Blackberry Cake Recipe
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This Blackberry cake is soft and moist and has a fluffy lemon blackberry buttercream frosting. The lemon juice cuts the sweetness and brightens up the whole cake. You’ll enjoy every bite as it hits your taste buds; sweet, tart and tangy. And of course the fresh blackberries were plump, juicy and wonderful!
I made this blackberry cake for my niece’s birthday and it was…good and so pretty (with decor inspiration from Allie)! Then I kept working on the cake, adding more lemon and the results were fantastic. Thankfully another niece was having a birthday the following weekend so it became her birthday cake.
This was much safer than leaving the cake at home with me, alone – with just the cake and I – and a fork. No one even noticed that I had taken out a slice to photograph it and then carefully replaced it and patched the frosting #smooth. My family was completely smitten with this cake!
Blackberry Cake Ingredients:
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/2 tsp baking powder
Simple Lemon Syrup:
3/4 cup warm water
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice (from 1 large lemon)
Blackberry Frosting Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt (I used fine sea salt)
2 packages (6 ounces each) blackberries, divided (1 cup for frosting, 1 cup sliced for layers, 6 berries for decor).
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
Crystal sprinkles, optional
How to Make the Blackberry Cake:
Watch the video before you get started:
Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9″ cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (this is the one I have), beat 6 large eggs for 1 minute on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.
2. Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
3. Divide evenly between prepared cake pans (it helps if you have a kitchen scale to weight the pans). Bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula (here’s the one I love for cakes) around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temperature then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.
How to Make Lemon Blackberry Frosting:
1. Combine 2 Tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup blackberries in small saucepan. Simmer 6-7 minutes or until berries easily mash up with a fork then turn off heat. Strain through a fine mesh Strainer
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together 3 sticks butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp salt on low speed until combined, scraping as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until white and fluffy (2 to 3 min).
3. Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined then continue to beat 2 min until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on, drizzle in blackberry syrup 1 Tbsp at a time then beat another minute.
How to Assemble Blackberry Cake:
1. Slice 1 cup blackberries and set aside. Make your lemon syrup by combining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice.
2. Place first cake layer on serving platter cut-side up. Brush with 1/4 of the lemon syrup. Spread frosting over the top and layer with 1/3 sliced berries. Repeat with remaining layers placing the final layer cut-side-down, then frost the top and sides. (Tip: For the smoothest results, reserve flattest cake-layer for the top)
3. Pipe remaining frosting onto cake. For the roses, I used a closed star Wilton 2D tip (here’s a tutorial I created awhile back for how to pipe frosting roses). Decorate with remaining blackberries. I sprinkled with sugar crystals since it was my niece’s princess party birthday cake :).
Blackberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Simple Lemon Syrup:
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice, from 1 large lemon
Blackberry Frosting Ingredients:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 sticks, 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz Cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt, I used fine sea salt
- 12 oz blackberries
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
- Crystal sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line bottoms of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).
How to Make the Cake:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat 6 large eggs 1 min on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating 8-10 min until thick and fluffy.
- Whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder then sift this mixture into fluffy egg mixture one third at a time. Fold with a spatula with each addition just until incorporated. Scrape spatula from the bottom to catch any pockets of flour and stop mixing when no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
- Divide evenly between prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan by sliding a thin spatula around the edges then transfer to a wire rack and remove parchment backing. Cool cakes to room temp then slice layers equally in half with a serrated knife.
How to Make Lemon Blackberry Frosting:
- Combine 2 Tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup blackberries in small saucepan. Simmer 6-7 minutes or until berries easily mash up with a fork then turn off heat. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing the blackberries through with a spatula until only seeds are left in strainer. Discard seeds and set the puree aside to cool completely to room temp (you should get 5 Tbsp puree).
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together 3 sticks butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp salt on low speed until combined, scraping as necessary. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until white and fluffy (2 to 3 min).
- Add cream cheese 1-piece at a time and mix until combined then continue to beat 2 min until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on, drizzle in blackberry syrup 1 Tbsp at a time then beat another minute.
How to Assemble Blackberry Cake:
- Slice 1 cup blackberries and set aside. Make your lemon syrup by combining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice.
- Place first cake layer on serving platter cut-side up **. Brush with 1/4 of the lemon syrup. Spread frosting over the top and layer with 1/3 sliced berries. Repeat with remaining layers placing the final layer cut-side-down, then frost the top and sides.
- Pipe remaining frosting onto cake. For the roses, use a closed star Wilton 2D tip. Decorate with remaining blackberries and sprinkle sugar crystals if desired.
Notes
**Tip: For the smoothest results, reserve flattest cake-layer for the top)
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi, this looks amazing. what purpose serves the lemon syrup? Thanks
Hi Gabriela! This is a sponge cake so it helps moisten the sponges and adds lemon flavor.
The first try was a total bust. Had problem with stand mixer so finished mixing using electric handheld mixer. Did not rise at all. Started over and came out much better but still very thin layers so I didn’t cut them in half It was delicious and I would like to try again but I’d like to figure out what I am doing wrong. Any ideas?
The frosting is wonderful.
Hi Joanne! You can see in the images above that the cake layers are not very thick. Beating the eggs with the sugar until they are thick and fluffy is important because this is where the cake gets its volume from. Be sure to use room-temperature eggs and when the dry ingredients are added, do not over mix or you will deflate the batter, you’ll want to fold them in. I hope that helps.
I made this yesterday! The cake recipe is flawless and if the recipe is followed makes a gorgeous sponge cake (we won’t get into my mistakes getting to my flawless cake but I got there)
The frosting I will make again to perfect. I am sure I messed up somewhere with the cream cheese but my family loved it none the less. It’s a keeper.
I’m glad this recipe was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing, Aricka! 🙂
Great looking recipe. Do you have a suggestion of how I could replace the cream cheese in the frosting? Could I adapt the buttercream frosting recipe and add the puree to that or do you think it would be too sweet?
Hi Claire, I haven’t tried any substitutions but I saw someone else commented and shared this ” I used mascarpone instead if cream cheese and skipped the butter… Oh my! It was so good! Attached is the pic of my cake, it doesn’t look fancy but is so yummy , thanks a lot!” I hope that helps.
I want to make this cake for my moms birthday. Was wondering if the frosting or cake could be made a day or 2 in advance before building?? I work and have a toddler so being able to spread it out over a couple of days works best for me when making cakes. Excited for this one, looks delicious!!
Hi Whitney, you can make the base several days ahead. I hope you love this recipe!
Made cake with my gluten free flour and used dairy free butter, so tasted nice but didn’t rise as big and icing was too runny!
Hi Amanda, Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around.
This is an excellent recipe – thank you, Natasha. Can I use the same recipe to make a fruit flan? The baking tin is quite shallow with an indent for where the fruit is placed. Would I grease the whole pan?
Hi Liz. I’m happy you enjoy this recipe!
I have not made a fruit flan to advise what the process would be. If you experiment, please let us know how it turns out.
Can I bake the sponge cake in a 10″ springform pan instead of two 9″ pans?
Hi Marian, I have not tested this in a 10” but it may be too much batter for just one 10” pan.
Thank you so much for this receipt! It was my first time making a cake, and it turns out amazing! The biscuit was just perfect and cream is so yammy! I used frozen blackberries for the sirup and decorated the top with fresh fruits! Thank you again for such a detailed guidance! My daughters first birthday was amazing!
Glad to hear that the recipe was a success! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Is it possible to make and ice this cake and store in the freezer a couple weeks? I would add the blackberries on top at serving time. Love your recipes.
