning for decorating, carried out in sleep-walking mode. Prior to this, I also sent my boyfriend all the way to Canary Wharf to get me edible flowers (he’s a good, good person). And previously had an argument with evil grocers who forgot to get the aforementioned edible flowers I ordered five days in advance. But all this, plus a very awkward bus ride to work this morning, holding a cake tin in my arms like my life was depending on it, all this was oh-so-worth-it because this cake, this very pretty and very delicious cake was for our dear, dear Alejandra. Also called Aleyandra. And also called Alexandra. To everyone’s favourite Maverick, happy birthday, or feliz cumple, or a mixture of the two. 

Notes: This recipe makes two 10 cm/4” mini cakes (which I sandwiched), but you can double the recipe (for the cake, but also filling and icing) and adjust the cooking time to 30-35 minutes if you want to make a bigger one. It means you get to eat more of it. Omnomnom

BLUEBERRY & LEMON SANDWICH CAKE

125g (1 cup) self-raising flour

75g (heaped 1/3 cup) caster sugar

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

110ml (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) soya milk or other non-dairy milk

60ml (1/4 cup) rapeseed oil or other flavourless oil

zest of 1 lemon

juice of ½ lemon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

60g (3/4 cup) fresh blueberries

Blueberry cream filling:

20g (1 ½ tablespoons) margarine

20g (1 ½ tablespoons) vegetable fat

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

120g (2 cups) icing sugar

1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, mashed/blended

Lemon cream icing:

20g (1 ½ tablespoons) margarine

20g (1 ½ tablespoons) vegetable fat

180g (3 cups) icing sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly grease your cake tin(s). In a bowl, sift in the flour, add sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together milk, oil, lemon zest and juice and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and quickly mix together with a spoon until just combined. The batter should still be lumpy. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the tin(s) and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, then take out of the tin and leave to cool completely.

In the meantime, make the filling. Whisk together margarine, vegetable fat and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the icing sugar a bit at a time and the mashed blueberries, mixing well until all combined and smooth. Adjust the consistency adding a bit more icing sugar if it’s too runny, and a bit of water, milk or more mashed blueberries if too firm.

Next make the icing. Start by whisking together margarine and vegetable fat until creamy, then add icing sugar and lemon juice until you get the desired consistency. Lastly add the lemon zest and mix well.
Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the blueberry cream filling on top of one layer, then place the other on top. Spread the lemon cream on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with more blueberries, other berries and edible flowers for the prettiest cake in the universe.