My Mini Bites: Blueberry butter cream cake

I have a cake and I don't know what to do with it. I know it doesn't sound like a problem, but it kinda is. Since I'm in baking school every week I bring something home and then I also use the recipe to try out new things. So now I have a cake.

Last Tuesday I already shared some calories aka mocha cake with the neighbors so I want to give them a break this week. The cake is in my fridge till I can find it a new home. But boy, I had so much fun making it.

First I used the recipe for that ubersoft, light and fluffy, no butter cake:
- 200 gr eggs
- 100 gr sugar
- 100 gr sifted flour
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
oven temperature 170C

I put the egg, sugar and lemon zest in my mixing bowl and put the bowl in some boiling water continuing stirring the mixture till the eggs were somewhat lukewarm. Then I beat the mixture on high speed till it was fluffy and light yellow. Then bit by bit I added the flour, slowly incorporate it in the mixture, trying to keep as much air in as possible.

I poured the mixture in a baking tin that I already lightly buttered (the sideds) and lined the bottom with some parchment paper and baked int in a 170C oven for about 25-30 minutes.

It came out perfectly.

The cake was high enough so after it cooled I cut it in three layers (YEAH!!). I made sure I turned the cake upside down (the bottom layer has a flat surface so that has to be on top) before I started. And I placed the cake on some plastic foil so it's easier for me to put it in the box later.

At first I didn't know what to use to fill the cake, but I remembered I had some lemon curd in the fridge and some blueberry in the freezer so a blueberry lemon curd cake it is. Unfortunately I forgot to take out the lemon curd and I didn't remember until I was done decorating. I made butter cream for the first time and I was so exited about it that I totally forgot about the lemon curd.

I did however made a little blueberry jam spread with some frozen blueberries and a bit of sugar.

I couldn't make the Italian meringue recipe because I don't have a candy thermometer. So I searched online for a recipe that would work for me. I found that some people made butter cream with butter (of course) and lots of sugar and some indeed made it with egg whites or meringue mixture. For butter cream made with meringue there was one simple rule. Just as simple as 1-2-3. That reminds me of the 1-2-3 dough recipe, so easy to remember.

For the butter cream I used:
- 60 gr egg white (1)
- 120 gr sugar (2)
- 180 gr butter cut in little cubes (3)

Actually I only used 140 gr butter and a bit more egg white and I added some lemon zest, so it is possible to tinker a bit with the recipe.

I warmed the egg white with the sugar au bain marie (in a bowl on top of boiling water). I stirred it till the sugar dissolved. Then I poured the mixture in my mixing bowl mixing it on high speed till it was glossy and could form peeks. Then one by one I slowly added the butter cubes till it was incorporated and the mixture was smooth and light. At this point it was ready, but because I wanted some color I added some blueberry jam juice and mixed it for a little bit longer. Then I scooped it in a piping bag and got busy with it.

On the first cake layer I spread a small layer of blueberry jam but left some room on the edges and then covered it with some creme patisserie. On the edges I piped some buttons with some butter cream.

Then I place the second layer on top. I spread the remaining blueberry jam in the middle and added another layer of butter cream buttons. I also jazzed it up a bit by adding some fruit liqueur to the blueberry jam.