Hi Barb, I haven’t tried freezing the entire cake, you can freeze the sponge cake though. I would freeze it without the syrup and add that after it is defrosted. I hope that helps.
Made this cake for my daughters 3 year birthday, since she wanted a cake with blackberries.
This recipe is just wonderful! And the blackberries give the frosting both a fantastic taste and color. Easy to succeed making a beautiful and very tasty cake. Thank you very much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Eva! Thank you for your great feedback!
Dear Natasha,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. This was a hit and everyone loved it 😊
I wanted to know if I can substitute the blackberry to blueberry or raspberry in the frosting? Will that work? My son loves blueberries & raspberries and so wanted to have a lovely berry frosting for his birthday. Please suggest..
Many thanks
Meg
Hi Meg, it’s my pleasure! I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine that will work but you might have to do an experiment, so probably practice first before his birthday?
I made this for my daughter’s 8th birthday tea party. It was fantastic! We have some food sensitivities (gluten & cane sugar) so I made it with Einkorn flour and maple sugar. Turned out amazing, fluffy and light! One of our guests was dairy free, so I made a different frosting but still used the blackberry/lemon purée to tint it. I also used homemade seedless blackberry jam with lemon juice added, instead of the lemon syrup and blackberries because when I made a small test cake my daughter didn’t like the blackberry seeds from the whole blackberries 🙃. Guests all loved it!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jillian! Happy Birthday to your daughter!
Hi Natasha, I would be making a wedding cake and be using your sponge cake recipe, can you put the syrup on after baking and then freeze the cake (without frosting)?? Thank you.
Hi Ronit, yes, you can freeze the sponge cake. I would freeze it without the syrup and add that after it is defrosted. I hope that helps.
Unfortunately my cake did not rise:( But the buttercream turned out fine so may be I use it for cupcakes.
I’m more than happy to troubleshoot, did you have a chance to watch the video for making the cake layers? I think it would really help. Since this cake relies on the volume of eggs to rise, it is crucial not to use a whisk to fold in the flour or you will deflate the batter. Please let me know if you still have questions after watching this video (also embedded in the recipe above).
Hi Natasha,
I made this cake today and turned out so wonderful! I do have a question about the lemon syrup. Do I have to boil the ingredients together? I didn’t use all the 3/4th cup syrup from the recipe. Thanks
Hi San, we do not boil it. We combine it all in a cup. See steps under the title: “How to Assemble Blackberry Cake: Make your lemon syrup by combining 3/4 cup warm water, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, and 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice.” Since the water you’re using is warm, it helps the sugar dissolve.
Natasha – I don’t usually leave reviews, but this cake was so fun, I had to come back and thank you! My daughter picked this out for her birthday cake and I’m so glad she did. The sponge cake video was super helpful and the instruction was very clear. I’m not an experienced baker, but I followed the recipe exactly and this cake turned out perfectly! I’m usually not a big fan of frosting, but the lemon juice really cut down the sweetness on this one and we loved it. Looking forward to checking out some of your other recipes! Thank you!!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
I can’t wait to try making this cake! I want to make into a layer cake consisted of 2 six inch and 2 eight inch cake. Could you help me adjust to the right amount? I’d be much appreciative!!! Thanks Natasha!
Hi, I haven’t tested those sizes so you would have to experiment.
Hi Natasha, trying out this recipe today. Is it served right out of fridge, or does it have to sit at room temp for some time? I hope it turns out yummy, can’t wait to try it tomorrow! Thank you for this beauty!
Hi Luda, this one serves well right out of the refrigerator and there is no need to bring it to room temperature.
Natasha, cake turned out beautiful, can’t wait to try it out tomorrow! I have one more question, when I was ready to make decorative flowers, the cream was a bit on a runny side. I had to reso cake flowers at least 4 times. Would you recommend placing cream in pastry bad in fridge or am i doing something wrong and my cream was runny. I was following recipe exactly. Thank you again. Will definitely come back to comment after taste test!
Hi Luda, If the cream cheese and butter are softened for too long, that can happen – also adding too much syrup can thin the frosting. I would suggest refrigerating for a bit before piping.
Natasha, this cake is money! Everyone loved, and complemented on it! It’s sooooooo good! What is your tip on pumping the flowers if the cream a bit on softer side? I ended up putting it in fridge, but it was still not easy. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Luda! Make sure you are using a high-powered mixer (electric mixer). It sounds like with the frosting – maybe your cream cheese was over-softened. That would explain the consistency you are describing.
Natasha, I use kitchen aid mixer for all the cakes, and beat it per instructions. Yes, both butter and cream cheese were sitting on countertop for at least 4 hrs. How would I know when cream is soft enough to combine with room temp butter in order to get a thicker consistency? I also cooked blackberries in exactly weighed and measured proportions, and had an outcome of 5 tbsp of puree
Well, despite all, this cake is worth licking the plate! Will definitely make this again soon!!! You and your lovely blog are my lifesaver, as you might’ve figure out by my multiple comments last few days! Thank you
I made this cake for my father in law for his 73rd birthday and it was a hit! We picked fresh berries and had fresh eggs from our chickens. I hadn’t tried making a sponge cake before but I followed the instructions and consistency was perfect. I only had 2 cups of powdered sugar so I cut out a stick of butter and used 2/3 of the cream cheese and thankfully had enough frosting for all the layers and the top. I feel like I had a hard time brushing on the lemon syrup. I still had a lot of unused syrup left over and I think next time I’ll make sure to use it all because I think it would’ve added a yummy flavor and texture to the sponge cake. The beeries on top also bled juice onto the frosting a bit making it look a bit less pretty . Any suggestions to prevent that? Thanks for the recipe Natasha!
Hi Natasha
My cake tastes a bit eggie
Hi Nat, I suggesting reading through the troubleshooting on making this classic sponge cake. Also, avoid outdoor draft with any egg-based cake or frosting.
The recipe looks wonderful
As soon as my cakes were in the oven they sank within the first 10 minutes to a half and thick in the middle
What did I do wrong?
Please help
Thank you
Sorry to hear that, Carol. Curious, was there anything that was substituted in the ingredients or recipe?
I followed the cake exactly, which turned out perfect (23-24 mins in my oven).
I lightened up the frosting (1 cup powered sugar, 1 brick of light cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp of blackberry puree). For me, it was perfect! Very light and just sweet enough with some tartness.
Hello Carolyn, so lovely to read your comments and good feedback. Thank you so much!
This is the best summer cake! Blackberry fans in my fam loved it. I used my own cake recipe fearing too many eggs, but next time I make it I will try your cake recipe- I am certain will be fantastic, too. I wonder if I could substitute blackberries for lemons? Never enough lemon for us, but would it separate or curdle with cream cheese?
That is awesome, I am so glad your family loved it! I have not tired substitute lemons for blackberries, if you do an experiment please share with us how it goes.
Lovely light sponge, nice and not too sweet icing – So fresh for the summer.
I’m not sure if I got the lemon syrup wrong but I mixed ingredients 6ogether and 8t was lemon water. When I started to put layers together and brush on the lemon syrup, I could see that there was a possibility that the lemon syrup (water) would make the layers soggy so I left lemon water step out. On evaluation, I really don’t think that the syrup would have added much to the enjoyment of the cake.
Thank you for sharing that with us Dawn!
