Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Easy Blackberry and Malt Stout Cake
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
25 mins
35 mins
2 hours
Serves:
One 8-inch two-layer cake (12 slices)
An easier take on Nikki's Blackberry and Malt Stout Cake from Great British Bake Off ™ Season 17. Shop-bought seedless blackberry jam sharpened with lemon replaces the homemade jam, the tuiles give way to fresh blackberries and crushed malted milk balls, and the same stout sponge bakes as two layers...
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Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE: Softened butter, for greasing 1 cup stout 10 Tbsp (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cubed ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1¾ cups granulated sugar ⅔ cup sour cream, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE MALT BUTTERCREAM: 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened ½ cup malted milk powder 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2–3 Tbsp heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp fine salt
FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING: ⅔ cup seedless blackberry jam 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 cup fresh blackberries ¼ cup malted milk balls, roughly crushed (optional)
EQUIPMENT: Two 8-inch round cake pans Parchment paper Large saucepan Whisk Fine-mesh sieve Mixing bowl Hand mixer Small bowl Wire rack Offset spatula Skewer
Method
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PANS
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with softened butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE STOUT BATTER
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder and granulated sugar, then the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt through a fine-mesh sieve straight into the pan and whisk until just smooth. The batter will be thin and pourable.
STEP 3: BAKE AND COOL THE SPONGES
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs; don't wait for a clean skewer. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
STEP 4: MAKE THE MALT BUTTERCREAM
In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer until pale and smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir the malted milk powder into the sifted powdered sugar, then beat it into the butter in three additions on low speed. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt and beat on high until light, about 2 minutes.
STEP 5: FILL THE CAKE
In a small bowl, stir the seedless blackberry jam with the lemon juice to sharpen it. Level the sponges if domed. Set one on a serving plate and spread a thin layer of buttercream over it with an offset spatula, leaving a thicker ring around the edge. Spread the jam inside the ring, keeping it thin, as the cake is sweet enough. Top with the second sponge, base side up.
STEP 6: FROST AND FINISH
Swirl the remaining buttercream over the top of the cake with the offset spatula, leaving the sides bare. Pile the fresh blackberries in the center and scatter over the crushed malted milk balls, if using, just before serving.
Instructions
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE:
Softened butter, for greasing
1 cup stout
10 Tbsp (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
(/interesting-ingredients/unsweetened-cocoa-powder)1¾ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE MALT BUTTERCREAM:
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup malted milk powder
(/interesting-ingredients/malted-milk-powder)3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2–3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)¼ tsp fine salt
FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING:
⅔ cup seedless blackberry jam
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh blackberries
¼ cup malted milk balls, roughly crushed (optional)
EQUIPMENT:
Two 8-inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
Large saucepan
Whisk
Fine-mesh sieve
Mixing bowl
Hand mixer
Small bowl
Wire rack
Offset spatula
Skewer
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PANS
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with softened butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE STOUT BATTER
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder and granulated sugar, then the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt through a fine-mesh sieve straight into the pan and whisk until just smooth. The batter will be thin and pourable.
STEP 3: BAKE AND COOL THE SPONGES
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs; don't wait for a clean skewer. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
STEP 4: MAKE THE MALT BUTTERCREAM
In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer until pale and smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir the malted milk powder into the sifted powdered sugar, then beat it into the butter in three additions on low speed. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt and beat on high until light, about 2 minutes.
STEP 5: FILL THE CAKE
In a small bowl, stir the seedless blackberry jam with the lemon juice to sharpen it. Level the sponges if domed. Set one on a serving plate and spread a thin layer of buttercream over it with an offset spatula, leaving a thicker ring around the edge. Spread the jam inside the ring, keeping it thin, as the cake is sweet enough. Top with the second sponge, base side up.
STEP 6: FROST AND FINISH
Swirl the remaining buttercream over the top of the cake with the offset spatula, leaving the sides bare. Pile the fresh blackberries in the center and scatter over the crushed malted milk balls, if using, just before serving.
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