White blueberry cake with tiramisu cream

This white blueberry cake has layers of delicate sponge, creamy tiramisu-style filling, a hint of coconut and a light citrus soaking syrup. You can use either fresh wild blueberries or wild blueberries in syrup. I used wild blueberries in syrup between the layers, as I didn’t have any fresh ones, and scattered fresh blueberries over the top. The cake is wonderfully light and delicate, with a lovely balance of flavours. Nothing overpowers the blueberries, so their flavour really shines through :).

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

• 5 large eggs
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• ¾ cup plain flour (cake flour)
• ¼ cup potato starch

1 cup = 250 ml

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks and whisk the whites until stiff peaks form, taking care not to overbeat them. Towards the end of whisking, gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking continuously. Sift the plain flour and potato starch directly into the egg mixture. Gently fold in using a spatula or balloon whisk, just until combined. Folding by hand is the safest method, as it will help keep the sponge light and airy, allowing it to rise to the height of the tin. Do not use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper, leaving the sides ungreased. Carefully transfer the batter to the tin and level the surface. Bake at 160-170°C for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove the hot cake from the oven and drop the tin onto the floor from a height of approximately 30-40 cm. Leave to cool at room temperature, then slice horizontally into 3 layers.

Note: Only run a knife around the edge of the sponge to release it from the tin once it has cooled completely.

Ingredients for the soaking syrup:

• 100 ml coconut liqueur
• 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 50 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

Mix all the ingredients together.

Ingredients for the tiramisu-style cream:

• 4 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 100 g caster sugar
• 50 ml coconut liqueur
• 350 g mascarpone, chilled
• 300 ml double cream, chilled

Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Add the egg yolks, sugar and coconut liqueur. Using a hand mixer, whisk until the mixture becomes noticeably thicker and pale and fluffy (this can take up to 15 minutes). Remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking for another 2 minutes, until slightly cooled. Leave to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, briefly beat the mascarpone until smooth. Add the cooled egg yolk mixture (zabaglione) and beat until combined and smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold it into the mascarpone mixture using a spatula.

You will also need:

• 50 g white chocolate, grated
• 400 g blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed beforehand), or 2 jars of blueberries in syrup, drained
• approximately 300 g sponge finger biscuits, for decoration

Method:

Place the first sponge layer on a serving plate and drizzle with one-third of the soaking syrup. Secure a cake ring or the ring from the springform tin around it. Divide the tiramisu-style cream into 3 portions. Spread one portion over the sponge and level the surface. Arrange some of the blueberries on top. Place the second sponge layer on top and drizzle with half of the remaining soaking syrup. Spread over half of the remaining cream, then arrange more blueberries on top. Cover with the final sponge layer, drizzle with the remaining soaking syrup and spread the rest of the cream over the top, reserving a small amount to cover the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for several hours.

Once chilled, remove the cake ring. Use the reserved cream to cover the sides of the cake. Decorate the top with grated white chocolate and blueberries. Arrange the sponge finger biscuits around the sides and tie with a ribbon.

Enjoy!