I’m recently retired and have never really gotten into baking, let alone a from scratch cake. But seeing that I now have more time on my hands, and grow my own Olliberries, (almost like Blackberries) I found this recipe and thought I would try it. Your directions are clear and concise and it turned out perfectly. (My frosting skills leave a bit to be desired so it was a bit messy looking compared to yours!) I was most nervous about cutting the cakes in half. My wife suggested that I use dental floss! It did the job perfectly!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Oh my goodness, this looks perfect and delicious! I absolutely love the idea of lemon in here with the berries and creamy frosting. My almost 7 year old is requesting blackberry cake and I am so excited to have found this recipe! He is going to love it! Thank you!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
The spongecake turned out fine, but it was pretty thin despite being beaten to a pancake-like batter (I was mixing the eggs and sugar for over 30 minutes to get that consistency!). I was most disappointed by the icing because no matter how much I mixed it, it became a liquidy goop that smelled too strongly of cream cheese. It was also way too sweet and thick. If anything, I would probably use a different icing recipe altogether as the flavor was just a super sweet cream cheese mixture.
Hi Darly, make sure you are using a high powered mixer (electric mixer). A hand-held whisk won’t beat sufficiently. It sounds like with the frosting – maybe your cream cheese was over-softened. That would explain the consistency you are describing.
Hi,
I got all the ingredients only to discover we ran out of all purpose four which is crazy because WE ALWAYS HAVE IT, haha. I maybe could manage half a cup.
I have whole wheat flour, coconut flour, almond flour, tapioca starch and xanthum gum. Could I potentially mix and match? Don’t want to mess up the integrity of the cake. I can always run out and get some AP flour but just wanted to check if you tried with any of the above before?
Also, while I have powdered sugar ; could you advise how much monkfruit sweetener could be used instead in the frosting? Would like to know for the future for a keto friendly version.
Hi Tara, since baking is so much of a science and any change can affect the outcome, I honestly can’t make those recommendations without testing them through. Also, I don’t have any experience with monk fruit sweetener yet. If you test that out, please let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha. I would like to try this cake but Can I freeze just with the filling? And finish on the day we eat it?thanks a lot!
Hi Stefany, we prefer it fresh, but without experimenting I’m unable to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like this recipe.
This recipe has got to be a joke. I should have known by the ingredients and the way the “batter” looked. 6 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
It doesnt make enough batter. My cakes were pancake thin. No cutting those in half. I thought at least I could crumble and turn into cake pops but the taste is awful. It tastes like sugared eggs. Just a really strong egg flavor. Wasted a bunch of eggs and in the trash it goes.
Hi Crystal, it sounds like you are new to making this classic European sponge cake. The cake relies on the volume of the beaten eggs and sugar to rise so it is critically important to make sure you beat the eggs and sugar adequately in a high powered stand mixer. If using a hand mixer (which is not as efficient at whipping), add a few minutes to your mixing time. Also, be sure to bake right away without letting it sit too long on the counter. It may help to review our sponge cake video tutorial.
Hi Natasha,
Do you think it would work if i made this cake more narrow but tall and decorated it with flowers all around? She has a unicorn theme and all the beautiful unicorn cakes just dont taste good and the frosting tastes too buttery..
Hi Ksusha, I haven’t tested that in a more narrow cake bit I imagine it would work. You may need to adjust your bake time. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha
Your recipes look fabulous and easy to follow. I have a question regarding the pan size- you have all your recipes at 2 x 9-inch pans, if I want to use them for 3 x 6-inch pans or 2 x 6-inch pans – what temperature and time should I set them in?
I saw on your posts that I can shift/ change the size pan from 9inch to 6inch and it changes the amount of ingredients needed but that’s not what I’m going for. I’m aiming for 6 inch wide and 5-6 inch high cakes when all assembled. I would really like to try your recipes as I just started my new baking business.
Hope to hear from you and your advice.
Thanks
Hi Carol, if you divide into three 6-inch pans, the bake time should be about the same. You might have to do some experimenting, but it should be pretty close to the same timing since the height of the cakes will be about the same as in two 9-inch cakes.
Could I use frozen blackberries in the cake?
Hi Sherry, I think fresh is best but thawed frozen blackberries would probably work.
The most amazing frosting ever.
My cake came out looking amazing it was a bit dry even after I added my lemon mixture. But my husband and I had 1 peace each and my mother-in-law came tried it and left with the rest of it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha ! Can I use raspberries instead?
Hi Oksana, yes raspberries would work fine.
When I came across this cake, I knew I had to try making it! It is so gorgeous and sounded delicious. I was not able to get my sponge cake to rise very well so I substituted a Victoria sponge. I also added 4 cups of powdered sugar to the frosting because it seemed a bit too soft. The flavor and the look were both wonderful! Thank you for your recipes and videos.
Hi Liz, I would love to try your recipe for Victoria sponge. It sounds wonderful! Can you share the source or possibly email it to me? natasha @ natashaskitchen.com (no spaces) 🙂 No pressure and thanks in advance!
Didn’t like it, wouldn’t make it again. Way too sweet (who would give this to a child?) and the butter in the frosting makes it very sensible to melting.
Hi Ana, we typically don’t love overly sweet desserts either, but everyone has a different level of love for sweets. You definitely want to keep buttercream and most frostings out of the heat or sun.
The cake did not rise at all, I’ve never had a cake turn out this flat. I’m very disappointed.
Hi Emily, I’m more than happy to troubleshoot, did you have a change to watch the video for making the cake layers? I think it would really help. Since this cake relies on the volume of eggs to rise, it is crucial not to use a whisk to fold in the flour or you will deflate the batter. Please let me know if you still have questions after watching this video (also embedded in the recipe above).
Could I freeze the whole cake with the icing?I would add the blackberries just before serving.
Hi Natasha,
My daughter found this recipe to do for her 21st birthday, I am just wondering how far in advance can I make it.
Thank you
Hi Sylvia! You could easily make this the day before or even 2 days in advance if you think your blackberries will hold up.
Hi Natasha,
Do you think I can omit the lemon from the simple syrup?
Hi Olga, You can use more water instead of lemon if you’d like.
Do you add lemon juice to the frosting?
Hi Lori, we sure do! Per the recipe, we add 2 Tbsp fresh lemon (juice from 1 medium lemon) to the frosting and 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice (from 1 large lemon) to the simple syrup.
In fact, though the frosting ingredients mention lemon juice, at no point do your instructions mention adding it, so I too missed this ingredient, as I’m sure other have. Also I followed your instructions to the letter and the measurements to the gram…and my icing split. I refrigerated it straight away and managed to save it, but it’s far from perfect. And in my distracted state I forgot to use the lemon syrup! So I hope it’s not too sickly sweet as a result. We’ll see what my workmates say tomorrow…
Hi Natasha, I made the BlackBerry cake today does it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Cheryl, since it has fruit in it and a dairy-based frosting, it is best to refrigerate the cake.
Natasha,
I was just wondering since you didn’t put it on this recipe, what is the cost to make this cake?
Every time I make this cake the frosting breaks. I’ve tried three times and every time I add the blackberry syrup (following the directions completely) it makes the smooth fluffy frosting turn grainy, runny, and awful looking. I don’t know if the recipe is missing something, or if I’m doing something wrong/missing something.
Also the chunks of blackberry make a crunchy seedy taste to the cake o recommend not adding them.
Hi Ashley, I haven’t had that experience with the frosting breaking but the only thing that comes to mind is that could happen if the syrup is added too quickly or of the syrup has been chilled. I hope that helps to troubleshoot. And yes, you can definitely strain the seeds if you prefer.
This happened to me too! The blackberries weren’t chilled. I left all the frosting ingredients on the counter to come to temperature
Natascha, for the frosting i’d rather use 1 cup of powdered sugar instead of 3. Would that affect the consistency? also, how many grams are 3 sticks of butter?
Thank you and love from Germany.
afraa
Hi Afraa, the powdered sugar is important to the consistency of the frosting – it might be a little too loose with only 1 cup of powdered sugar but you can add it to taste. Also, 1 stick of butter is equal to 113 grams so 3 sticks would equal 3/4 lb or 339 grams.
Hi Natasha! This cake looks so good and I would like to make it for my daughter’s first birthday. My question is: if I adjust the recipe to a 9×13 cake, do you think there will be a problem cutting each cake in half by a serrated knife? I am afraid it will break due to its size. I have adapated other cake receipes from your website to the 9×13 size and they were all wonderful, but those did not require cutting each one in half. Please let me know your thoughts. And thank you very much for all the wonderful recipes.
Hi Kamar, I haven’t tried this recipe as a sheet cake so I can’t say specifically. As long as it’s cut carefully I think it may work.
Some would suggest freezing the cake for about an hour before cutting it in half, as a partially frozen cake may be more stable than a room-temperature cake.
How many cups of heavy cream should I use in place of the butter? I want a whipped cream cheese frosting instead. Thank you very much.
You may use a recipe like this one here for reference. 🙂
I am in the process of making this cake! I ended up with double the amount of blackberry puree (10 Tbsp) and it is liquidy. Is that the right consistency? I am planning on only using 5 Tbsp but was wondering if I should reduce it on the stove to get it thicker. Thank you!
It should only make 5 tbsp of puree. Did you use the same proportions of ingredients in the puree? Did you change anything at all?
Hi Natasha, I made the frosting today. It’s a pretty pink, but it looks curdled. It’s smooth to the touch and tongue, but it appears to have a bumpy consistency. Any thoughts?
With the lumpy frosting, could it have been that the butter or cream cheese weren’t fully softened at room temperature which would make it difficult to get a completely smooth frosting? I hope that helps for next time!
I made this cake and everyone loved it !!!! I love the combination of ingredients!!!
Thank you for the great, review!
Natasha, I really like the color of this cake. Can I substitute the frosting ingredients and make it with cream cheese and heavy whipping cream like in your strawberry cake? If so, do I need to brush layers with the syrup?
Hi Julia, you could definitely sub the frosting since the cake base is essentially the same cake. I like brushing these cakes with some kind of syrup because they can be a little dry otherwise, unless you have a fruit puree in there, then it is not necessary.
Hi Natasha,
can I make this cake in the evening and serve the next day afternoon? I’m planning to make this cake for the birthday party of my daughter.
This will be my 3d time making this cake, it’s delicious!!!
Thank you!
Hi Julie! Yes of course, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator if serving the next day.:)
How many slices can I get from this size of cake?
This recipe makes a 9″ cake. It all depends on how thin you plan on slicing it. Typically 9″ cakes serve 10-18 slices.
For The sponge… if i combine flour and sugar and all dry ingredientes and then fold to The eggs Will The result be The same?
Hi Maria, that method won’t work for this recipe since the eggs and sugar need to be whipped together.
Hello Natasha,
I wanted to make this cake for mother’s day however I hit a little obstacle last time making the poppy seed pistachio cake. I only have one round pan and the batter flattened out by the time I went to fill it for the second batch. Is there a solution besides the fact I need to get another pan lol. Would it be horrible if I just used boxed cake mix for the cake part? Ha
Hi Jessica, this cake should be baked as soon as the batter is prepared. Since the cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar to rise, it is important not to let it sit on the counter. I haven’t tried a cake mix for this but I think you could make it work, although it would have a different flavor/texture.
Hi Natasha,
I love and follow the cake recipes you post. I have tried some of them. I was planning to make this blackberry cake. However I am making it for my brother in law. So how can I make it in a different color? Like blue or yellow or rather any color other than pink?
Thank you again!
Jyothi
HI Jyothi, I’m not sure what fruit to recommend to achieve those colors since even blueberries turn a vibrant pinkish/purple when cooked. You could leave it white and tint with a food coloring but then it would not have the blackberry flavor except for the filling.
I made this cake and the charlotte cake for my little girls third birthday and everyone loved it! The only thing I did different was add less powdered sugar to the frosting (personal preference) and I also added a cup of beaten heavy whipped cream to the frosting just because I feel like it helps soften the very strong buttery taste of the frosting. It was delicious!
I’m happy to hear the recipes are a hit, just hearing about them gets me drooling! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Lena!
Hi! Made this for my son’s first birthday yesterday – added blue sprinkles and did star bursts instead of roses on top. Turned out BEAUTIFULLY. One question – my syrup was more like lemon water… what could I have done wrong? Other than that, I loved this cake.
I’m so glad you loved it and the decor sounds lovely! The simple “syrup” really is just that; sweetened lemon water. It isn’t supposed to be thick so the term “syrup” can be a little deceiving in simple syrup 🙂
Hi Natasha,
LOOOOVE this cake, I made it last year for my sisters birthday and it was a huge hit. I did have a question, could you use gluten free flour instead of AP if someone had celiac?
Hi Rachel, I actually experimented with this over the weekend. I replaced the flour with gluten free flour in equal amounts and it worked really well. It didn’t rise as well so it would be more difficult to cut the cake layers in half but the flavor was excellent. I also tested with less GF flour and it didn’t make a difference in the rising of the cake. I used Namaste brand from Costco.
Do you think regular cake pans would work, like 1.5” tall sides? I was watching your video and the sponge cakes seemed to poof up a lot, and I don’t want it to overflow.
Hi Eva, yes that will work – those are the same size walls on my cake pan. Just make sure they are 9″ wide cake pans
Okay. Thank you, this cake looks absolutely gorgeous, and I would hate to mess it up. Like you, I’m also making it for a birthday!
Hi Natasha,
The cake looks amazing!
I was wondering if I can keep the frosted cake in the fridge – will it dry out the sponge cake? Thanks!
Hi Lily, This sponge cake refrigerates really well and as long as you are using the syrup per the recipe, it will not dry out :).
Thanks Natasha… will give it a try and let you know how I go! 🙂
Made this for a friend’s birthday and it turned out excellent! Thanks for the advice Natasha! Tagged you on instagram 🙂
You’re welcome Lily! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
This cake looks beautiful.
I want to give it a try for a gender reveal cake and I was wondering what do u think if I follow the cake recipe except for the top make white cream without the blackberry syrup added since I want to have white roses covering the whole cake?
Is it going to ruin the cake if I don’t add the blackberry syrup to the cream frosting? If u have any other suggestions for a gender reveal cake what kind can I make? It can
Be a sponge cake, between the layers I need to add frosting with gender color and the top white frosting so I can make roses
Thank u:)
Hi Tatyana, it should still work well without the blackberry syrup added but it will have a more pronounced cream cheese flavor – very similar to our carrot cake recipe. Another frosting I would recommend which pipes beautifully is our cupcake frosting and also our swiss meringue buttercream.
Tried this recipe and the results were phenomenal. My family finished it no time and kept raving about it. I wanted to try it again but with another type of berry. Do you think the frosting would work well with blueberries or even strawberries?
Hi Sasha, I am so happy to hear that!! Thank you for the amazing review :). I think you would have better luck with strawberries than blueberries if you wanted to substitute. You’ll want to use about the same amount of strawberries by volume and you don’t have to seed the strawberries since you can’t really feel their seeds in the frosting. Add strawberry puree to your desired consistency since strawberries tend to be a little juicier than blackberries.
Hi, you have a great blog with detailed instructions and pictures. I tried this cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday, she loved it. She says this is the best cake I made so far. I used whipped cream frosting instead of butter and cream cheese, followed rest of the process. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us.
My pleasure! I’m glad to hear how much you are enjoying my site and recipes! Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review!
Can I use raspberries instead of blackberries ?
Hi Lina, I do think raspberries would work well in this cake.
I was super excited to try this recipe and I thought your presentation was so beautiful I copied it exactly lol it was a wonderful recipe a super easy cake and oh so delicious!! My husband’s cousin from France was very impressed!! Thank you for sharing!!
You’re welcome Jennifer! I’m happy to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Recipes that requires butter, is there any specific type that you use?
Hi Jeya, any unsalted butter will work. I typically use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Hi, if I want to cover the cake with fondant, is it advisable?
Hi Jeya, I haven’t tried that so I’m not 100% sure. It is a very soft cake so I’m not sure how it would slice with fondant over it.
Hi, thank you for the feedback, planning to bake it for my husband’s birthday in December as it’s his favorite kind of combinations will share it when I bake 🙂
Hi Natasha – Would I be able to use cake flour instead of AP flour? Thank you!
Hi Steph, it will still work but I do prefer all purpose flour for this since it is an already pretty soft cake 🙂
Hi Natasha! I made this cake about a year ago and my husband still hasn’t stopped talking about it! Last time I made it the cake turned out quite dense (but still delicious), I figured it was because I was using a handmixer. Now I’m making it again and the cake still turned out with an odd texture, as well as rising on the sides. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong? Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Sarah, are you using a conventional electric oven? Also, problems with rising often have to do with not adequately beating the eggs and sugar. When the eggs and sugar are beaten together, and you lift up the whisk attachment, you should see a thick ribbon form with the batter that kind of sits on the surface of the batter and does not go right into it like a liquidy better would. I hope that makes sense! Aidans cake also typically means the eggs and sugar needed to be beaten longer to incorporate more air. The cake relies on the volume of the eggs and sugar as leavening to rise so that step is probably the most important.
Also, make sure you are folding the flour in with a spatula and not using the egg beater.
Does this work as a chocolate cake?
I haven’t tried it that way but I’m assuming it would work to use the cream on a chocolate cake.
The cake is beautiful. I love the color and design. I bought a 2D tip and I am going to attempt this. I only have a hand mixer, so I am going to take your tip of mixing a few minutes longer. Thank you!
You’re welcome Zuzu! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
This cake has awesome texture, but I think it was a little lacking in moutfeel and flavor. Perhaps a 1/4 tsp. of salt in the batter?
Otherwise perfect.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I usually don’t add salt since the syrup and cream flavors it well.
This cake was very good! And the cream was absolutely delicious. 😋😋😋😋 thank you!
My pleasure! Thanks for leaving your great review Inna!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for all of your work! I am a big fan of yours & your blog is my #1 source for the great recipes!
I have a question and i would really appreciate if you could help me out!
My daughter wants me to make a Barbie cake ( cake shaped like a dress & a doll on the top) for her birthday party. I am looking for a good recipe and it looks like your blackberry cake will work out just great. Question: do you think cream cheese icing which is in this recipe will hold a shape of rosettes all over the cake which will not be flat?
Thank you in advance!!!
Kristina.
Hi Kristina, I’m so glad you like our recipes!! 🙂 The frosting on this cake is not the thickest frosting but it should hold rosettes around the cake. You might add a little less of the fruit syrup to have a sturdier frosting if you want to pipe all around. If you post a picture of the cake somewhere, let me know!! It sounds like a beautiful idea!!
Thank you very much, Natasha! Can’t wait to make it! I will definitely post a picture! Thank you, again!
My pleasure Kristina!
Loved the icing in this recipe. I did end up adding about another cup of powdered sugar to mine to stiffen it up a little more. Just a personal preference though! The cake on the other hand was a total flop for me, twice! 🙁 Not sure what I did wrong, but it just didn’t work out. I just used a simple vanilla cake in place, still tasted amazing! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Ashley, I’m glad you enjoyed the flavors. Did you have a chance to watch the video on how to make a sponge cake? Did you change anything in ingredients? Mixing time? Tools to do the mixing? Did you bake right away after beating for the length of time stated in the recipe. I hope we can figure out what could have gone wrong!
I made this cake today – I think it’s the best cake I ever made. Also very pretty! I love your step by step instructions! Came out exactly like yours.
That’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing your awesome review Susie!
Hi Natasha,
Can l use self raising flour instead of all purpose flour
Hi Cynthia, I have never tried self raising flour for this sponge cake – I usually stick with all-purpose flour except for cake flour with some cake rolls using the same base. Without experimenting, it’s hard to say for sure…
Thank you Natasha- l have plain flour, is that same as all purpose flour
I believe so, it should work fine in this recipe.
Can i substitute raspberries for the blackberries?
Hi Maureen, yes absolutely!
Looks very delicious, I started to follow you just few weeks ago and already tried few of yours recipes, they are all become my family’s favourites. Long time ago I wanted to try to do cake with this cream and finally I did it, my son said it’s his favourite cake now, so thank you very much for all your ideas. I wanted to attach picture of my cake but I don’t know how
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful reviews :). I wish there was a way to upload pictures here but the next best thing would be to post it on our Facebook page wall. I would love to see your beautiful cake! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I just made my frosting and it looks curdled. I’m not sure what to do or how to fix this. Help!
Hi Audrey, I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Did it look like that the whole time you were beating it – did it get better or worse with more beating? Was the butter fully softened and when you added the liquid, was it at room temperature? Did you add the correct amount of syrup – not too much?
I have made this cake for a dinner party, OMG the best cake ever!!! People begged for more..next time I will make 2 of them.
I love to hear reviews like this! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Would this cake be stored at room temperature? Thank you!
Heather
Hi Heather, since it has fruit in it and a dairy based frosting, it is best to refrigerate the cake.
Hello! I’m planning to make this for my daighter’s 2nd birthday. After I frost the cake would I be able to cover it with fondant? I’ll probably make it a day prior to the party, is it ok to refrigerate it? Thanks and Happy New Year!
I have not tried putting fondant over my sponge cakes because they are pretty soft and fluffy and I’m not sure that they are firm enough for fondant. I have seen other people do it successfully, but I have not tried it myself. Also, it is best to refrigerate this cake overnight since it has fruit in it and a dairy-based frosting.
I made the cake and it was amazing! Thank you. I did a trial run and covered it with fondant (very thin) and it held up perfect! I need to make this cake in a larger size. Probably 11 inch cake pan. How would you recommend I increase the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Sveta, I haven’t tried it in an 11″ round pan, but if I did, I would modify it to be a 10 egg recipe, but since it is going to be alot of eggs, you would probably need to beat the eggs and sugar in 2 separate batches so you don’t overwhelm your mixer.
I’m thinking about also making this cake and covering it with fondant. Did you refrigerate the cake after applying the fondant? Did the fondant dry out?
I did and it was totally fine for several days. I rolled out the fondant pretty thin and I had no cracks or dryness with it after refrigeration. I’m actually making the cake again this Friday and covering it with fondant again 🙂
Hi, i’m planning to make this tomorrow and have a few questions.
Could I possibly add maybe some vanilla and milk to the cake batter?
My oven just broke today, so i’m planning on making this in a toaster oven and pouring the batter in the pans only 1/3 way full (so that the top doesn’t burn before the middle is done). Would that be okay, and are there any tips you could give me on that?
For the frosting, could i possibly leave the seeds and other stuff of the blackberry in it? I can’t find my strainer but wouldn’t mind having some seeds in the frosting.
Thank you and i am so excited to make this.
Hi Ann, this might not be a good cake for a toaster oven because you should not keep the layers at room temperature while other layers are cooking or it will deflate. This cake should be baked soon after the flour is blended into the egg/sugar mixture. This cake also will deflate if you add milk to the batter. A splash of vanilla will be ok (1/2 tsp, or so), but milk will deflate the batter. That’s such a bummer about your oven!! 🙁 It’s ok to leave the seeds in the frosting if you don’t mind the texture, but keep in mind it will be very difficult to pipe any kind of pretty frosting design if there are seeds in the batter as they will get stuck in the frosting tip. I hope that’s helpful! 🙂
I only have a convection oven, what do I do different?
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tested this cake on the convection setting and I’m not sure if this sponge cake would rise properly when cooked faster in a convection oven, so I can’t really give you advice on that. Sorry, I know that’s not very helpful…
Hey Natasha!
I recently found this and thought it would be perfect for my sisters bday! For the buttercream how long would you suggest I leave the ingredients out so that they are at room temperature? and how will i know when the butter and sugar are fully combined before adding the cream cheese?
Hi Madison, it depends on how cold your butter is to begin with and the temperature of your room. You want to keep them at room temperature at least 2 hours or until soft to the poke and spreadable – If I can plan ahead, I let it sit at room temp overnight. It takes about 2-3 minutes and it will be lightened in color and fluffy.
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It was my first time doing butter cream and I overbeat the butter. It was not smooth. It looked ugly just because I couldnt decorate and I dont have proper tools for cake decor, BUT the cake is DELICIOUS. My family loves it and my daughter always asking for MORE!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! With the lumpy frosting, could it have been that the butter or cream cheese weren’t fully softened at room temperature which would make it difficult to get a completely smooth frosting? I hope that helps for next time!
Natasha,
I am so excited to try making this cake!!!! I’m sure it will be wonderful, just like all your wonderful recipes. I was wondering if I could buy the same piping bag and wilton 2D tip on amazon? I could never find a good one. Could you give me the name or link of where to buy your piping bag? I would greatly appreciate it!
Oksana, we have the Ateco piping bag (I have 18″ size) and Wilton 2D tip. Hope this helps 😁.
I just made this today for a bridal shower. OH MY GOSH! It is the best, most delicious cake I have ever made in my entire life! I followed your directions exactly and it turned out perfect! Everyone was raving about it! The lemon syrup made the sponge cake so moist and had the perfect lemon flavor and the buttercream was simply amazing! I seriously can’t say enough good things about it! Because of this recipe I now have a great baking reputation among my friends LOL!
P.S. I used frozen (thawed) blackberries and it worked perfectly.
Awww that’s the best! Anna, thank you so much for sharing that with me 😁. I’m all smiles!
Hi Natasha,
I tried making this cake for my mom’s birthday and I ran into some real issues. I used an electric hand mixer and things seemed to turn out fine, everything looked just like how it did in the video. When I folded in the flour, I was so nervous to deflate the batter I am thinking I did not fully incorporate it. I cooked the rounds for 23 mins (I think I should have cooked it longer), they had the golden brown tops just like you showed in the video. When the cake was ready to take out of the pans, the real trouble began.
The cakes were sticky and had an “eggy” smell. They were so sticky and soft I could not even attempt to cut the round in half with a serrated knife! I considered trying to get them back into the pans and back into the oven to cook longer, but was unsure if that was smart move.
I didn’t have time to remake the layers, so I just made the cake into a two layer cake instead. I frosted and decorated with no problems, the frosting was delicious!
When it came time to serving, I was so embarrassed. I cut into the cake to find lumps of flour throughout the whole cake. The texture of the cake was still sticky yet mealy, not at all like a sponge cake should be.
Help! I really want to try making this again because I can see the potential of how delicious it could be. Especially because this recipe could be adapted to other fruit flavors like raspberry or strawberry, following the same process.
Looking forward to your response!
Hi Kelly, Thank you for sharing that and I do have answers to all your questions! I’ve made the sponge cake probably a hundred times and I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. To address your question about the cakes being sticky: using an electric hand mixer does take longer to mix than a high powered stand mixture because the large whisk on a stand mixer incorporates air into the whipped eggs quicker. If using a hand mixer, add 2-4 minutes to the mixing time. I’ll be sure to add that tip to the recipe. Did you use a conventional oven and bake in the center without opening the oven door too often? Did you possibly use a smaller sized pan which would take longer to bake. To check the cake for doneness, you can gently press on the top of the cake and if it springs back, it is done – it definitely should not be sticky and I’ve never had it come out sticky after 23 minutes so I wonder if maybe the pan size or oven settings may be different than what’s recommended? The lumps of flour are definitely related to under-folding the batter. Also, it really helps if you sift the flour into the cake in thirds and fold between each addition of flour so there is less chance of the clumps of flour folding. Scraping from the bottom of the bowl is important because flour can settle on the bottom and pockets of flour can be missed if you aren’t scraping from the bottom of the bowl upwards. Once I no longer see any pockets or streaks of flour, I’ll fold an extra 5 times just to make sure there is no unmixed flour left. I hope that helps for next time!
Hi Natasha, thank you for the speedy response! I really appreciate it. I am going to try making this cake again this week with your new feedback and will let you know how it goes. : )
I did sift in the flour as you noted, but I definitely did not mix as well as I should have as I was afraid to deflate the batter. I will mix the batter for the additional time, the hand mixer worked quite well but your point about the smaller beaters makes sense.
I was using a conventional oven and did bake the cakes in the center. I did not open the door at all until 23 mins was up. I did not check for doneness, to be honest I had never made sponge cake before so I was unsure of how to know when it was finished. I will be sure to press the cake top next time!
Thank you again for getting back to me, I am looking forward to a second, much better attempt!
No problem at all! 🙂 I also added some tips for success on the sponge cake recipe page (near the top), for quick reference.
Natasha!
I made the cake again for my birthday and it was a total dream! The additional time beating the egg mixture, mixing the flour better, and cooking longer did the trick! The cakes were light, fluffy and delicious. Everyone has seconds (and some thirds and fourths!!). It was a massive hit.
Thank you again, I am going to try this recipe with raspberries next, I love lemon and raspberries together <3
Oh I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for sharing that with us 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I had a go at making this cake. I must confess that I struggled with the cake mixture, which I think is what we call in the UK , a Victoria sponge mixture. I didn’t incorporate the flour thoroughly with the egg mixture and therefore the cakes didn’t rise fully. Thankfully they were still large enough to slice. I really liked the icing and didn’t find it too sweet at all. Thank you for the recipe.
You are welcome Angela, I’m glad it still worked out 😀.
Hi Natasha! I saw this recipe and I haven’t tried it but it looks great and I really am looking forward to trying it, as I have picked fresh blackberries in the last few days. Thank you for your wonderful recipe!
I hope you love it! 🙂
I like blackberries and now its just the season for those blackberries. They grow near the streets and everywhere here in Turkey on summer. I found your recipe on the net by luck. Here are my comments;
1- Cake mixture was not enough to make 4 layers. It was not suitable for cutting to form 4 pieces from those two cakes
2- Frosting did end up so runny with 3 sctick of room temp. butter. Also frosting has been so sweet with 3 cups of powdered sugar.
3- I need the taste of vanilia extract and also a bir of lemon zest and milky taste in this cake but they dont exit. So, it needs to be more milky frosting mixture.
Hi, did you use 9″ cake pans? Also, did you have a chance to watch the video on how to prepare the sponge cake? It normally rises enough to slice into 4 layers. I highly recommend you watch it if you aren’t used to making this classic European Sponge Cake base. Was your butter possibly too soft and did you add the salt to the frosting which really helps to balance the sweetness? I’m not sure how a milky taste would work with the blackberries and lemon but you can definitely experiment.
Do you think I could add a few blackberries to the batter of the cake?
Also…what about a layer of white chocolate Ganache? I had a similar cake at a wedding that I am trying to duplicate….
Hi Joan, I think adding white chocolate ganache would look nice.
Hi Joan, I’ve never put fruit inside this cake so I’m not sure how it would rise. I’ve actually never seen anyone add fruit to the European sponge cake and my guess is that it will not work well.
I want to make this cake for our family reunion. We are in the process of moving and my stand mixer is in storage. Can I use a hand held mixer and if so do I need to make any adjustments? Thanks in advance!
Jessica
Hi Jessica, you can use a hand-held electric mixer with whisk attachment on high speed but you will need to beat the eggs and sugar for a few minutes longer.
Thank you!
Jessica, did you end up making a cake using a hand held mixer? If so, I’m curious to know how it turned out. Thanks!
I made the cake with a hand held mixer and it turned out wonderfully, it just needed the extra time to fluff up 🙂
What a wonderful recipe! I made this for my husband’s birthday and everyone loved it. I followed the recipe precisely (although I could’ve folded in he flour a bit better) and it turned out perfectly. Thanks Natasha!
Stefani, you’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 😀.
My cake layers fell in the oven. Made a yellow cake from a recipe I had tried before and used the icing and the syrup as given. Incorporating the flour by folding in is a technique I’ll avoid in the future. Why not incorporate using the whisk attachment? Brushing the cake layers with the syrup is a genius stroke. Helps cut the sweetness of the icing and adds another flavor. Will use the berry puree technique for other icings.
Hi Dan, did you have a change to watch the video for making the cake layers? I think it would really help. Since this cake relies on the volume of eggs to rise, it is crucial not to use a whisk to fold in the flour or you will deflate the batter. Please let me know if you still have questions after watching this video (also embedded in the recipe above).
I watched the video. I didn’t deviate from what you show. I’m thinking it may have to do with the times given for beating the eggs and my stand mixer. The settings go from stir to 10. The recipe instructions for high and medium match up with much lower settings I discovered after reading my mixer manual. I know that you cautioned about this earlier. Next time.
Hi Dan, My sister in law has a mixer that is similar – even on high speed it’s not quite the same.
Natasha, 3 cups of powdered sugar made the cream extremely sweet. In my opinion a third of it would be more than enough. Did anybody else find it too sweet or just me? Also, Americans like heave butter creams by some reason, I have not seen it in France or Russia. Russian “zavarnoj” is still my favorite. Incorporating berries made it more European. Thanks.
Yes, good comment!
Does this cake need to be refrigerated if made the day before?
Hi Leanne, yes, you do want to refrigerate since the frosting is dairy based.
Hey! Do you think adding some lemon zest to the batter would mess it up? Thanks!
Hi Carly, I’ve never tried that kind of add-in with this sponge cake so to be honest I’m not sure if the zest would affect hot it rises or not. Without testing it myself, I can’t say for sure.
I live about 4500 ft above sea level and made this cake without any adjustments. It didn’t rise very much and is a bit sunken in and eggy. Any suggestions for how to adjust it for high altitude? Thank you! (I haven’t tasted the cake yet but the frosting is delicious!)
Hi Catherine, there are several changes that you can make for better results, here is a great comprehensive resource that you might bookmark for the future.
Hello:) this is a beautiful cake! How early ahead of time can this cake be made?
Hi Ilona, you could easily make this the day before or even 2 days in advance if you think your blackberries will hold up.
Hi, I really want to make this cake for my daughter for her birthday. She can not have dairy products I figured I could alter the butter but what about the cream cheese? Any ideas? I really want to make this cake for her. She Loves Blackberries!
Hi Lindy, what are you using instead of butter? You may just need a completely different frosting.
Hi Natasha, my frosting came out little runny
Any suggestion why?
Hi Marina, did you use the same proportions of ingredients in the frosting? Did you change anything at all? Also, did you have the same amount of blackberry puree (5 Tbsp?)
Can i use frozen blackberries?
I think that would work fine for the cream and even between the layers but you probably wouldn’t want to decorate the top with frozen. I hope you love it! 🙂
such a delicious cake! Everyone told me that they approve! lol and trust me, it was a tough crowd to please. The absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for all your hard efforts to putting out such delicious recipes! And the frozen berries worked well.
That is quite a compliment!! Thank you so much Oksana 🙂 I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Love the cake. Absolutely beautiful. Am going to try making it even though I don’t have fresh blackberries right now, as they are not in season, but I will use frozen ones for the filling and skip decorating the top with them.
Thank you! I hope you love it! 🙂
I made this cake for mothers day!! oh boy it was good, i sent you a snapchat of it 😛 ! I love how simple it is and the color of the frosting becomes a beautiful light purple all naturally! You are the best keep up the amazing recipes!! 🙂
Thank you so much for sending the snap chat! I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
Ohh my gosh yess I’m so happy you saw it!! I need to work on my piping skills 😝
I made this cake last weekend and it was so delicious! thank you for the recipe!
The only detail that did not work was the roses… I do not remember how much time I spent trying to make them right.. but all what I would get were the roses in the form of “какашки”. :)))
I am wondering if next time I can add a cocoa powder to the batter to make it chocolate-like.. what do you think? 🙂
oh boy, lol. Your comment made me laugh. Did you use the same frosting tip and watch the video tutorial that I shared? You really need to make sure you have the right frosting tip for the roses to work.
Hi Natasha! I don’t think that I used the same frosting tip as you did..I will need to check your tutorial again 😉
And another great cake recipe!! Everyone loved it for mothers day. And I particularly liked how the frosting wasn’t overly buttery taste with the added cream cheese. Will definitely be using this frosting for other things, and of course making this cake again 🙂
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
I made this cake for Mother’s Day and my sister-in-law’s birthday. I picked the wild blackberries with a friend. I was told by one of the guests that this was the best cake she had every eaten! I loved that the coloring came from the juice of the blackberries and there was only 1 cup flour in the cake. What a wonderful recipe! I thought there was a little too much salt in the icing, but all the guests disagreed. Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe!
Hi Bru, thank you for that glowing review!! I’m so happy you and all of your guests enjoyed it!
Sorry, I forgot to include the stars for awesome!!
You’re so nice! Thank you Dona 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Another fantastic cake! I made it for Mother’s Day and it came out perfect and everyone loved it, I wasn’t sure how much frosting to use on each layer but used a scooper as you show in the pictures and it worked great, Thanks again for your fantastic recipes, keep them coming!
Thank you so much for that wonderful review! I’m so happy everyone loved it! 🙂
Loved it!! Made cake twice in 1 week- followed recipe exact, but added more powdered sugar to frosting (I like my frosting very sweet;)). Would definitely make this cake again and again!!
Karen, that’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Agh got everything to make it except parchment paper.. what can I do instead?
Hi Erica, it is best to have parchment paper with this sponge cake otherwise it will be very difficult to remove from the pan and it’s not recommended to grease the sides because the cake will pull away from the sides and you won’t achieve as flat of a cake layer. I’ve used wax paper before but with wax paper you have to remove it from the cake right away after it’s out of the oven or it will stick to the bottom like crazy.
Thanks I actually greased some foil with butter and it turned out good! Also used raspberries instead everybody loved it!!
Looks beautiful! I would like to try it as cupcakes. Any idea on bake time/temp to do that? Thanks!
Hi Amy, This cake is not ideal for cupcakes. Since it does not have any fat in it, it will stick to the cupcake liners badly and will be difficult to pry off. I recommend trying this cupcake base instead.
Oh thank you natasha for this beautiful and delicious cake! I made it last night and not even one piece was left(: the blackberries and lemon accent did wonders for this cake. Was not overly sweet .. It was perfect. God bless your hard work and am waiting for more always (;
I’m so happy you loved it. Thank you for the wonderful review and your sweet comment. God bless you also! 🙂
Natashenka,
Thank you so very much for all the recipes they really help me out especially since I’m still getting used to cooking/ baking in marriage lol. This cake looks amazing I can’t wait to try it!!! By the way I’m in love with the shop 🙂 so much stuff I don’t want to go look for at the store, it’s so nice to find them right here!
Awesome!! I’m so happy to hear you like it and find it useful :). My husband has spent many hours on it also putting in the items one by one as we think of them. I’ll be sure to share your comment with him 🙂
Just wanted to share I used mascarpone instead if cream cheese and skipped the butter… Oh my! It was so good! Attached is the pic of my cake, it doesn’t look fancy but is so yummy , thanks a lot!
P s I can’t download my picture
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! How much mascarpone did you use for the recipe? Did everything else stay the same? I love that idea – and it’s even healthier than buttercream! Unfortunately there’s no way to attach pictures on my site. Do you have a facebook account, maybe you could share a picture on my Facebook page? I’d love to see it!
re: blackberry cake, can I used frozen blackberries to make this cake?
Hi Stella, I think fresh is best but thawed frozen blackberries would probably work.
I am so excited to make this!! I always wait for new cake recipes. Hope my decor looks just as nice
Let me know how it turns out Irene 😀. Have a great weekend.
I can’t wait to make this for Mothers’ Day! Quick question, though, since there is cream cheese, does the cake need to be stored in the refrigerator?
Yes, it’s best to store it in the refrigerator. The cream cheese also keeps the frosting from becoming hard after refrigeration like most butter creams do and it complements the blackberry flavor nicely.
Natasha, your cake looks delicious! I’m a big fan of yours! Wanted to ask, what size of pans did you use for this cake? Is it 9-inch? Thank you.
Hi Lana, yes it is a 9-inch pan.
hi i was wondering of you have a marinated eggplant recipe or maybe post one in the near future? i can’t find good directions on how to make them. =) i just love your website, bookmarked it too & thought maybe i should ask.
Hi Lily, Some folks haven’t seen it before so I figured its worth mentioning 🙂 On my recipe index page, if you click ingredient (or scroll down to ingredient section), you will find a listing of all the ingredients used on my blog. If you click on eggplant you get this (all of the recipes with eggplant). I don’t know if these are anything you are looking for. I hope that helps for the future! 🙂
hi thank you for the response but i was looking for a recipe in a jar. one of your recipes with the eggplants looks good so i will try that. =)
Wow Natasha another beautiful cake creation must try on my to bake list after Passover totally perfect for mothers day a lot of times I usual make her a nice hearty delish brunch and I think this cake would definitely go well btw love the video tutorial on how to make rose creations thanx lots for the tip will probably watch again just to get the hang of it oh my word ur son was so little then love how u guys say prayers before eating just like this Jewish chica beautiful blessings to you and your whole family tho I do have a question with the lemon syrup would I be able to add some alcohol like rum or brandy
Hi Tzivia! I know it! He was so little in that video. I love watching that video just to see him in it. It makes me so glad that I included him :). I haven’t tried it with alcohol since the lemon juice provides a great contrast to the sweetness. I’m not sure if the fruit, lemon juice and alcohol would meld well together. Are you thinking about using it just in the soaking syrup? If so, I would omit the lemon juice from the soaking syrup.
Yea that’s how it goes gurl these kiddies they r lil munchkins and then b4 ya know it they grow so very fast I still can’t believe that my g-d daughter is 13 and in a few years she will be six feet she’s already taller than me yup videos can be gr8 memories too I’ll probably watch the tutorial again just to get my drink on lol ok so I I’ll leave out the alcohol and stick with the lemon juice I love lemons and so does my mom gotta remember to print this cake recipein general your recipes have been such a major big time saver healthwise and time wise too keep them coming luv cheers
I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes. Thanks Tzivia! 🙂
Hello Natasha, thank you for this recipe! Looks delicious and I have to try it. Do you think if I can substitute cream cheese for mascarpone ? And use 2 butter sticks instead of 3? Thank you!
I haven’t tried those substitutions but my guess is that the frosting won’t be as easy to pipe – it will be more loose with mascarpone since it is a softer product than cream cheese. I have tried with 2 sticks butter and it doesn’t stay as firm as when using 3. Keep in mind you need to add blackberry syrup which softens the frosting so if you are starting with a base that is loose, it will just be difficult to pipe. It could work but I haven’t tested it that way to say how well it would work.
Natasha,
The cake looks amazing! I love the coarse sugar detailing. Your frosting reminded me of her cup of joy’s fresh raspberry buttercream using fresh raspberries instead. How does fresh berry cream hold up? Just beautiful.
Ofcourse now I have to go check out her recipe… mmm that sounds lovely! It looks like she doesn’t use cream cheese, but cream cheese compliments the flavor of blackberries nicely. Thank you for the compliment! 🙂
Beautiful cake. Looks divine! Perfect for the upcoming Mother’s Day gift! Thank you!
Thank you so much :). It would be lovely for Mother’s Day! 🙂
The cake looks delicious!!! I really like how you made the roses different sizes and only one side. Very modern and elegant. I pinned it, can’t wait to try it.
Do you think it Would work with other berries as well? Any changes you would recommend?
Hi Estera, I think it would work really well with raspberries too. If using raspberries, you might tone down the lemon juice slightly since raspberries are naturally a little more tart than blackberries.
This cake looks sensational! Love the color and the beautiful decorations on top! You do classically beautiful better than anyone!
You’re so nice! Thank you 🙂 that’s quite a compliment!
What a gorgeous cake!! I love blackberries and always get excited when there are fruit tarts or cheesecakes topped with blackberries. That frosting must be so good. 🙂
I do love blackberries on dessert also! They are so striking both in how they look and taste. Thanks Kate! 🙂
That looks so pretty and I’m sure it is delicious! Wonderful job! 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
Hi Natasha, the cake looks delicious! Do you know how tall the cake stands?
I didn’t measure it, but I believe it was between 3″ to 3 1/2″
How beautiful does this cake look!. I’m a tellin ya, the photography gets better with each recipe. Love it.
Great cake for Mother’s Day! 🙂
Pinned!!
Thank you so much Valentina! That’s quite a compliment 🙂 and thank you so much for pinning! I agree, it would be a good one for Mother’s Day! 🙂